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Early Start with Rahel Solomon
Iran War Ceasefire; The Epstein Files. Aired 4:30-5a ET
Aired April 09, 2026 - 04:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:30:21]
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. I'm Eleni Giokos live in Dubai. Key members of the Trump administration are touting the US and Israeli bombardment of Iran. I want you to listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE HEGSETH, US DEFENSE SECRETARY: Operation Epic Fury was a historic and overwhelming victory on the battlefield, a capital V military victory.
KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: President Trump stated this would be a four to six week military operation to dismantle the military threat posed by the radical Islamic Army Iranian regime. Thanks to the unbelievable capabilities of America's war fighters, the United States has achieved and exceeded those core military objectives in just 38 days.
HEGSETH: Together with our Israeli partners, America's military achieved every single objective. On plan, on schedule, exactly as laid out from day one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: The White House says the ceasefire is still a go. And Israel in the meantime is defending its ongoing operations in Lebanon and says it's not included in the Iran ceasefire. Lebanon's health ministry says nearly 200 people were killed and hundreds more wounded on Wednesday in what Israel is calling its largest coordinated strikes since the war began.
In the new statement, the IDF said it killed the nephew of Hezbollah's secretary general in Wednesday's strikes on Beirut. Iran says the shipping industry overall is going to face more headwinds as the Strait of Hormuz stopped traffic after those strikes. Now the ceasefire, while tenuous, is earning the high praise from the international community. Japan's chief cabinet secretary called it a positive development, but stressed the Strait of Hormuz must safely reopen.
The Ukrainian president called the ceasefire the right decision. The French president agrees, but said it must include Lebanon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translation): Regarding Lebanon, which to date is also included in the ceasefire, which is a good thing and even an essential thing. And where the strikes have ceased in recent hours, the situation is critical.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: And the European Council president is urging all sides to uphold the terms of the truce. Antonio Costa thanked Pakistan and the parties working on it, saying the EU is ready to support those ongoing efforts.
Cinzia Bianco is a Research Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations and she joins us now live from Milan, Italy. Cinzia, great to have you with us.
I want you to give me a sense of where European leaders stand at this juncture as they face an existential threat with regards to energy prices and, of course, fuel shortages imminent around Europe and obviously their stance of trying to stay out of this war.
CINZIA BIANCO, RESEARCH FELLOW, EUROPEAN COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: Yes. So European leaders have praised the ceasefire, but they are concerned and they remain very attentive to the full implementation of what was first announced via the Pakistani leadership, which, as President Macron said, is including Lebanon. And therefore, there is a general sense of doubt in European capitals that this ceasefire is sustainable, and that it will lead to further negotiations for a durable peace, which must include the freedom of -- full freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, which, by the way, was never guaranteed by the Iranians, not even in the very early minutes, I would say, of the ceasefire being announced.
Yesterday, a total of four ships were able to transit through Hormuz, and we're hearing some reports that they pay a toll, very expensive one. So the situation is not really looking very good from a European perspective, because, first of all, there is the issue of sustainability. We need a durable solution. Second, that solution must include Hormuz, but also Lebanon, because we have serious concerns in terms of instability in the Levant and implications, direct implications on European securities.
And third but not last, there is also an alignment in European capitals that conditions need to meet the security needs of Gulf monarchies, which remain under attack by Iran, including on vital energy infrastructures such as the East-West Pipeline in Saudi Arabia. That brings oil to the only viable export route, which is in the Red Sea.
[04:35:17]
GIOKOS: Yes. And, I mean, importantly here, we've seen so many attacks across critical energy infrastructure, we still don't know what the extent of the damage is. So in conjunction with the Strait of Hormuz being effectively closed and still under Iranian control, we're talking about the largest energy crisis in history. And I wonder how European leaders are going to be positioning themselves, because President Trump has been enormously critical of European leaders and frankly NATO allies in terms of supporting the United States in opening up the straits.
