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Iran Sends New Plan to U.S. Via Pakistan Mediators; Iranian Strikes Damage 16 U.S. Military sites in the Middle East; Israel and Hezbollah Trade Attacks Despite Ceasefire; Iran's Strait of Hormuz Choke Hold Puts Pressure on Oil Prices; United Arab Emirates Leaves OPEC and OPEC Plus; Ukrainian Strikes Hit Russian Oil Refinery; Kenya's Sebastian Sawe Smashed Marathon Record. Aired 10a-11a ET

Aired May 01, 2026 - 10:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[10:00:35]

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD.

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Welcome to the second hour of the show from our Middle East programing headquarters. I'm Eleni Giokos live in

Abu Dhabi where the time is just after 6:00 in the evening.

And our sources tell CNN that Iran has submitted a new peace proposal to the U.S. via Pakistani mediators. We're standing by for reaction from

President Trump. That comes as a new CNN investigation reveals the extent that the Iran war has damaged the country, and the majority as well of

American military sites in the Middle East. And we'll also go live to Lebanon, where violence is again testing the fragile ceasefire there.

Well, we start with signs of movement on negotiations to end the U.S. war with Iran. Sources familiar with the mediation process say Iran has sent

its revised peace proposal to the United States through Pakistani mediators, and we've been reporting through the week that Pakistan expected

Iran's new proposal by Friday night. U.S. President Donald Trump rejected an initial version over Tehran's call to delay talks on its nuclear program

until the U.S. lifts its blockade of Iranian ports.

And publicly, the two sides have been sparring. Late last night, President Trump said no one knows the true status of talks except himself and a few

others.

We've got Nic Robertson standing by for us from Islamabad, and we also got Kevin Liptak at the White House.

Nic, I want to start off with you. What more are you hearing about Iran's proposal?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, it really does seem to have come through at the 11th hour because it really wasn't clear

what was going to happen if Iran hadn't put this proposal forward by the end of Friday. So I think there's a sense of relief here, at least as far

as mediators are concerned, that this is an opportunity to, you know, to sort of move the negotiation or the talks forward.

I think everyone here will be looking to see what President Trump has to say about it. I don't think the mediators here will be sharing details.

They'll leave that as they have done for President Trump and his interpretation. You know, and we don't -- so we don't have details of

precisely what Iran may or may not have put forward there.

However, having talked with Iranian officials just a couple of hours before that document was released or passed over to Pakistan, they suggested that

a way to get into talks would be for the U.S. and Iran to simultaneously drop their blockades on the Strait of Hormuz. Now, it's not clear to us if

there was -- if that is intended to have any conditionality, what that conditionality may look like, how that may be interpreted by President

Trump, if that's what indeed the Iranians are doing at this moment. And that's not fully clear to us right now.

But, you know, the thrust of what the Iranians were saying was they really don't trust the United States. They really don't trust President Trump

because they've been in this position of sort of feeling under pressure and under threat to respond, and that they've gone along with talks. But that's

ultimately led to a resumption of attacks on them. So there is this sort of breakdown in trust. So it's not quite clear what Iran is going to look for

if it goes into talks to ensure that its interests as it sees it.

And right now, that is absolutely the Strait of Hormuz and they want to have control over it. They want to have influence going forward. We heard

that from their supreme leader yesterday, from the sort of highest authority that they want to be part of a new administration for the Strait

of Hormuz because they believe it can bring economic benefits to Iran. It's hard to reconcile that kind of language, particularly if it's sort of tied

in to conditionality around the lifting of -- the lifting of the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

But it would fit with, you know, what we were hearing from the Iranian official earlier today that they don't trust the United States who is going

to guarantee the Strait of Hormuz was one thing that we heard.

[10:05:14]

So, you know, as we wait to hear how the United States, how President Trump reads this document, this is an insight to the position of Iran, a complete

lack of trust, wanting some sort of guarantees that they enable themselves or others give to them in this situation and not clear at all if anything

substantial is in this new document about the nuclear issues, which are so important to President Trump.

GIOKOS: Yes, I mean, a lot of questions, but I think one thing is very clear is that the Iranians have been very vocal about the lifting of the

U.S. blockade, and they were hoping that the U.S. was going to reciprocate at one point when they declared the strait open, which was effectively not.

I mean, so much happening there.

Nic for us in Islamabad, thank you so much for that update.

