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U.S.-Israel War with Iran; Israel Eyeing Possibility of Escalating Strikes on Hezbollah across Lebanon; UAE Targeted by Tehran Again; UAE Company to Expand Domestic Pharma Production; Strait Uncertainty Hits Oil Markets; Russia's War on Ukraine. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired May 05, 2026 - 10:00   ET

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

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): Welcome to our second hour of the show. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi, where the time is 6:00 in the

evening on Tuesday, May 5.

A serious test of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire playing out in the Strait of Hormuz. Top U.S. military officials confirming their mission to guide

commercial vessels through that waterway is very much underway. It is successful, they say, and it will continue. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth

insists that the ceasefire remains in place.

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PETE HEGSETH, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: No, the ceasefire is not over. Ultimately this is a separate and distinct project and we expected there

would be some churn at the beginning which happened. And we said we would defend and defend aggressively and we absolutely have.

Iran knows that and ultimately the president is going to make a decision whether anything were to escalate into a violation of a ceasefire. But

certainly we would urge Iran to be prudent in the actions that they take to keep that underneath this threshold.

This is about the strait. This is about freedom of navigation. This is about international waterways.

ANDERSON (voice-over): The Joint Chiefs chairman says that Iran has attacked U.S. assets more than 10 times during this ceasefire. But the

assaults, he said, did not rise to the level of resuming combat.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Another test of the truce, Monday's Iranian strikes on the UAE where I am, Tehran's foreign ministry now justifying those attacks as self-

defense against states they say that facilitate U.S. and Israeli attacks. Our Paula Hancocks here to sort through all of this.

Let's start with what we heard today from the U.S. with regard the strait.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So what we heard from Pete Hegseth and General Caine was that they wanted to point out that what they're doing in

trying to permit and guide these vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is separate to this Epic Fury, the war effectively against Iran.

They have said that it's a temporary measure, it's defensive and this is something that they were really trying to highlight, saying that it's very

separate. And also pointing out that as far as they're concerned, the ceasefire is still in place.

Now we heard from General Caine, talking about what we have seen, this trading fire between the U.S. and Iran in the straight of Hormuz, the

attacks against the UAE. He said that it's low level kinetics. He certainly didn't seem to think that it was anything that was going to provoke longer

term hostilities.

Let's listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. DAN CAINE, CHAIRMAN, U.S. JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: The threshold of restarting is a political decision above my pay grade. What I'll say is

it's low harassing fire right now. It feels like Iran is grasping at straws to try to do something across the southern flank.

To your question, David, their command and control structure remains very fractured and I think they're struggling to maintain control down echelon

at the edge. But we're still -- it's still pretty low level kinetics at this point in time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS: So it's quite similar to what we've been hearing from the U.S. President when he was talking about it, saying only a few got through;

there wasn't any significant damage, talking about Iranian missiles and drones.

So at this point, it appears as though the escalation that we have been seeing over the past 24-48 hours is being downplayed somewhat by both the

White House and the Pentagon. And they appear to have the appetite for negotiation, not going back to full-blown war.

ANDERSON: And we'll get back to those talks shortly. And bottom line here they say that there is a shipping lane open, is successfully opened in the

Strait of Hormuz and available to vessels to use. They're talking to shipping companies, to ships, to countries about using that shipping lane.

[10:05:04]

What's been the response then here in the UAE to yesterday?

HANCOCKS: So what we saw in the UAE was 19 missiles, cruise and ballistic and drones being fired towards the country. The MOD, the Ministry of

Defence, saying they engaged all of those.

But the fact is, we haven't seen that since April 9th, the day after this ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran came into being. We have seen anger,

frustration from the UAE authorities. The ministry of foreign affairs issued a statement saying that this is a dangerous escalation. It's an

unacceptable transgression.

Also pointing out that the UAE does reserve the full and legitimate right to respond should they feel they need to. And this anger and in some ways

shock has been reciprocated in many countries around the world.

There has been solidarity messages of condemnation against Iran from a number of different countries, including India, because three Indian

nationals were injured when Iran actually tried to target the Fujairah oil industry complex.

So what we have seen is some very swift response from the world. Iran said that it was a defensive move because they believe that military assets,

that military bases were being used in the war against Iran.

So that is the reason that they had did it. But they're certainly being condemned across the board for what they did to the UAE and, of course,

Oman.

