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Early Start with Rahel Solomon

At Least One Person Killed After a Missile Lands on a Vehicle in Abu Dhabi; IDF Claims it Struck 200-Plus Iran Targets in One Day; Airstrikes Rock Beirut's Southern Suburbs Overnight. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired March 16, 2026 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:00]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News!

RAHEL SOLOMON, CO-ANCHOR, EARLY START: Good morning, and welcome to our viewers in the U.S. and all around the world, I'm Rahel Solomon live this morning in New York.

BECKY ANDERSON, CO-ANCHOR, EARLY START: And I'm Becky Anderson, live from our Middle East programming hub in Abu Dhabi in the UAE. Week three in the war with Iran. Here's what we know as we follow fresh strikes from Tehran to Beirut here in Abu Dhabi.

One person has been killed after a missile landed on a vehicle -- these were the scenes overnight in the Iranian capital where flames and plumes of smoke could be seen rising. The Israeli military says it launched a wave of strikes targeting infrastructure in Tehran.

Israel also claims it struck more than 200 targets in one day, taking aim at what it called Iran's ballistic missile capabilities and air defense systems. They say they have no plan to stand down from this fight for weeks.

Meanwhile, several airstrikes rocked Beirut's southern suburbs overnight, with attacks also reported across southern Lebanon. And Israel has announced it will carry out ground operations in the south of the country. Let's get you to CNN's Oren Liebermann.

Joining me now from Tel Aviv with the latest. And let's start with the news from Israel on strikes in Iran. What further details do we have at this point?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Right now, it's just a matter of pace that we have here. Israel saying, they carried out some 200 strikes in a day, but it's much more ahead that we're expecting.

Having had a conversation with Israel's military spokesperson, they say they have, quote, "thousands of targets" ahead, and at least, three more weeks of operations that would take Israel and frankly, the U.S., Iran and the entire region and potentially the world here through the end of the month with this war and then into next month. Even as Israel strikes at the pace of hundreds of targets a day, with

what they say is virtually the ability to fly and attack freely over Tehran, there are still weeks ahead in Israel's planning. And they stress the coordination with the United States on this.

When it comes to target selection, splitting the targets and the strikes, so, you get a sense of the war Israel is preparing for here. The Israeli military gave a number in a briefing this morning, saying they have carried out some 7,600 strikes since the start of the war.

More than half of those, some 4,700 against Iran's ballistic missile program. And yet, Iran is still able to carry out ballistic missile attacks and strikes here towards Israel. In fact, since midnight here, so since the beginning of today, there have been at least three separate sirens warning of incoming missiles.

Most of those targeted at Tel Aviv, but over the course of the past several days in the weekend, Becky, we saw -- we saw strikes targeting southern Israel as well as other parts of the country. So, Iran still able to fire back here.

Meanwhile, of course, we see the regional impact, rising oil prices across the world. So, there's a question of how much longer President Donald Trump will be interested in sustaining this war.

ANDERSON: Let's talk Beirut and southern Lebanon. What do we know with regard the IDF's latest?

LIEBERMANN: Waves of ongoing strikes from the Israeli military against southern Lebanon and the capital of Beirut as well as we have seen hundreds of thousands, upwards of 700,000, if not more, Lebanese fleeing under Israeli evacuation warnings across large swaths of the country.

And the question is, where is this going? Israel now acknowledging that they have begun conducting what they are calling targeted ground operations in southern Lebanon. This is above and beyond the raids. We have seen them acknowledge and conduct.

So, this is very much escalating. And as we see the Israeli call-up of reservists, this is creeping in the direction of a -- of a larger ground incursion or ground invasion as Israel makes clear that it will keep this going until it effectively disarms Hezbollah.

Now, there is a diplomatic effort here. There are efforts to get U.S.- brokered talks between the Lebanese government and Israel underway. Our Israeli sources told us that the confidant of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ron Dermer, would lead an Israeli delegation.