BIANCO: Yes. And there has been a statement released yesterday by several European leaders, including the EU, but also Canada, interestingly. And they have recommitted themselves to contribute actively to the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, but only after a sustainable ceasefire is in place.
And that is obviously a political position to ensure that the parties make sure that the ceasefire becomes sustainable. And there is an important point here which is, correctly, as you said, this is a global energy crisis and it's a crisis also of prices of fertilizers and other crucial commodities. But it's important to understand that from perspective, this still doesn't measure up to what we have faced after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
If you look, just merely look at the prices at the time a couple of years ago, we were facing significantly higher prices and significantly more important shortages not just of oil, but also of gas that we consume even more, especially for industrial purposes. Also this is not winter, so our consumption levels are naturally going down.
This is not to downplay the significance of the crisis, it is just to give you the perspective of Europeans that we know that we have dealt, which are with a much worse situation and we have survived it. So there is, I would say, more confidence that we can navigate this one too.
GIOKOS: Yes. And the International Energy Agency says that what we're seeing in terms of supply shock is worse than the 2022 shock and the 1970 shocks combined. And I get your points about the demand scenario in Europe, but at what point do you believe when you say, you know, European leaders are very keen to assist in terms of freedom of navigation, but we just keep hearing about stalling and discussions, and perhaps some kind of diplomacy while the Strait of Hormuz is still effectively closed.
We are still in a fragile situation about this two week ceasefire. We don't know how it's going to pan out. What do you believe the actual action should be not only by European leaders but other, you know, stakeholders that need to see the 20 percent of oil that passes through the straits opening once again.
BIANCO: Yes. The distinction that you make is really important because at the global level, this is a much worse supply crisis. But at the regional level in Europe, there is more confidence, which means that Europeans also feel more confident again, they have more room for maneuver to deal with the crisis at the global level. And that includes also being able to contribute more actively to freedom of navigation.
But like you said, this is a critical posturing that needs to push the parties, not just Iran, but all of the warring parties, to make sure that Hormuz remains a priority. And I'm talking about the United States as well, because we are hearing conflicting messages from President Trump on how important it is that Hormuz is open.
So I would say that at the largest level, Europeans want to push politically, the parties, to make it a priority, and then they would be more able to contribute actively than they have been previously, just because they are not dealing with the same level of crisis at home. And this is more about the global supply chain, which is of course still a core interest for European industries and for consumers and therefore for governments.
GIOKOS: And for everyone around the world, right, the threat of Hormuz has become a flashpoint in the energy market. So I appreciate it, Cinzia Bianco, thank you so much.
Well, President Trump is sending Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to Pakistan this weekend for talks on the Iran war ceasefire. Pakistan's prime minister is urging restraint after reports of ceasefire violations his country has taken the lead in the negotiations.
[04:40:06]
RIZWAN SAEED SHEIKH, PAKISTANI AMBASSADOR TO THE US: It was an intense diplomatic effort that was in progress over the past few weeks. And what happened last night was a culmination point. So it is a triumph of diplomacy and dialogue that Pakistan in its diplomatic history has always accorded primacy to and has had a preference for. So there were processes, talks in motion, consultations in motion.
And it was, well, in terms of the focus, the spotlight on Pakistan, we were trusted by all sides to conduct this diplomacy and we have a twin sense of gratitude and humility in that regard. But there were other consultations going on with multiple partners. So there was, you know, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, China, to name a few, and other partners who have started now expressing a chorus of commendation for Pakistan and support for Pakistan.
Mainly, we believe it is for the process that is to be conducted in about two days from now in Islamabad. But just to perhaps answer your question more precisely, it was something already in motion and it yielded success.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: All right. So hope remains that the two week ceasefire that has been agreed upon will lead to a wider diplomatic opportunity between the parties, all right.
I'm Eleni Giokos here in Dubai, stay with us. Erica Hill will have more of today's top stories after the break. And I'll be back at the top of the hour for more from the region. Stay with me.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:46:33]
ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: The Justice Department says former US attorney general, Pam Bondi, will not appear for a deposition about the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. She, of course, was subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee and was set to appear April 14. CNN's chief legal affairs correspondent Paula Reid has the details.
PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Pam Bondi's sudden departure from the Justice Department is just the latest roadblock for Congress in its effort to try to ob sworn testimony related to the release of the Epstein files. In a letter, the Justice Department insists because she was subpoenaed in her official capacity as attorney general, and is no longer the nation's top law enforcement official, that subpoena should be withdrawn.
But the committee making it clear that they will continue to pursue her testimony, the top Democrat on the panel, Representative Robert Garcia, says she has to appear no matter what her title is. Remember, this was a bipartisan effort. There was a group of Democrats and Republicans who got together to force this subpoena.
Now, the new acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, was asked about the status of the subpoena before DOJ sent his letter. Here's what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TODD BLANCHE, ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL: So look, as everybody knows, the attorney general and I went to the House Oversight a few weeks ago. We answered every single question asked for a couple hours. What happens now that she's the former attorney general and there's the subpoena out there is, I think, I'll leave to Chairman Comer and others to figure out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
REID: So what he's referring to there is an appearance on the Hill a few weeks ago. I was there along with our CNN team. Anytime you have a subpoena, there's a negotiation. There's a back and forth. Well, can we give you this testimony or these documents to satisfy these demands.
And Bondi and Blanche thought if they went up there, answered some questions, maybe the subpoena would go away. Well, that appearance was fraught with partisan drama. Democrats stormed out of the hearing. They did not ask any questions because they said they only wanted to talk to her when she was sworn in and something that where -- there would be a transcript released to the public.
So it's clear that even though she is no longer attorney general, this issue of the Epstein files and her handling of this matter is, of course, part of the of what led to her diminished standing within the administration. And this issue is not going away. Paula Reid, CNN, Washington.
HILL: Police in the Bahamas have arrested the husband of a missing American woman. Brian Hooker told authorities his wife, Lynette Hooker, had fallen overboard from their dinghy when the couple hit rough waters. His attorney says Hooker categorically denies any wrongdoing and says his client has been cooperating with authorities.
The couple had been sailing in the Bahamas on their yacht, The Soulmate, before Lynette went missing on Saturday. Much more ahead on EARLY START, stay with us.
[04:49:25]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: Astronauts with NASA's Artemis II mission are now preparing to return to Earth tomorrow. In a few hours, the crew and flight control teams will begin preparing the cabin and studying entry procedures ahead of that planned splash down Friday off the coast of San Diego, California. And as they make their way home, NASA astronaut Christina Cook says they're having a lot of fun despite the close quarters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINA KOCH, ASTRONAUT: Wow. We have loved living in Orion. And in fact, we've all said that sometimes you can forget where you really are because we're in this small -- the small space that just gives us everything we need. But the answer to your question is yes, it is bigger in microgravity and yes, we are bumping into each other 100 percent of the time.
A phrase that you often hear in the cabin is don't move your foot, I'm just going to reach for something right under it or, you know, can I get there? And my goal is to get over there. And we're constantly moving around, whether it's to complete a task, to just eat, you know, to look out the window, to take a picture. Everything we do in here is a four person activity. But it's also really fun.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[04:55:01]
HILL: The astronauts, of course, began their day on Wednesday. That is more than 200,000 miles from Earth, more than 83,000 miles from the moon. Their mission will pave the way for long term lunar science and exploration capabilities, and seems to doing a pretty great job of inspiring the next generation of explorers.
"White Lotus" star Aubrey Plaza is reportedly expecting her first child with her partner, actor Christopher Abbott. The "Parks and Rec" alum collaborated with Abbott in her stage debut in the Off Broadway revival of "Danny and the Deep Blue Sea." The 41-year-old is reportedly due this fall. She, of course, was previously married to Hollywood screenwriter and director Jeff Baena who died by suicide last year.
Thanks so much for joining us this hour, I'm Erica Hill in New York. Eleni Giokos and I will be back with another hour of EARLY START right here at the top of the hour.