ANDERSON: OK, well, then you are up to speed on what we understand to have been going on over the past 24 hours. Response from here and what we heard

from Peter Hegseth and Dan Caine a little earlier today. I want to bring in -- thank you, Paula.

I want to bring in Mohammad Ali Shabani now from London. He's the editor of Amwaj.media. That's an online publication focused on the region, well-

sourced on Iran.

Mohammad , it's good to have you. Peter Hegseth then insists the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is holding.

What are your sources telling you on where Iran is on these talks?

MOHAMMAD ALI SHABANI, EDITOR, AMWAJ.MEDIA: Well, the foreign minister of Iran, as we speak, is on his way to China out of the Trump-Xi summit. And I

think there are efforts being made to salvage this negotiation, which is being conducted with the help of Pakistan.

I believe the Iranians are trying to push for the Chinese to have a greater role in assisting with de-escalation and also assisting perhaps with the

nuclear side of this kind of contention.

Because as you know, the contention between Iran and the U.S. is not just about the nuclear program; it's also about the Strait of Hormuz, about the

region, about the missile program, et cetera.

ANDERSON: Yes.

Just how important do you think this trip to Beijing by the Iranian foreign minister is?

SHABANI: I think Iran is cognizant of the need to have some form of guarantor for whatever kind of agreement is going to come out with Trump.

They know that he is frankly fickle. He's shown in negotiations with the European Union, for instance, that, even if he signs something, there's no

guarantee that he may not change his mind.

We've seen this, for instance, with the tariffs. So I think, apart from the substance of any negotiation, what kind of role China may have in enabling

that, I think they're also looking at the Chinese and also the Russians as some kind of third-party actor.

That can make sure that, if Trump does turn around and violates whatever may be agreed, that there's some kind of cost to it or, at the very least,

that there's some kind of consequence.

ANDERSON: Do you believe that there's a growing divide inside Iran between the diplomatic track and the foreign minister and the IRGC, particularly as

hardliners view negotiations, frankly, as a sign of weakness?

SHABANI: I mean, Iran is not a monolith. There's absolutely a divergence of views. But when it comes to the issue of how to deal with this war, I

believe that there is a hardline clique, which is quite isolated.

And what I mean by isolated is that we've seen a remarkable cross kind of partisan consensus on the need for diplomatic engagement. And the people

backing engagement, it's not just the reformists, president or the foreign ministry.

In fact the person leading the negotiations is the parliament speaker, who himself is a former IRGC commander, right. So we're seeing a kind of a

clique of hardliners being opposed to negotiations under current circumstances. But they mostly have an issue when it comes to a divergence

of views over tactics.

Ultimately, I think all of them are looking for the same objective. And the same objective is they understand there needs to be some kind of deal with

the United States.

[10:10:00]

It's about how do you get to that deal and how can you achieve the optimal outcome in terms of concessions from Trump?

ANDERSON: And the Revolutionary Guard have been very upfront about the fact that the Strait of Hormuz is leverage for Iran. I want to show you

this map released by the IRGC showing what they say is a widening of Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz.

You see the two fat red lines there. The area starts with a line between the westernmost tip of Iran's Qasem (ph) Island all the way around to the

east there, which is the bottom of that, meeting that red line, is the coastline of the United Arab Emirates.

And this relates, the release of this latest map coincided with what Emirati authorities said was a drone attack yesterday on an oil port in

Fujairah in the UAE. That was caused by a fire -- it caused a fire.

What kind of message is the Revolutionary Guard sending here?

SHABANI: So for the Iranian state, beyond the government, the state as a whole, they look at control over this waterway, this maritime choke point,

as a major source of leverage in any kind of negotiation.

They're not going to go ahead and just give up that leverage, especially in the middle of talks with Trump. If you look at those two thick red lines,

there are two very interesting aspects to them and where they're situated.

Number one, they want to make sure that Fujairah, this coastal port of the UAE, is not going to be used the way it currently has to bypass the Strait

of Hormuz. That's number one.

Number two, the U.S. military has gone out and tried to tell shippers and tried to tell insurers that we can try to help guide you through Hormuz but

using a different channel.

If you look at the map, very close to the Omani coast, away from Iran -- so by drawing this thick red line, what Iran is trying to say is it doesn't

matter if you sail next to Oman or next to our coast.

You're not going to sail through this waterway without coordination with us beforehand whatsoever.

So we've seen already, we have some sources telling us, for instance, that there have been talks between Iran and South Korea about passage but Iran

wants some kind of talk.