There's some reporting here that there might be meetings or talks in the next few days here, nothing concrete that we have been able to peg down. But still, as we see what's happening on the ground here, there doesn't appear to be an off-ramp in the making. Becky.

[05:05:00] ANDERSON: Oren Liebermann with the very latest as he understands it

from there in Jerusalem. Thank you. Airline travel is still being disrupted in the Middle East as the Iran war rages on. Flights have increasingly opened up.

Earlier, flights were temporarily suspended and people reportedly evacuated at Dubai International after a fuel tank nearby caught fire. Smoke could be seen from the highways. Authorities said it was a drone-related incident and the fire has been successfully contained.

Well, joining us now is Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi; Associate Fellow at Chatham House. Good to have you this morning for your perspective. Iran has repeatedly struck across the region reckless and unprovoked now, according to international law.

It has vowed it can sustain intense warfare. But with U.S.-Israeli strikes continuing to target its capabilities and the broader economic and political pressures building at home, how long do you assess Tehran can realistically maintain this level of conflict?

ANISEH BASSIRI TABRIZI, ASSOCIATE FELLOW, CHATHAM HOUSE: Well, I think we now know that this is likely to continue to be an attrition war, a war between on one side, the defense capabilities particularly of the gulf countries, and on the other side, the stockpiles of missiles and drones that Iran retains.

We have seen the number of projectiles reducing drastically since the 28th of February. But as you mentioned earlier, the attacks have continued, the damage on civilian infrastructure has continued and has actually even increased over the past few days.

And I think there is a sense that Iran is likely to be able to continue to -- continue this speed and type of attacks for a long time, particularly when it comes to drone's attacks. Missiles, obviously, they have less stockpiles compared to drones, but we have seen that even drones have the capacity to inflict the severe damages, particularly to civilian infrastructure.

ANDERSON: President Trump seeking a naval coalition to open the Strait of Hormuz. Do you see any countries joining or is it looking like he is increasingly alone on this?

TABRIZI: I think the -- it's early days on that front. Obviously, we have seen reticence from countries in joining in because of the severe danger of taking in that action. But obviously, there is also the concern of the Strait of Hormuz continue to be closed for a long time with obviously the implications for the energy market.

We have seen rumors from France and Italy allegedly in discussions with Iran to find a way out without the military intervention being considered. But I think if this is going to continue for a long time, some sort of action will be needed.

Because otherwise, the Strait of Hormuz closure is going to be damaging significantly international countries, not just the U.S. At the moment, I think it's unlikely that we are going to see anyone joining in the next day or two.

But the conversation is likely continuing and the more this continues, the more likely it is that some sort of action will be taking place.

ANDERSON: The diplomatic adviser to the UAE, President Anwar Gargash, posted this on X, saying, and I quote, "the Iranian strategy, which reflects its inability to confront American and Israeli strikes by targeting Arab Gulf states, reveals a military impotence, a moral bankruptcy and a political isolation, and misleading media statements will not cover up this reality."

Any goodwill that Arab and indeed Islamic states seem to have had in the past for Iran, now, very much sort of in the rearview mirror. Your reaction on Dr. Anwar's statement there, and do you believe the UAE and wider gulf and indeed Iran today could have any realistically sort of meaningful diplomacy?

TABRIZI: I think the UAE has been particularly struck by the severity of the attacks against the UAE. We have seen that it has been the most targeted country to date, both with missiles and drones. And while I think there was expectation that faced with an existential threat, and the type of attack that the U.S. and Israel would have conducted against Iran.

[05:10:00]

The gulf would have been a target. I don't think there was the expectation that the rate, the ratio would have been so high, particularly when it comes to the UAE. So, there is obviously disappointment, concern, but also lack of options when it comes to de- escalation.

I think the UAE really would like for this to be wrapped up, but at the same time, there is very little sense that Iran is ready to de- escalate. I think what Iran wants at the moment is to increase the cost so much, particularly for the U.S. and Israel, including by attacking the gulf countries and therefore raising the cost internationally.

