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Isa Soares Tonight
Trump Turns Up Pressure on Iran; Iran Fortifies Kharg Island; Iran Allowing Some Ships to Pass Through Strait of Hormuz; 20,000 Seafarers Stranded in Middle East; CNN Investigates: Drugged, Raped, and Online. President Trump Says It's All Up to Iran to Make a Deal to End the War; Iranians Accuse Washington of Toying with Them with Empty Promises; A CNN Undercover Investigation Exposes a Hidden Network of Men Sharing Tips on How to Covertly Abuse Wives. Aired 2:00-3p ET
Aired March 26, 2026 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, President Donald Trump says it's all up
to Iran, and that the U.S. quote, "no longer cares about making a deal to end the war." We've got the details from the President's lengthy cabinet
address.
Then, Iranians tell CNN, they feel like the U.S. has toyed with them and made them empty promises. We'll hear firsthand from the ordinary Iranians
caught in this conflict. Plus, a month's long undercover investigation by CNN exposes a hidden network of men sharing tips on how to covertly abuse
the women closest to them.
That shocking report, coming out later this hour. But first, tonight, a massive build-up of fire -- U.S. fire power in the Middle East is fueling
concerns that Washington and Tehran are careening, really, towards a military showdown on a scale unlike anything we've seen since the war
began.
Just ahead of this Friday deadline for a member of the Strait of Hormuz to fully reopen, the U.S. President Donald Trump says it's Iran and not the
White House that's desperate to reach an agreement. The President telling reporters today, I'm the opposite of desperate. I don't care. Have a
listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They are begging to make a deal, not me. They're begging to make a deal. And anybody that saw what was
happening over there would understand why they want to make a deal.
But they say, oh, we're not talking to them -- anybody would know they're - - and only a total fool -- and they're not fools. They're very smart, actually, in a certain way. And they're great negotiators. I say they're
lousy fighters, but they're great negotiators.
And they are begging to work out a deal. I don't know if we'll be able to do that. I don't know if we're willing to do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, sources tell CNN, Iran is preparing for a possible U.S. operation by laying traps and moving military assets to Kharg Island, which
handles about 90 percent of the country's crude exports. We'll have more on that in just a moment.
The Pentagon, as we've been reporting, has been deploying thousands of marines and sailors, along with amphibious ships. As for the diplomatic
efforts, you ask. Well, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff has confirmed that Pakistan is acting as an intermediary during ongoing talks between
Washington as well as Tehran.
Let's get more then on all these threads. Our Kristen Holmes joins us now from the White House. And, Kristen, you really do have the unenviable task
of helping us to really understand where we are about -- talks about these talks, right?
At one point, the President said he's not -- he's not sure he's willing to make a deal, though they're begging to make a deal. Just walk us through
what he said. What stood out to you?
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: I mean, look, that's President Trump's bravado, but it sounded like from Steve Witkoff coming
out during that cabinet meeting, that there were significant gains that have been made in these kinds of negotiations.
And you heard from Steve Witkoff. They're trying to give at least some details of these negotiations, talking about the fact that Pakistan was the
intermediary, talking about the 15-point plan, that was a proposal, but also noting why they weren't giving more details.
This, of course, has been a point of criticism. Why won't they say who they're negotiating with? Why won't they say how those negotiations are
going? Why won't they say who all is involved in it? And he said that this is just to keep the sanctity of the negotiations moving forward.
This whole cabinet meeting, if you take out, you know, Trump's extra language about the Kennedy Center, about the price of sharpies or pens,
really seemed as though it was meant to communicate to the American people, and to respond to the criticism around this war.
You heard from these various cabinet secretaries, including the Vice President, who we know is against U.S. intervention abroad, saying why this
war was necessary. What the United States was doing, trying to explain some of the questions that the United States, that Americans have, that we have
been asking the administration.