ANDERSON: Fascinating. All right, we're going to leave it there for the time being. It's good to have you, sir. Thank you very much indeed for

joining us.

Well, if the Iran ceasefire collapses, a source tells CNN that Israel is eyeing the possibility of escalating strikes on Hezbollah across Lebanon. A

U.S.-brokered truce in Lebanon is looking more and more fragile as Israel and the Iran-backed militant group trade attacks.

The Lebanese president is hinting at preparations for new talks with Israel. Joseph Aoun's office says Lebanon is, quote, "ready to accelerate"

the pace of negotiations. Let's get you live to Jerusalem and to CNN's Jeremy Diamond.

So what more do we know about these talks, Jeremy?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Lebanese president's office has indicated that another round of what they're

describing as preparatory talks between Lebanon and Israel will take place this week in the coming days, although they haven't firmly established a

date and time for that meeting.

But the statement notes that it would be the third such preparatory talks that we have seen between the two countries, aiming to essentially prepare

the table for the real substantive negotiations about the future of the Israel-Lebanon relationship and of the possibility of Hezbollah being

disarmed.

Which is, of course, a key demand of the Israeli government in order for any kind of peace negotiations between the two countries to move forward

and in order to bring a final end to the conflict that we have seen between Israel and Hezbollah, much of which has taken place over Lebanese

territory.

And indeed, the ceasefire for now remains in place. It has been extended until the end of next week. But of course, over the course of this

ceasefire, we have seen near daily attacks by the Israeli military and also Hezbollah attacks on Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, as well as some

rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel.

Israeli military attacks have killed nearly 400 people, in fact, since this ceasefire actually went into effect. But this is still basically what

Israeli officials see as restraint on Israel's part.

And so much so that Israeli military officials have been agitating to remove some of the shackles of restraint that have been brought upon them

by the United States as a result of this ceasefire agreement, agitating for a higher level of strikes against Hezbollah inside of Lebanon.

And, in fact, what we are now learning is that the Israeli military is making preparations for a higher intensity of strikes against Hezbollah.

[10:15:06]

Should the broader ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, which is, of course, the reason effectively for the ceasefire agreement in

Lebanon, should that ceasefire agreement fall apart, Israel very much prepared to return to a much higher

intensity pace of fire against Hezbollah inside of Lebanon.

And so as we await to see what the results of the latest preparatory talks between Israel and Lebanon actually brings, if there is the possibility for

a meeting between the Israeli prime minister and the Lebanese president, as the United States has very much been pushing for.

The Israeli government and its military very much preparing for a return to all-out war should the broader ceasefire agreement between the United

States and Iran collapse.

I also think it's important to note that, for now, there's no indication, despite the pressure from the United States, that that meeting between the

Lebanese president and the Israeli prime minister will actually materialize.

There's no question that president Trump is pushing for it, very much looking for this kind of historic photo opportunity between the leaders of

these two countries.

But as far as the Lebanese government is concerned, they have made clear that they need to see an actual ceasefire on the ground, not just one in

name only, but an actual halt to Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon, as well as the continued Israeli bulldozing of Lebanese towns and villages in

the southernmost part of the country.

So a lot at stake here, Becky, and we'll wait to see whether or not those next round of talks actually take place later this week.

ANDERSON: Good to have you, Jeremy. Thank you very much indeed.

All right, you are up to date. Still to come, the UAE bore the brunt of Iran's attacks when this war began a couple of months ago. And for the

first time in weeks, it's been targeted by Tehran yet again, raising fresh uncertainty in the region.

So why now?

More on that after this.

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ANDERSON: The United Arab Emirates has partially closed its airspace after it says Iran fired missiles and drones toward the country for the first

time in a month. One of those drones hit an oil port on Monday, causing a fire and leaving three people injured.

The UAE strikes say -- or the UAE says the strikes represent a dangerous escalation. Tehran insists it feels no animosity toward any country in the

region and says the attacks were an act of self-defense.

Just moments ago, the emergency crisis management authority here in the UAE dropped this post, saying that they are responding to missile threats.

Well, we're joined now by Mina Al-Oraibi, editor-in-chief of "The National."

[10:20:00]

I mean, until 24 hours ago, it had really been business as usual this past month here in the UAE, Mina, which made the alerts of incoming attacks, of

course, on Monday. All the more alarming, 19 Iranian missiles and drones targeting the territory here with several injuries.