That it doesn't really see de-escalation as a meaningful card at the moment, and maybe, perhaps for weeks to come. And that is obviously a concern for gulf countries because there is very little leverage and offers that they can provide.

But I think the back-channeling will continue, at the same time, with the defense posture that we have seen over the past few weeks, and this is going to be the main posture from the gulf countries, not just the UAE. But the escalation will be the name of the game and the goal for gulf countries for sure.

ANDERSON: Mojtaba Khamenei has yet to make a public appearance since the beginning of this war. That is prompting several questions. Where is he? What condition is he in? Is he really overseeing a regime at this point while it is at war?

Does any of that add up to you, or is Iran's leadership operating in a way that at this point really obscures who is really in charge?

TABRIZI: I think who is really in charge doesn't really matter at the moment. We have seen that there is a consistency coherence, cohesion within the centers of power within Iran. So, if the goal was the weakening of the regime, the weakening of the elite and some sort of fragmentation, that has not happened.

And I don't think it's likely to happen in the coming weeks either. If we have seen anything, is that, there is more strength and cohesion among those who I would say advocate for a security approach, a securitized approach.

We have seen the weakening as usual in these circumstances of the reformist and more moderate voices, including the resignation of one of the head of the reformist front today after being released on bail.

And I think this is likely to continue. So, we have seen, you know, the strengthening of the security forces, the strengthening of the security voices and approach, and if Mojtaba is in charge or Ali Larijani, and you know, Pezeshkian and others are through some sort of coalition also leading the country, doesn't really matter.

Because I think there is unity and consistency on what sort of direction and response to this war Iran should have. And there is no sense that the regime is going to collapse anytime soon.

ANDERSON: All right, it's good to have you, just had some tech issues at the end of that, but Aniseh, it's good to have you, very clear what your perspective, and it's very good to have you with us this morning.

Well, EU members are meeting today to discuss how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The EU's foreign policy chief says it's in Europe's interest to get the waterway open again, calling the situation, quote, "very volatile".

She says while the EU isn't as dependent on energy sources from the Strait, the situation is clearly affecting oil and gas prices globally. She also notes that the Strait of Hormuz is out of NATO's area of action. We will resume our breaking coverage of the war with Iran after a very short break.

Still ahead, the uncertainty surrounding the conflict's timeline is influencing global oil prices.

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SOLOMON: Welcome back. Officials in the Trump administration are saying that they expect the war with Iran to end within weeks, if not sooner. President Trump says that the U.S. and Israel are largely aligned in their war goals.

Meanwhile, the President is now seeking assistance from U.S. allies and even China to help secure the Strait of Hormuz to get vital shipments of oil and other goods flowing again. He claims that there has been some positive response, and warned that NATO faces a very bad future if allies don't help.

Still so far, no country has made a firm commitment to send warships to the Strait. And the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz is sending oil prices soaring to their highest level since 2022. Brent crude, which is the global benchmark surpassed $106 a barrel earlier.

Right now, last I checked, it was just a touch lower than $106 a barrel. U.S. oil has also spiked, that surge causing U.S. gas prices to rise some 24 percent since the start of the conflict. That's according to the AAA auto association.

Let's go to CNN's Eleni Giokos, who joins us live this morning from Dubai with more on how the escalating conflict continues to impact oil prices around the globe. Eleni, talk to us about what prices seem to be suggesting about the situation in the Strait and the potential for a prolonged conflict.

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ELENI GIOKOS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, it's sort of like a chain reaction that we're seeing occurring in the oil prices, and it's very headline-driven. So, on one end, you have these mitigation factors especially by the International Energy Agency releasing a record number of emergency barrels.

The flow rates still to be determined how much can they get into the market on a daily basis, even though the overall number is 400 million barrels. You've got talk about naval escorts, which President Trump had promised last week, actually, the week that the conflict started still has not materialized, negotiations still getting underway.