We've also got Kevin Liptak, and I just, Kevin, I want to get a sense, how is the White House reacting to this fresh proposal?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're still digesting it and we will see the president when he's leaving in a few hours

from now. So hopefully he can give us his insights if he has read this latest document.

You know, talking to administration officials over the last few days, it was evident that they were looking for a few specific things in here from

around. One, just including the nuclear issue back into the negotiations because, as Nic said, they had initially tried to put that off, tried to

find a way to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and left that for another day. And that was something that the president has rejected.

So trying to insert that back in there. And then as well looking for some concessions on the specifics of the nuclear program, you know, providing

the U.S., the stockpile of highly enriched uranium. That's been something that the president has been very clear on, that the U.S. needs to take

ownership of that as well, finding some sort of medium ground in the length of time that Iran agrees to pause enrichment of uranium. So finding some

leeway there.

And then as well I think the probably the biggest thing that the U.S. is looking for is some clarity on who inside of Iran is actually making these

decisions. You've heard President Trump talk about, you know, as recently as yesterday, some confusion and divides within the Iranian regime, between

the hardliners and the moderates. And that is something that has put off negotiations for so long is this lack of clarity on the part of the White

House about who precisely will be deciding what the deal actually is.

And so a lot for the president to digest. And I think he's also now weighing if this deal doesn't meet his demands, whether he will resume the

bombing campaign that is on pause due to this ceasefire. Last night, he received updated briefing from military officials about the latest plans if

the president were to decide essentially to go back to war. And some members of Congress have suggested that their information is that this is a

very viable option.

Listen to what the Democratic senator from Connecticut, Richard Blumenthal, said yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): I do have the impression from some of the briefings that I have received, as well as other sources, that an imminent

military strike is very much on the table, which is deeply disturbing because it could well involve American sons and daughters in harm's way and

potential massive casualties.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIPTAK: Now, that's not necessarily the sentiment that we've heard from President Trump in public. He has been somewhat reluctant to say that he

wants to break the ceasefire or wants to go back to war. And even in private, you hear from officials who say that the president would very much

like this war to be over with, just given the costs that it has caused both politically and actual costs.

You know, we heard from the Pentagon this week that the war was now at the $25 billion price tag, and so even as Blumenthal says that it's clear that

the president will have a decision to make as he digests this latest Iranian proposal.

GIOKOS: Yes. I mean, apart from the cost of this and of course the debate about whether to engage, again, militarily, there's a lot of back and

forth, Kevin, around whether President Trump is going to need congressional approval for this war as it crosses the 60-day mark. And here's what

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told senators yesterday. Listen in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, DEFENSE SECRETARY: I would defer to the White House and White House counsel on that. However, we are in a ceasefire right now, which our

understanding means the 60-day clock pauses or stops in a ceasefire. So -- that's our understanding, just so you know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIOKOS: Right. So, Kevin, so what is the Trump administration's stance on this? And does it square with the law?

[10:10:05]

LIPTAK: They have been pretty clear that they do not think they need to seek congressional authorization here. The senior administration official

told me just this morning that for the war powers resolution purposes, the hostilities that began on February 28th have terminated. So in their view,

at least when it comes to this statute, the war is essentially over.

Now, this law, it's from the Vietnam era. It says that once a conflict has gone on for 60 days, that a president needs to seek congressional

authorization, it's essentially designed to constrain a president's military powers. We should be clear that presidents of both parties over

the last several decades have essentially ignored this law. There are -- so this was a legal deadline. But I think it's important to note as well.

There's a political deadline here as well.

Many Republicans said that this 60-day mark could potentially be a pivot point for them. You know, they have been relatively sort of unconditional

in their support for the war until now. But I think a lot of them do want to weigh in on this and want to have a vote on whether or not Congress

supports it. I think it's clear from the administration's point of view over the last couple of days that they do not share that necessity.

They do not think that this is a requirement for them going forward, which I think raises the possibility that if the president decides to restart

this war, what exactly happens? Is the war still terminated? Is it still over? So I think a lot of legal questions for them to answer, but at least

for the time being, as we pass this threshold, this 60-day threshold that they at this point do not think it is a legal requirement to go to Congress

for authorization.

GIOKOS: All right. Kevin Liptak, thank you so much for that update.

All right. A CNN investigation has revealed that Iranian strikes have damaged at least 16 sites used by the U.S. military in the Middle East. In

other words, the majority of American positions in the region. Damage has been inflicted on high value U.S. targets, raising questions about the

Pentagon's footprint in the Middle East.