What's been the messaging from the UAE today?

MINA AL-ORAIBI, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, "THE NATIONAL": As you said, we had had the ceasefire largely hold. And there was a sense that it was back to

normal.

However, the UAE had always warned that, given the state of the Iranian regime and the fact that Iran continues to speak about its ability to force

its way in holding the Strait of Hormuz hostage, there was always the fear that we would be back at a point where force was being used.

And that's what we witnessed on Monday. As you said, we've just had an indication that there are incoming projectiles of some sort that the UAE is

dealing with now. This is, again, not only an attack on the UAE.

A South Korean tanker was also attacked on the Hormuz. And so there are concerns that an attack on the UAE is really part of that larger attack on

the global economy. And Iran wanting to force certain political concessions.

Of course, the U.S., as you were reporting earlier, has said this doesn't break the ceasefire. But it's certainly a violation and it makes a

precarious ceasefire even more precarious.

ANDERSON: Yes. Anwar Gargash, who is the UAE presidential adviser, you will have seen his post today saying, quote, "We appreciate and value the

messages of solidarity.

"These positions affirm that Iran is the aggressor party, responsible for exacerbating the crisis in the Arabian Gulf and the source of danger and

threat to its security and stability."

And those messages of support and condemnation coming from around this region and around the world.

Look, Pete Hegseth said in the past hour, the ceasefire is holding. It's clear that talks are still being pursued. The UAE is not at the table, nor

are other regional allies.

What does a decent deal at this point look like to the UAE and other Gulf nations, who are, you know, who see the threat from Iran as very, very real

these days?

AL-ORAIBI: It is indeed very real. Well, the absolute bare minimum is a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. This is not only what the Gulf wants but

it's also what international law mandates and also is necessary for the world's economy.

We've said often on this program that 20 percent of the world's energy sources come through the Strait of Hormuz. So that's the absolute minimum.

But also important to say what security architecture remains after this war, if there is a deal, comes to an end. And that is not to have the

ability of Iran to launch attacks, as we witnessed yesterday, potentially today.

And the fact that there is this missile and drone capability that is able to cause a lot of havoc, even though, thankfully, minimal damage in terms

of the fact that the interceptors are working.

Nobody wants to live in an area of such uncertainty when Iran, when it wants to push a political issue, can use these projectiles. Of course, the

talks have stalled. The UAE is not in the talks.

But, of course, speaking very closely, not only to the U.S. but also Pakistan, Egypt and others that are trying to mediate with the Iranians. So

at the bare minimum, the Strait of Hormuz has to be open and not taken hostage, as is being witnessed at the moment.

ANDERSON: Naftali Bennett, former prime minister of Israel, likely to be opposing the prime minister in the next election, said, quote, "The United

Arab Emirates, our strategic ally, has just been attacked by Iran."

This post coming out just in the wake of the attacks Monday.

"This is," he said, "in effect, a declaration of the renewal of Iran's war against the allies of the United States and Israel across the region."

Can we just be very clear about what we understand to be the deepening of UAE-Israel relations, along with a deepening of UAE-U.S. relations?

And just what you make of what Naftali Bennett was saying there.

Is he saying that an attack on the UAE should be treated as an attack on the U.S. and Israel?

AL-ORAIBI: Well, I mean, in terms of the condemnation, of course, we had globally everybody coming out and condemning the attack, from Emmanuel

Macron through to, of course, the Arab League.

But this post from Naftali Bennett is important, because he's positioning himself as a leader that could, of course, replace Benjamin Netanyahu.

[10:25:00]

And saying that the partnership with the UAE is one that he would value and that an alternative government in Israel would value. Of course, the

Israelis are keen to show that they are quite close to the UAE but also the UAE has said publicly that they see Israel as a partner.

And, of course, in this war, military alliances are incredibly important. I would say his definition of saying this is an attack against the allies of

the U.S. and Israel, I think the UAE gets attacked for different reasons, including the fact that it has a model of openness and tolerance and belief

in economic power.

Not just because it's an ally of the U.S. and Israel, because, of course, there are allies of U.S. and Israel all over. So I think that is a kind of

framing that Israel often projects. But actually it goes deeper and is more complex than that, why the UAE continues to be targeted.

However, there is that collaboration between the UAE and Israel and it's something that the UAE has spoken about and addressed, saying that they are

looking to the countries that support them, not only militarily but also want to have a different type of future, a different kind of region than

the one we currently see being attacked by Iran.