That was interesting. We did get one kind of reveal from President Trump, and that was what this mystery gift was from Iran two days ago. He said he
got this big present from Iran, and then wouldn't elaborate.
Now, the reason he started talking about this present was because he was asked specifically, who are you negotiating with, and how does the White
House know that this person is even in power, or that they can trust this person?
[14:05:00]
And President Trump used this idea of a gift. Well, today he said that the gift was the passage of eight oil tankers, which actually ended up being
ten through the Strait of Hormuz. And that when he saw those ships going across the Strait of Hormuz and actually being led across by Iran, he
understood that these diplomatic negotiations were serious.
So, he took that as a sign of good faith. We, of course, had speculated that was the gift, seeing as how we had seen the data that more ships were
going through the Strait of Hormuz. But that, again, has been a point of contention.
And you heard from Steve Witkoff there saying, that they were going to try to convince Iran that this was an inflection point. Clearly, saying that
these negotiations were ongoing, that they were still having conversations, but not quite fully optimistic, as we have heard in the past, kind of with
a lot of hedging there that they've been down this road before.
SOARES: Yes, lots of reading between the lines, that's for sure. Kristen Holmes, I'm so glad that you were there. Thank you very much. Let's stay on
this story, our senior international correspondent Fred Pleitgen is with me now.
And Fred, I do want to talk about Kharg Island, and some of, you know, what we're hearing from Kristen Holmes and some of the movement, not just from
the United States on the military front, but also, what we're hearing from Iranian sources.
First, on the diplomacy, as I was asking Kristen there, it's a lot of talk about talks. What are you hearing --
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is --
SOARES: First, on the diplomatic front?
PLEITGEN: Yes, it is indeed a lot of talk about talks. And so far, the Iranians have not confirmed that they're willing to speak directly to the
Americans. And you know, they very often use the term negotiations, where the Iranians keep saying there are no negotiations, there's no direct
talks.
The Iranians at this point in time are not asking for direct talks. However, they are saying that in the future, it's not necessarily something
that they would rule out.
SOARES: Right --
PLEITGEN: They have acknowledged that they got the paper from the United States with those apparent 15 points on them that they're looking at it and
seeing what they do with it. But at the same time, they have not confirmed whether or not they would send a delegation to Pakistan or --
SOARES: Yes --
PLEITGEN: Somewhere else to speak to the --
(CROSSTALK)
SOARES: Do we know --
PLEITGEN: Negotiation --
SOARES: Who is talking to the intermediaries? Who from Iran is actually talking to the --
(CROSSTALK)
PLEITGEN: Well, there's two figures who are always being -- it's very interesting. It's very important right now because, of course, right now,
the leadership structure of Iran is very different than it was before. It's a lot --
SOARES: Yes --
PLEITGEN: More decentralized. There's a lot of new figures. And of course, we have to keep in mind that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which
in many ways is leading their military operations is much stronger than it was before. So, the two figures that appear to be involved is the Foreign
Minister, Abbas Araghchi --
SOARES: Yes --
PLEITGEN: And then the Speaker of Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is a very important powerbroker in Iran --
SOARES: Hardliners --
PLEITGEN: Very much, yes --
SOARES: Yes --
PLEITGEN: Very much a hardliner, very much a conservative, but also someone who is very well-versed in the military structure. He's a former --
SOARES: Right --
PLEITGEN: General of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, very well respected by the military. He hasn't even acknowledged being part of any of
this. But that could also be because maybe he's working on something behind the scenes. He's definitely --
SOARES: Right --
PLEITGEN: More of a guy who gets things done behind the scenes.
SOARES: Right, so that basically is the diplomatic side. Let's talk then, the movement, because we have been hearing, I want to just read a map of
the --
PLEITGEN: Yes --
SOARES: Region. We've been hearing a lot of talk about this island here --
PLEITGEN: Kharg Island --
SOARES: Kharg Island, not just from the United States sources, but also hearing it from the Iranian -- from sources within Iran saying they're
prepping from -- for something, right?