CNN's Tamara Qiblawi reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TAMARA QIBLAWI, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT, WRITER (voice- over): Camp Buehring, Kuwait. American soldiers enjoying a karaoke night at one of the biggest U.S. military hubs in the Gulf. That was then. This is

now.

O once bustling American micro city in the desert, nearly empty and heavily damaged after a week's long barrage of Iranian missiles and drones. One of

many U.S. military facilities in the oil rich Arabian Peninsula targeted by Iran even as the U.S. and Israel pummeled the Islamic Republic's large

arsenal.

So what impact have Iran's strikes had on America's footprint in the Middle East? A CNN investigation found evidence of unprecedented destruction. We

can reveal that strikes damaged at least 16 U.S. installations across eight countries. According to our analysis and sourcing, that's the majority of

American military positions in the region, and some of them are virtually unusable now.

A U.S. source familiar with the situation told us that they'd never seen anything like this at American bases, that these were rapid, targeted

strikes using advanced technology. Iran's main targets, multimillion dollar aircraft like this Boeing E-3 sentry, which gave the U.S. a huge amount of

visibility over the Gulf. It's out of production. And in today's money, it's worth nearly half a billion dollars.

Critical communications equipment. Look at these giant golf balls. They're known as radomes, and they protect satellite dishes vital for data

transmission. In this space alone, Iran destroyed all but one of the radomes less than a month into the war, and crucially, radar systems,

highly sophisticated, expensive, difficult to replace and critical to air defense. A second U.S. source, this one a congressional aide familiar with

damage assessments, described these as the most cost effective of the targets.

"Our radar systems," they said, "are our most expensive and our most limited resource in the region."

For U.S. allies in the region, there's a dilemma. In some ways, Iran's show of force makes the US's presence in the region even more necessary to Gulf

security. But there's a new reality here, which is that U.S. military installations previously seen as formidable fortresses have turned into

sitting targets. As a Saudi source told me, the war has shown Saudi Arabia that the U.S.'s longest standing Arab ally, that the alliance with the U.S.

cannot be exclusive, and it is not, in their words, impregnable.

(Voice-over): To get a sense of just how vulnerable U.S. facilities have become, have a look at this. It's the war room at Qatar's Al-Udeid Air

Base. The theater command and control hub for U.S. air power across 21 nations struck not just once, but twice and according to a U.S. source,

causing significant damage.

[10:15:04]

The base had been largely evacuated at this point, and no casualties were reported.

Iran's visibility over its targets has never been clearer. In 2024, according to "The Financial Times," Tehran secretly acquired a Chinese

satellite known as the TEE-01B, a massive upgrade from its satellites. That means that Tehran went from looking at images of this quality to this. This

is the first time America has fought an adversary with satellites that capture high res imagery, almost as detailed as its own.

As the scale of the damage comes into focus, many will wonder whether America's presence, once a protective shield in the Middle East, has turned

into its Achilles heel.

Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GIOKOS: All right. Responding to CNN's findings, a Pentagon official said the Defense Department does not discuss damage assessments, but U.S. forces

remain fully operational with the same readiness and combat effectiveness.

CNN also understands from its sources that the vast majority of U.S. troops evacuated their positions in the Middle East, with many working from the

relative safety of hotels and apartments in the Arabian Peninsula.

All right. Up next, despite the extension of a ceasefire, Israel and Hezbollah are trading fire. We go live to Beirut. We speak to the

International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Stay tuned for that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GIOKOS: Renewed strikes between Israel and Hezbollah are pushing the limits of an extended truce between Israel and Lebanon. Lebanon's Health Ministry

says Israel launched attacks in several towns in southern Lebanon, killing at least 16 people over the last two days, while Israel says an Israeli

soldier was killed and several others were injured in strikes by Hezbollah.

I want to get more on the situation now on the ground in Lebanon. With us is Christiane Cortez Cardoza of the International Federation of Red Cross

and Red Crescent Societies. He joins us now from Beirut.

But you've also visited Iran. So really important to get your voice with us today, Christiane. Thank you so much. What are you seeing in Lebanon on the

ground right now as the ceasefire, this truce is being tested extensively.

CRISTHIAN CORTEZ CARDOZA, DEPUTY REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR EMERGENCIES AND OPERATIONS, INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS: Good afternoon. First of

all, thank you so much. I just come back from the visit to the south of Lebanon. I just come back 20 minutes ago. Situation is very difficult. You

know, the ceasefire is not the end of the conflict.