ANDERSON: We've not heard very much from the U.S. in the wake of these attacks on the UAE. The recent Department of Defense briefing mentioned the

attacks in passing; little if nothing from the U.S. president. In fact, he was quite dismissive of the attacks on the oil plant.

I just wonder what you make of the lack of response by the United States. And indeed there will be questions being asked here and around the world as

to what the UAE is likely to do in response.

Is it clear at this point?

AL-ORAIBI: It isn't clear what the UAE's immediate response will be but it would be within a wider response, which is the UAE has repeatedly said that

they want to see a diplomatic and political resolution here.

They have said, of course, in the statement that they issued yesterday that the UAE has the right of self-defense and can choose whatever path it

wishes. However, in the immediate response, it has been to call on again a reinstitution of international law.

There are -- there's a lot of speculation as to whether the UAE would take military action against Iran. So far, they have always sought to de-

escalate rather than escalate. That calculation continued to be what serves their national interests best.

Does a lack of attack on Iran serve the national interest of the UAE and serve the escalation more?

So far, that has been the calculus but we can't know how long that calculus will be. And if there are further Iranian attacks, it is, of course, Iran

wanting to escalate and wanting to bring in the UAE into a confrontation. So far, the UAE is not saying it's not capable of doing but it does not

wish to see.

ANDERSON: Absolutely. It's always good to have you, Mina. Thank you very much indeed.

All right. With renewed Iranian strikes then on the UAE and indeed some strikes on Oman, it has to be said, on Tuesday and Tehran's chokehold on

the Strait of Hormuz, Abu Dhabi has to prepare for the possibility of a dragged-out war with high oil prices, disrupted supply chains and an

increasingly volatile neighbor.

That is why the Emirates have launched a national program to boost supply chain resilience and scale up domestic production on critical supplies.

That strategy was on full display at the Make It in the Emirates event, where a company affiliated with Burjeel Holdings, for example, a health

care provider in the UAE, signed a $190 million deal to expand its business in pharmaceutical manufacturing.

I spoke to Burjeel's CEO, Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil, about whether that can help close the gaps left by this conflict. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. SHAMSHEER VAYALIL, CEO, BURJEEL HOLDINGS: So we have the basic lifesaving drugs, injectables, the drugs that you use in the critical care

emergency situations. So mostly lifesaving drugs, oncology, cancer-related drugs, blood-related products which are difficult to procure and which are

manufactured globally in small quantities.

Because these are the essential less quantity. So nobody wants to export during these times. They would want to hold it back for their own people.

So there has been a push for focus on high-value manufacturing versus high- volume manufacturing. And that's a big shift from previous days, where it was just generics that we were focusing on.

[10:30:03]

Which is much easier to procure because there are a lot of manufacturers. Every year, we do close to 10 million blood tests. So that's pretty much of

a significant volume of the lab tests that we do.

So we also have good sequencing labs. We do the full panel sequencing. A lot of capability we have developed. So that is what we are trying to do is

more specific tests related to clinical trials.

So that's what is bringing us the edge on others, is to do tests that are not normally done locally. So that's also what I mean by bringing more

capability on the ground. And then we are seeing that it's going to be an export quality health that we want to build, which can be scaled.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Right. Well, of course, critical energy infrastructure is central to making these plans come to fruition. Bloomberg reports that

QatarEnergy is extending force majeure on its liquefied natural gas supplies through mid June, meaning it can't guarantee its deliveries

because of this conflict.

Now that could impact helium output, which is a byproduct of natural gas production, with Qatar accounting for around a third of global supply.

There is already a significant shortage of helium, taking a toll on the health care industry, as helium is essential for MRI machines worldwide.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VAYALIL: The radiology department at the basement, which is the magnetic resonance imaging, which you talked about, the helium. So we have two

machines here. One is less helium. And this is the 3 Tesla MRI.

And we never had an incidence where we have to cancel because of the helium shortage. So for now we have adequate stocks. And we hope that the

situation comes back to normal soon. And we're getting enough buffer for now. So we hope that the situation will resolve as soon as possible.

ANDERSON: But if you -- if you consider any single medical supply that that you think has been critically affected during this crisis, with the

Strait of Hormuz effectively closed and with the impact of this these attacks on the Qatar facilities, would you say that helium is one of those

critical supplies?