The coalition of governments he's trying to get in are still negotiating and thinking about what the best process is. So, that's on the medication -- mitigation front, Rahel. And I think it's really fascinating because the fundamentals are telling us something very different.

If you've got 20 million barrels of oil per day that normally passes through the Strait of Hormuz, taken out of the market, we have seen predictions of around $150 a barrel. We know the Iranians were talking about $200 a barrel, and that's really interesting coming from them, because that is the lever that they have, is to inflict economic pain across the board.

You spoke about gas prices in the United States. You're seeing jet fuel prices increasing. You're seeing downstream products, refined products that have already been -- you know, seen price spikes. But I also want to talk about the critical infrastructure that has been targeted across the region.

And it's very important to look at how these targets are continuing here in Fujairah in the UAE. So, it's about 120 kilometers from Dubai from where I am. It's a key oil depot. It's a terminal that handles around 1.2 million cubic meters of oil.

It handles big barrages as well as, you know, large crude carriers. It's a loading zone. And that has been impacted again by a drone incident this morning. We've seen fires ensue. Three -- this is the third time that this has ensued.

So, again, these targets on critical infrastructure, so not only refineries across the region, but also these key loading zones. And Fujairah interestingly, is on the side of the Gulf of Oman. And with continued threats from the IRGC, and clearly wanting to make a point about targeting critical energy infrastructure, they want to inflict pain using the oil price.

So, it will be interesting to see how that feeds through into the ultimate oil price going forward. But that's incremental increase despite mitigation factors being announced. Is interesting to watch.

SOLOMON: Yes, as you say, for all the fundamentals. Eleni Giokos in Abu Dhabi. Eleni, thank you.

GIOKOS: Yes.

SOLOMON: All right, and still to come, an update on where the Iran conflict stands as the U.S. and Israel warn of an expanding military timeline. We'll be right back.

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ANDERSON: Well, President Trump ramping up pressure on NATO allies as his administration calls on other countries to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The President's push to get naval escorts for oil tankers in the region comes as the war now enters its third week.

President Trump says the U.S. is not yet prepared to make a deal with Tehran to end the war. U.S. and Israeli officials are now indicating the conflict may keep going for at least several more weeks. Iran's Foreign Minister also signaled that the regime is prepared to keep fighting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABBAS ARAGHCHI, FOREIGN MINISTER, IRAN: No, we never asked for a ceasefire, and we have never asked even for negotiation. We are ready to defend ourselves as long as it takes, and this is what we have done so far, and we continue to do that until President Trump comes to the point that this is an illegal war with no victory.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, I want to bring in Lina Khatib; she's a visiting scholar with the Middle East Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School, and Associate Fellow with the Middle East and North Africa Program at Chatham House. Good to have you.

I want to concentrate this morning, if we can, on the IDF announcing limited and targeted ground operations in southern Lebanon aimed at Hezbollah strongholds, and what it calls, quote, "terror infrastructure".

How do you assess the risk of these ground operations, and what might Hezbollah's response to these be?

LINA KHATIB, ASSOCIATE FELLOW, MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA PROGRAM, CHATHAM HOUSE: Hezbollah has been anticipating Israeli ground operations. It's something that the group has a lot of experience in countering.

However, all this does not mean that Hezbollah will be able to prevent Israel from taking more Lebanese territory. Because this scenario did happen in the past, not too long ago, in the last war between Hezbollah and Israel.

And since then, Israel has maintained presence at several border points inside Lebanese territory. So, the idea now for Israel is to expand its presence in an open-ended capacity, meaning that this is not just a temporary incursion.

This is meant to increase an area that Israel sees as a buffer zone in southern Lebanon, and it is likely to advance from several points. And with this, Hezbollah will practically be suffocated in terms of its ability to maneuver in the south and launch missiles from there on Israel.

ANDERSON: Lina, you wrote, and I quote, "there is growing Arab momentum.