It's a very fragile situation in all the south of the country, permanent and intermittent attacks that came also to cities around the south. We just

come back from Tyre where we will testify that at least three strikes around the city.

[10:20:04]

Situation is very difficult. More than one million people displaced. They cannot come back to their houses or home. Is no services that can be

provided. We through the Red Cross, Lebanese Red Cross, we are doing all our effort to support the population with basic needs. That includes

shelter, food, health, hygiene, kits and the needs are increasing unfortunately.

GIOKOS: Yes, I mean, we're watching some of the images and it's, you know, it just shows just a glimpse of the reality there. How is what we're seeing

the volatility affecting your ability to deliver aid and help the people?

CARDOZA: I would say, you know, we have the opportunity to listen. Volunteer of the Lebanese Red Cross they are in the front line. They are

working to save life. And unfortunately, you know, they are in the middle of attacks. We have the loss of two volunteers in Lebanon, four volunteers

in Iran, unfortunately, now is we make a big call for protection of the humanitarian medical workers to support.

GIOKOS: OK. I want to turn our attention to what we're seeing in Iran. You visited Iran as well. We know that Iran has seen 147,000 unemployment

insurance claims in just two months. Reports are suggesting that 50 percent of Iranian jobs could be at risk due to disrupted shipping and imports.

Inflation, double digits, 72 percent. Essentials rising dramatically.

Explain to our viewers what you saw, because there's multiple things happening here. It's the economy. It's, you know, the military action that

we saw over the past two months. And how are you able to assist people there?

CARDOZA: Yes. Thank you. Thank you so much for, to mention on that. You know, the impact of the situation in Iraq -- Iran is bigger than the

conflict itself. As you mentioned, the economic situation is very highly deteriorated with high inflation in the last weeks. So what we see, you

know, we have the opportunity to visit 70 percent of the country. You know, we were by road coming from Armenia, the border of Armenia to Tehran. And

we were -- we testify the destruction around the country but something that is very important is to connect the -- these different dots related to the

situation in Iran.

You know, the impact is very high. We have more than around 10 million people affected. You mentioned already more than 23,000, 24,000 business

factories, companies, are destroyed or damaged by the impact of the strikes. We lost four volunteers as well in the duty of care. But at the

same time, the impact is higher. You know, we have a limitation in access of health, education, and as well access to food and basic services like

water as well.

GIOKOS: Yes. I mean, look, there's sort of a deadlock in terms of negotiations. We don't know where this is going I guess for everyone here

in the region. But I wonder from Iranians' perspective, are people feeling on edge? Are they worried that the war is going to start again?

CARDOZA: The fear is permanent. You know, I have the opportunity to meet a colleague from the Iranian Red Crescent. People around the cities, and the

fear is permanent. You know, something that is important that I mentioned before, ceasefire is not the end of hostilities. So the level of response

and preparedness is there. So the Iranian Red Crescent and the Lebanese Red Cross are permanent in alert to respond not only to the search and rescue

and provision of first aid, medical, social support, primary health as well, but also the basic services that now this is aggravating the

situation in both countries.

You know, so I think we need to think in the impact of the conflict themselves, in the immediate response of the need. But at the same time, in

the meantime, long-term impact that is impacting the economy of both countries with more than 10 million people in Iran affected, more than one

million people affected in Lebanon.

GIOKOS: So great to have you with us. Thank you so much, Cristhian Cardoza. Much appreciate it for your time.

Well, ahead on the show, today is the day the UAE leaves OPEC. What it means for the future of the Emirates oil industry, both in the short term

as well as years down the line. We'll be breaking that up for you just after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:27:26]

GIOKOS: Welcome back. So these pictures just coming in to CNN. I want to take you now to Paris, where we're seeing protesters clashing with police.

It is the 1st of May. It is May Day. We usually see labor marches and these are the images coming through from Paris right now. It is usually a day

dedicated to workers' rights, labor movements. It's an important day on the calendar. And as you can see there in Paris, there is a confrontation right

now with police and protesters. We'll be monitoring that as it happens.

All right. And as you can see there, the police are creating a barrier there, moving towards the protesters. These are anti-riot police as you can

see there trying to push back protesters that are in the street. We're going to be keeping an eye on this. All right. You can see there. We saw a

confrontation earlier where there was actual physical pushing of some of these protesters.