(CROSSTALK)

VAYALIL: Helium is one. There are other things like lifesaving drugs, like very critical medicines, which is required -- implants, cancer drugs --

everything can go wrong. If it goes to that level, then there's definitely -- and you've seen things work in less viable options as well.

Of course, the quality of the products will come down but we have multiple sources of, you know, falling back options as well. We feel that prices is

going to, in one way or the other, continue.

I don't think there's ever going to be a normalcy like what we used to see. What we used to see once in 10 years is now being seen every year and even

more so.

So it's always about that optimism side of things, because health care is a critical infrastructure. No matter what, people will need health care and

times like these, you need more health care.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: The CEO of Burjeel Holdings.

You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD from our Middle East programming headquarters here in Abu Dhabi. Time is just after 6:30 in the evening.

Ahead, the U.S. Defense Secretary says that the ceasefire with Iran is not over. But recent activity around the Strait of Hormuz and elsewhere in this

region is putting that truce under serious strain. More on that is after this.

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[10:35:00]

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ANDERSON (voice-over): Welcome back to CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. Here are your headlines this hour.

And U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the ceasefire with Iran is not over, despite recent attacks in the region. In a Pentagon briefing, he also

described the effort to guide vessels out of the Strait of Hormuz as temporary, saying the U.S. will hand off that responsibility when

appropriate.

The top seven contenders in the race to become California's next governor will face off in a CNN debate tonight. The event comes a week after this

CBS News debate. California voters will cast their ballots in a primary on June the 2nd. The top two finishers advance to November's election.

Well, the World Health Organization says the MV Hondius cruise ship will likely head to the Canary Islands, although Spain has yet to confirm that.

Officials have confirmed two cases of hantavirus on the vessel and five more cases are suspected. Three passengers have already died.

ANDERSON: Well, more now on the Pentagon briefing for you a couple of hours ago and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's assertion that the

ceasefire with Iran is not over.

Hegseth describing what he called a successful defensive operation to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz. He also said that if needed, U.S.

combat operations against Iran would resume

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HEGSETH: That option is always there and Iran knows that. And that's why, you know, the -- their choices and Project Freedom are important. The

president retains the opportunity and the capabilities, more capabilities than we had at the start of this, to restart major combat operations if

necessary.

If Iran is not willing to follow through on its side of the bargain or make a deal, then the war department is postured, locked, loaded and ready to

go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, Hegseth is warning may not land well with the Iranian regime's defiance.

Its parliament speaker accusing the U.S. blockade of violating the ceasefire and warning today that his government has, quote, "not even begun

yet" on reinforcing its chokehold on that critical waterway. Nic Robertson is with us this hour from Islamabad.

We're also joined by Stephen Collinson, who's in Washington.

Nic, let's start with where things stand.

The Strait of Hormuz, the UAE getting attacked; just how fragile is this ceasefire right now?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, I think it appears as if president Trump has blinked here. The Iranians, late last night, at least

some officials in the government said that they weren't responsible for sending all these many missiles, 19 of them, the cruise missiles, ballistic

missiles and drones into the UAE.

One of them, as we've seen, destructively hitting oil facilities in Fujairah. And that denial from Iran, sort of, I think, perhaps struck

incredulity around the region. And absolutely, the president will have at his fingertips satellite and other intelligence imagery that will inform

him whether or not Iran was lying about that barrage of missiles.

That said, the president has chosen to blink. We've heard Pete Hegseth today talk about how there are actions by the IRGC that may be out with the

bounds of what the Tehran negotiators want.

Clearly, establishing, in his view and the Pentagon's assessment that there are these very, very different factions and addressing the naval military

operations in the strait against the IRGC. So I think this signals that the president really wants to try to keep talking with the moderates.

[10:40:04]

Now can he really get a deal just by them?

Can he really talk to them?

As you said, the speaker of parliament, who is his -- the lead negotiator, has very strongly criticized the U.S. action in the Strait of Hormuz. The

foreign minister has said that -- Iran's foreign minister has said that these -- that it's very clear that military action can't win.

There has to be a political solution in the Strait of Hormuz. You know, you can find difference even in those two comments. But it does seem to be that

president Trump doesn't want to be distracted by trying to find the off ramp.

And that appears to be the reason why there won't be retaliation on Iran. Everyone has blinked for what happened to the UAE last night, at least not

right now.

ANDERSON: Yes.