We'll be monitoring this as it happens. All right. We'll go take you back to Paris for these May Day demonstrations that are on the go right now. In

the meantime, these are your headlines.

Sources tell CNN Iran has sent its latest peace proposal to the U.S. by Pakistani mediators. It is not clear what's in the plan or whether U.S.

President Donald Trump will accept it. President Trump said late Thursday that no one knows the true status of negotiations except himself and a few

others.

U.S. gasoline prices are soaring. A gallon of gas has now jumped another $0.09. The biggest one day gain in six weeks. Prices at the pump are up 47

percent since the war began. The interruption to supplies of fertilizer and essential agricultural products is putting almost 10 billion meals a week

at risk. Now the chief executive of one of the world's biggest fertilizer companies, Yara, has warned that the Iran war is jeopardizing global food

production.

Today marks the UAE's exit from OPEC. The organization is losing one of its biggest members, excluding Iran. The UAE is OPEC's third largest crude

producer after Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Its exit will allow the Emirates to pump more oil. OPEC has long constrained that output through production

quotas. The latest quotas capped the UAE at around 3.4 million, 3.2 million barrels a day, despite capacity closer to five million, and that's

according to experts.

[10:30:02]

The Emirates says now leaving with the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed will limit the immediate impact on global oil markets.

Let's take a look to see what oil prices are doing. You've got WTI, which is the U.S. benchmark for oil just over $100 a barrel. It's down 4 percent.

And this is on the back of the news that Iran has now sent a proposal, a new peace proposal to Pakistani mediators.

Ebtesam Al Ketbi, the president of the Emirates Policy Center, says it's not enough to simply keep the Strait of Hormuz open. She said, quote, "The

real issue is no longer whether the strait will fully and officially be closed, but how it is being used while it remains partially open."

And Ebtesam joins us now from Dubai.

Really good to see you, Ebtesam. Thank you so much for taking the time. I mean, there's a lot going on. And of course, we have this news about the

potential new peace proposal. We don't know how the U.S. is exactly going to respond. But I want to start off with just this ending of this six

decade long relationship. And of course, the UAE has been signaling frustration with OPEC.

What do you believe the ramifications are for both the UAE and global energy markets?

EBTESAM AL KETBI, PRESIDENT, EMIRATES POLICY CENTER: Thank you for having me. What you call it the UAE exit from OPEC, it is not just about oil. It

is about control, flexibility and positioning in a more uncertain global energy order. What I mean, this is less about oil and more about strategy.

The UAE has outgrown the constraints of OPEC quotas. It has invested heavily in expanding its production capacity.

And it wants the flexibility to use that capacity in line with national economic priorities. But timing matter after the GCC meeting in Jeddah and

in the context of the recent war, this decision also reflects a broader shift. What I mean, the UAE is prioritizing economic sovereignty and

strategic autonomy in an increasingly volatile region.

GIOKOS: Yes. OK. Let's talk about the relationship between Saudi Arabia, which is the de facto leader of OPEC and whether you believe this is part

of a deeper rift between the UAE and Saudi, or whether you believe this could potentially derail the relationship.

AL KETBI: I wouldn't frame it as a rift. It's better understood as a divergence in strategy. Saudi Arabia and UAE remain closely aligned on core

regional security issues, but the economic models are evolving in different directions. Saudi Arabia continues to use OPEC as a tool of market

management. The UAE, by contrast, is moving towards greater flexibility and diversification both within and beyond the energy sector.

So this is not a breakdown in relation. It is a reflection of maturing the differentiated strategies.

GIOKOS: Yes. So what's also interesting is a relationship that has been in fact getting closer is between Israel and the UAE. An Israeli source told

CNN, and I want to quote this, "Amid the limited positive developments to emerge from this Iran war, this relationship with Abu Dhabi stands out as

good news." What do you make of this dynamic?

AL KETBI: Look, I will look at it as that. We were in a war and Iran bombing us day and night. And those whom they are with us seeing this, by

drones, by missiles. So whoever will help us, we will accept that. And Israel offered to help us to intercept that. And everybody knows how much

UAE got from that.

The most attack from the Iranian went to UAE. So -- and don't forget, we signed that agreement with Israel and Abrahamic Accord, through that. But

this war showed that we need anybody who help us, who can face, unfortunately, wasn't the Arab who came first, the others who came first,

either European or American, Israeli.