Stephen, Donald Trump then betting Iran will crack. Tehran betting that pressure, they can just build pressure on Washington. It seems they have

the time even if Donald Trump has the watch.

How long can the president sustain this strategy?

STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I think the fact that he launched this Project Freedom in the first place, as well as what Nic has

been talking about, about his reaction to the activity in the strait yesterday, shows that he believes that he doesn't have a long time.

That he needs to try to change the dynamics ahead of the talks. I think we've seen a pattern whereby, when diplomacy takes place, the president

then tries to up the coercive stakes from the U.S. side to try to force Iran into concessions.

It doesn't seem, frankly, that that is working that well over the last six weeks. But I think those are the president's instincts. But there was a

raft of polling that came in over the weekend, which is rather disastrous for the president. And I think that speaks to his declining political

clock.

His disapproval was up to 62 percent, his disapproval of the war is up to 66 percent; disapproval of the cost of living in the United States is up to

76 percent in this polling. These are the worst figures that Donald Trump has had over the span of his two administrations.

And some of the worst polling we've seen for a president in the last 30 or 40 years. So, politically, if he's paying attention to the situation in the

United States exactly six months out from a midterm election, which was already tough for Republicans, he doesn't have much time.

And I'm sure that the Iranians, whichever decision making bloc is prevailing over there, is well aware of these numbers and the political

vise that the president is in back in the United States.

ANDERSON: Hmm. Interesting. Stand by.

Nic, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke earlier. Have a listen to part of what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HEGSETH: This is a temporary mission for us. Had that said before. The world needs this waterway a lot more than we do. We're stabilizing the

situation so commerce can flow again. But we expect the world to step up at the appropriate time and soon we will hand responsibility back to you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: What do you make of those remarks, Nic?

ROBERTSON: Yes. Look, it's not going to -- that narrative is pretty established now by the White House and by the Secretary of Defense.

And it's one that rankles Europe because the United States, it was clear from all the intelligence going back years, that Iran would go try to grab

the Strait of Hormuz as economic coercion over the United States and try to shut it down. That's no surprise.

So to hear the administration continue a narrative of it's more important to you than us and you need to help us out, again, the perspective in

Europe and other places would be, well, if that were the case, you might have informed us about the war of choice.

You might have involved us sooner. You might have sought our counsel. So there's that frustration behind the frustration. Of course, there's reality

because, absolutely, Europe and other countries do need the resources that are stuck in the Gulf more than the United States does.

Everyone suffers as the price goes up across the world. But that's an imperative. And European leaders have been organizing themselves, having

meetings.

Emmanuel Macron and British prime minister Keir Starmer both trying to lead an effort to align countries to provide some defensive, if you will,

nonmilitary structures inside the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz that are not going to engage in any of the military activities but will ensure in

the future that there is stability there.

[10:45:04]

That Iran doesn't and isn't able to exert tolls, all of that. But it just waits and depends on the United States getting the job it's assigned itself

to do, to get that done. So I -- it does appear that the Europeans will step up at some point but not before the war is absolutely finished with a

strong ceasefire.

At least that's where things appear to stand at the moment.

ANDERSON: And you stand by for any further talks there in Islamabad.

Meantime, Stephen, Donald Trump is scheduled to go to Beijing in mid-May. The point of that trip is to very much improve and deepen U.S.-Sino

relations. Ahead of that, we've just learned today that Iran is sending its foreign minister.

I just wonder, at this point, could we see these two files actually collide?

China and Iran for Donald Trump?

And might he actually get what could be a double win out of this?

I mean, he faces such domestic pressure at this point. He needs a win certainly on Iran and China to a degree has been that long-term prospect

for him.

What do you make of what we're seeing develop here?

COLLINSON: Yes, it's a very interesting confluence of separate geopolitical issues. And, of course, this trip to Beijing has already been

postponed once by the president because of this war.

He's -- this is the major focus, I think, before the war of his foreign policy and his entire second year of his second term. So it's hugely

important for the president. And he's going to Beijing at a point where China clearly is worried about the impact on its own economy of the crimped

oil supplies out of the Gulf.

So it has an incentive to try to solve this. That said, China has always been very cautious about third-party mediating. And I think Trump is

walking into those talks in a much weaker international position than he has been for some time.

The rest of the U.S. power base of international alliances has fractured. He's waging a trade war with European partners at the same time as he's

waging it with China.