[10:35:04]

GIOKOS: Ebtesam, thank you so much for your time. Really good to have you with us. Much appreciated.

Now, the abrupt announcement from the United Arab Emirates that it was leaving OPEC just as the world faces a huge energy crisis reflects

disagreements within the cartel about oil production levels. It's got to do with the quotas.

I spoke to the former secretary general of OPEC, Adnan Shihab-Eldin, about the UAE's decision. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADNAN SHIHAB-ELDIN, FORMER ACTING SECRETARY GENERAL, OPEC: Well, if I take the UAE on face value, what they have said, my prediction would be nothing

will happen. And I'm saying this because I know the relationship among GCC in particular, Gulf Cooperation Council, the six, is usually very strong

irrespective of certain different views.

Take for example, a different views on the war itself right now in Israel, U.S. and Iran. There are differing views, but they still are able to manage

them within the group. Why? Because they know that if they go, each one of them go their own way, they will be much weaker. So even -- I think what's

happening in the UAE is getting ahead of the game and pursuing leadership in certain areas.

Other Saudis will stay the course. They are the de facto leaders. No one will compete with them because of size, geographical, financial, oil

production, international relations. So that competition will continue. I would say it will affect things a bit negatively. Not much, but it will

stay within the family. It's like a family feud.

GIOKOS: There were also, you know, a lot of, you know, rumors and talks about the UAE not being pro the OPEC Plus countries at some point because

there were a lot of petro states that were suddenly part of this greater alliance that were after much higher oil prices. And it seems that it was

misalignment in terms of where the oil price should be, what kind of quotas we should be seeing.

What's your understanding of that? Because you were in those boardrooms behind closed doors, in negotiations and talks. What was going on?

SHIHAB-ELDIN: Alliances are never forever. So for the time being I think Russia and many of the OPEC Plus countries that came in are benefiting and

they are contributing perhaps not as much. Some of them are not contributing at all. But Russia and few others are contributing. So I think

I see in the future the OPEC Plus maintaining coherence, integrity, maybe one country will follow suit, but it's inconsequential. Not one of the

consequential countries, one country. I'm not going to name them, but more or less OPEC Plus will stay the course.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GIOKOS: Why not telling me which country it was? But I think really interesting discussion there with Adnan. And you can see the whole of that

interview with OPEC's former acting secretary general this Saturday at 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time on "MARKETPLACE MIDDLE EAST."

All right. Coming up next, remarkable pictures from southern Russia after Ukrainian drones hit an oil refinery. We'll have more from Moscow for you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:40:35]

GIOKOS: A truly apocalyptic scene, this is an aerial view of a Russian oil refinery hit by Ukrainian drones. Now a witness describes the aftermath as

oil falling from the sky. The Tuapse oil refinery on the Black Sea has been hit multiple times in the past two weeks, and this comes as Russian

President Vladimir Putin faces some serious economic problems as Fred Pleitgen reports for us from Moscow.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Another day, another massive fire at a Russian oil refinery. This time near

Perm in the Ural Mountains. The installation hit overnight by Ukrainian drones.

Kyiv has launched a massive aerial war of attrition against Russia's main economic lifelines, oil and gas. A few days ago, drones struck a refinery

in Tuapse in the south, leading to a massive toxic blaze that took days to extinguish.

"Drone strikes against civilian infrastructure are becoming more frequent," Russian President Vladimir Putin admits. The latest example involves

strikes on energy facilities in Tuapse, which could potentially lead to serious economic consequences. And serious security consequences as well.

Moscow announcing it's drastically scaling back the annual May 9th Victory Day parade commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany just as first

rehearsals get underway in the Russian capital.

Vladimir Putin even offering to observe a ceasefire on that day as the Kremlin acknowledges Ukraine's bombardment makes securing a large event

unfeasible. "Against the backdrop of this terrorist threat, all measures are, of course, being taken to minimize the danger," the Kremlin spokesman

says.

Russia's ongoing combat operations also taking an increasing toll on Moscow's economy recently contracting. Videos like these springing up on

social media.

Olga Sidorova from Chelyabinsk saying she's forced to close down her clothing stores after 16 years. "I started selling clothes in my apartment.

Now it's a chain of stores. Everybody knows my stores in the city, but now the time has come to say goodbye to my so-called child. This is like a

little death for me."

Tatiana Semkina in Omsk in Siberia saying she's shutting her cafe after 20 years. "We've run out of energy and no longer have the financial means to

continue," she says.

The Kremlin, though, says it still has both the means and the energy to continue what it still called its special military operation. Vladimir

Putin telling U.S. President Donald Trump all of Russia's goals will be achieved.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GIOKOS: We're going to a short break. We'll be back right after this. Stick with CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:45:23]

GIOKOS: Welcome back.

Now CNN creator Matias Grez like much of the rest of the world is in absolute awe of the record breaking feat of this year's London Marathon

winner. Kenya's Sebastian Sawe made history by becoming the first athlete to run a competitive marathon in under two hours. It means his average

speed across the whole race was an amazing 21.1 kilometers an hour.

I mean, think about that, Matias. Wondered what that felt like. And here's what happened when he gave it a try.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATIAS GREZ, CNN CREATOR: Matthias. Nice to meet you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nice to meet you. Good. Thank you.

GREZ: Are you ready for this? So this is where the magic happens. So should we see how long I can last? What was it, 21 kilometers an hour?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 21.1, yes.

GREZ: 21.1, OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So we will try that. And good luck.

GREZ: Thank you. I need it.

So for full transparency, I am definitely not a runner. I rarely do any cardio. And these trainers are not super shoes. I got these in the sale.

Ready, let's go. Better safe than sorry anyway. So I just wanted to give you a sense of how the marathon world record has progressed over the years,

but for a bit of additional context to start with, I'm going to be running at the pace of the average London Marathon runner, which is around 10

kilometers an hour.

As you can see, I'm already getting a bit out of breath, which is concerning. I'm going to be running at more than double this speed very

shortly, so yes. Yes. All right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the safety.

GREZ: Yes. Need to save my energy for the real running a bit. I actually don't feel too bad, although the thought of running more than double that

speed, I'm not too sure about that. So next up is the two-hour, 55 marathon, which was the world record over the first official marathon

distance for the 1908 Olympics. That's quick.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, but for 40 seconds.

GREZ: Wow. So we're now on 14.5 kilometers an hour, and it's -- it feels a lot quicker than I thought it would. Only about a minute and a half in and

I'm already struggling a lot. So maybe my guess of 30 seconds for 21.1 kilometers an hour was a bit optimistic.

All right, thank God. Leave it there and save my energy for the big one. Expect me to be in this position in about 20 seconds.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't think about the big distance. Let's make it short. You will have to run pretty much 100 meter distance in 17 seconds.

GREZ: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now the difference between you and a marathon winner was that this guy did it 442 times. You might do it only once or twice. OK?

GREZ: OK. Let's go, let's go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fifteen seconds in. Come on. Excellent work. 20 seconds. Let's go. There you are. Come on. Come on. 25. One minute. OK.

GREZ: You see?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Heart rate 188. You probably covered something around 400 meters.

GREZ: Wow. Did you see my legs starting to go at the end?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

GREZ: Although what was that? Just over a minute?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

GREZ: I just can't get my head around how any human being on the planet can do that for two hours. Less than two hours. That is just mad. You know

what? Give me a pair of super shoes I could probably push that to two minutes, I think. Truly, I think the people that do that for two hours are

as close to superhuman as there must be on the planet. Honestly.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[10:50:11]

GIOKOS: All right. In addition to Sawe, there are two other athletes who broke records in London. Yomif Kejelcha, as well as Tigst Assefa, both from

Ethiopia and, by the way, the person who won bronze in the men's race is Jacob Kiplimo. He's from Uganda. And I mean, East Africa is representing

big time, so it's only natural we'd take you live now to CNN's Larry Madowo in Nairobi for us.

Larry, I mean, wow, what an amazing week. You know, when I saw what Sebastian Sawe was able to achieve, I teared up. It was so emotional. I

just wonder how you guys are feeling in Kenya and frankly in the whole of East Africa because it's a huge win for you guys.

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I was losing my mind when I saw Sebastian Sawe basically coming up to do the record and then shaving off 30 seconds,

it said -- it was said by a lot of sports scientists that it could not be done, running a marathon in under two hours is impossible. The human body

is just not advanced to that level. And then he did it. And when he finished Sebastian Sawe, he looked like he could run another 10 kilometers.

This is a guy who was essentially sprinting for two hours, 21.2 kilometers, and he looked like he could do it. So Kenyans have been overjoyed by his

achievement. That's why you see this massive welcome. President William Ruto welcoming Sebastian Sawe to state house. He got his custom plates

given to him of his record breaking time of 159:30. He is getting $62,000 for breaking the world record and winning gold, and he's even been promised

a car of his choice.