We saw last year and earlier this year how he was forced to cave in a trade war with China, because China wielded the rare earth issue, which is

crucial to the United States economy.

So I think the prospects of Donald Trump walking out with a solution of some kind to the Iran war from those talks in Beijing, that is advantageous

to the United States over China, is somewhat doubtful.

But it's -- I think it's very interesting, you know, to note that these talks are taking place as they are.

There's also the question, of course, of Russia being involved in this, another traditional ally of Iran that was involved in original U.S.-Iran

nuclear diplomacy. So all of this is very interesting geopolitically but it doesn't really help him in his box.

ANDERSON: Yes. One expert pointing out it has been some time since the city of Beijing has carried such geopolitical weight. We will wait and see

what emerges.

Good to have you both as we continue to report and analyze this story. Thank you.

Still ahead, uncertainty, of course, over oil. The fate of ships trying to exit the Strait of Hormuz does remain unclear, despite American efforts to

offer guidance.

What does this mean for oil prices and oil byproducts?

We are live to discuss that in Dubai, up next.

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[10:50:00]

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ANDERSON: Moments ago, the United Arab Emirates said that its air defenses are, and I quote here, "currently dealing with a missile threat from Iran."

The scope of the attack was not immediately clear but this follows yesterday's attacks, the first since the ceasefire between the U.S. and

Iran was announced.

Well, here's a live look at where prices stand right now. On Monday, Brent crude hit its highest point in 2026 before pulling back somewhat today.

Let's bring in Eleni Giokos. She's live in Dubai for us this hour.

And take us through this wild ride in oil prices in the last 24 hours and what you're seeing out there.

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Frankly, it's been a wild ride since the 28th of February. And to be honest, you know, we just don't know

where it's going. There's been so many scenarios that are out there.

You know, one that says the Strait of Hormuz is going to open up quickly and we'll see a resumption of trade. That still means that we're looking

at, you know, a backlog of a lot of oil that has been shut in.

And that would still mean Brent crude prices of over $100 a barrel. But that scenario is likely not to play out. You've got Brent crude down right

now around 3 percent lower. WTI also taking a 4 percent knock today.

And that's really on the back of a lot of the messaging we heard from the Defense Secretary, as well as from Dan Caine a short time ago. They saying

that the ceasefire is still holding. It, you know, hasn't been entirely breached.

And there's still hope on that front militarily.

And then the question becomes, what happens in the Strait of Hormuz, Becky?

And you've got this live shot of the strait, the IRGC putting out a new map, showing, you know, that they're widening their scope in terms of

control, also sending very strong messaging through targeting of vessels.

Yesterday, a South Korean vessel was hit and an ADNOC vessel as well and also very strong messaging around targeting of the UAE late afternoon

yesterday. And as you mentioned, the ministry of defense, a short time ago, about 30 minutes ago, posting on X that they're currently -- the UAE is

currently dealing with missile threats.

And this is the new reality that we plunged in because shippers are looking at all of these threats and risks.

And they're asking themselves the question, is it safe to pass through the strait?

That's despite the messaging from the U.S. government that they say hundreds of vessels are lining up to, you know, take them up on guiding

through the Strait of Hormuz. So we wait to see. But Kpler says there's been no movement today. No vessels have transited as yet.

ANDERSON: Good to have you. Thank you very much indeed.

You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. There is a lot more ahead. Stay with us.

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[10:55:00]

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ANDERSON: The European Union's finance ministers have been meeting in Brussels today, looking at the impact of Russia's war against Ukraine. This

comes as Moscow says it will observe a short ceasefire later this week to mark World War II victory day celebrations there.

Ukraine's president has announced his own ceasefire starting on Wednesday. Volodymyr Zelenskyy says human life is far more valuable than any

anniversary celebration.

The World Health Organization now says some human-to-human transmission may have occurred on the cruise ship that's been hit with a hantavirus

outbreak. One passenger on board the MV Hondius tested positive for the disease before she died. Two others, including her husband, are now

suspected of having died from that same virus.

One more passenger is in intensive care, having tested positive, and three other people still on board are experiencing symptoms.

The ship's owner says the vessel will likely head to the Canary Islands, though there is no plan yet to disembark the remaining passengers and crew;

150 people are on board that ship, which is anchored in waters off West Africa.

Well, you've been watching CONNECT THE WORLD. From the team working with me here in Abu Dhabi. It is a very good evening. Stay with CNN, though,

please. "ONE WORLD" is up next.

END