So, you know, he's getting a lot of goodies because Kenyans really appreciate that he has pushed humanity forward, not just breaking the

record in London, which is a very difficult course. London is not where they usually break these records. But he didn't just break the record in

London, he shaved 30 seconds off that two-hour barrier that a lot of people said could not be done. This man is a man of the moment and he deserves all

the accolades coming to him, Eleni.

GIOKOS: He does. And, you know, it's a global feat. It's a global win and it's just amazing. And I have to say, you know, you and I have spoken quite

a few times this week. And by the way, because we were discussing and we're debating this whole notion of the shoes that he was wearing, not only him

as well as Tigst Assefa. And I just, I wonder what is going on there, because frankly, you know, I'm sure a lot of people, you're already saying,

listen, you and I know no matter what shoes he was wearing, he would have broke this record. And I want you to give me a sense of how Kenyans are

feeling about the debate.

MADOWO: I believe I speak for all Kenyans, I speak for all East Africans that we are frustrated by this chatter about the Adidas super shoe.

Sebastian Sawe did not break the two-hour marathon because he was wearing a super shoe. Yomif Kejelcha, the Ethiopian who came in second, in his first

ever marathon, also wearing the same shoe. He ran under two hours in his first ever marathon. It's not because of the shoe.

Tekeste Assefa from Ethiopia, who also broke the women's only record in the same shoe. It's not because of the shoe. I am Kenyan, so I have the genes.

I have the most expensive running shoes. I've trained with these guys. I am nowhere near their time. I can promise you, if you buy the same super shoe,

which by the way costs $500, if you train with these guys, you will not come nowhere near their time.

Even if you drink, I don't know, tea and bread in the morning like Sebastian Sawe, you will come nowhere near his time. These guys are beasts.

They train their entire life for this. They train in the rift valley. High altitude. Everything has prepared them for this moment. I like to say the

Kenyans invented running and this is what I mean. If you have a city and your city has a marathon, we have won the marathon in your city. Whether

it's Tokyo, it's Sydney, it's Cape Town, it's Lagos, it's London, it's Berlin, it's Chicago, it's Boston, we have won it because these guys were

built for this.

GIOKOS: Yes, exactly. But you, Larry, you've got to work on your running. And I have to say I love the fact that you mentioned the food and what he

had for breakfast because it was one of these questions. What -- you and I, we're going to talk more personally about, you know, the fact that you have

to hit the road. But let me ask you this because everyone -- I have to say like one of the big things that happened was he said, I have two slices of

bread, I have honey, and I had tea.

And then social media went crazy. Everyone is having bread and, you know, honey and tea in the morning. And it was just so -- it was just

unbelievable to hear that. What's the magic about the food in the morning, Larry? How did Kenyans respond to this?

MADOWO: I think a lot of people, athletes, carb load before a big race. Right? And the thing about these athletes who are the very best in the

world, by the way, these East Africans, and I'm completely biased, the Kenyans are the best at this, they don't track their meals and calories in

the same way that other professional athletes do.

[10:55:10]

They eat whatever they can, like tea and bread was surprising when people heard that, but the mentality I think is more important. The grit that it

takes to run races at this level and the camaraderie, the community they have around them. I saw John Korir, who won Boston only about a week and a

half ago, celebrating when they were watching this race, a bunch of other athletes from the region, and they're like, they're so excited for each

other.

So yes, the food is great and I appreciate all the social media kind of challenges. Everybody is trying to buy all the bread from the supermarket

and buying all the milk and hoping that, you know, and the tea. You should drink Kenyan tea, by the way, and hoping that that's what will make you run

fast. I'm not sure you'll get any faster to be honest, Eleni.

GIOKOS: Listen, let me tell you. I just want to give a shout out to Eliud Kipchoge because, you know, he's the original GOAT. He actually broke the

two-hour record. And I get it. It was like, you know, very monitored, the race that he ran. But, you know, what an amazing feat for all East Africans

and for Africa and the whole world, Larry. Thank you so much.

MADOWO: My pleasure.

GIOKOS: Great, Larry. All right, Larry Madowo with us in Nairobi.

That's it for CONNECT THE WORLD. Stay with CNN. "ONE WORLD" is up next. Have a fantastic weekend.

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