PLEITGEN: Yes, absolutely.
SOARES: So, let me give a show -- a closer image, a satellite image of what we're talking about.
PLEITGEN: Yes --
SOARES: What's so important about Kharg Island?
PLEITGEN: Well, first of all, all of this, right? All the oil infrastructure --
SOARES: Ninety percent, right --
PLEITGEN: Ninety percent of their oil exports go via Kharg Island. There's a terminal there that the tankers go up to. You can see there's a bit of a
port here as well.
SOARES: Oh, I see targets here for you --
PLEITGEN: Yes, it is the oil tank farm, exactly. The United States has already flown as the President back then put it, big airstrikes against a
lot of the infrastructure. They claim military infrastructure. But Kharg Island was never a place where there was really a very strong military
presence.
You look at the airport there, it's actually civilian and military airport, which apparently has been bombed. But what we're hearing from the Iranians
is that they've also moved forces now, strengthened their forces there.
And the very man that we were talking about just a minute ago --
SOARES: Yes --
PLEITGEN: Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who apparently could be involved in some of these outreach things that have been going on. He threatened that
if this island gets attacked, that the Iranians are going to unleash hell, as he put it, in the entire gulf region.
SOARES: When we're talking about Kharg Island, if the U.S. did go after it, what would that mean in terms -- for Iran? How crippling would that
be?
PLEITGEN: It would be crippling for their oil exports for a while? It's not clear whether or not they could re-route any of that. Of course, oil
infrastructure, as you know, always involves pipelines, involves pumping oil.
So, it would be a blow to them. But at the same time, of course, if the U.S. did that, the Iranians would obviously churn off all the taps that
bring oil to this place. And that would probably mean an explosion of the oil price as well, because they would just --
SOARES: So, it is another escalation --
PLEITGEN: It would have to be a massive --
SOARES: Another escalation, a massive escalation of what we're seeing --
PLEITGEN: Of course, it would be huge, but I mean, if you do this, first of all, it'd be the first time that troops on the ground --
SOARES: Yes --
PLEITGEN: Inside Iran, on Iranian territory.
[14:10:00]
The Iranians have said that they would then absolutely unleash their military on any countries that had anything --
SOARES: Yes --
PLEITGEN: To do with aiding the United States militarily, which is all of the gulf countries.
SOARES: While I have you here, and you're an expert on Iran, you were the first journalist to cover this war from Iran for us. A lot of talk about
also Abu Musa, I'm going to bring up, Larak Island.
PLEITGEN: Yes --
SOARES: What do we know --
PLEITGEN: Well --
SOARES: About -- I mean, just that -- that's just for context where people could see, that's Hormuz Island. What do we know about this --
PLEITGEN: Yes --
SOARES: These islands?
PLEITGEN: Well, Musa Island obviously the island after which the Strait --
SOARES: Yes --
PLEITGEN: Is named, but you can see Larak Island, obviously this position here really on the forefront in the most narrow part of the Strait of
Hormuz --
SOARES: Yes --
PLEITGEN: So, the Iranians have some radars there. It's an important place for them as sort of, you know, the place to control essentially --
SOARES: Yes --
PLEITGEN: The Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, though, as you can see, I mean, the Strait is such a narrow place. Even if they don't have that,
they can still project power from any of these other areas --
SOARES: But this -- but this -- going after this is very different from going after this --
PLEITGEN: Yes. I mean, this is going after the oil and gas infrastructure or the oil infrastructure, and the --
SOARES: I mean, everyone is trying to ease the Strait of Hormuz --
PLEITGEN: The other one is trying to open the Strait of Hormuz --
SOARES: Trying to open all this --
PLEITGEN: Yes, but I mean, even if you have this, you can see that there's others. Qeshm Island, for instance, it's more of a nature reserve actually.
It has a lot of tourism as well, but the Strait is still very narrow in various places.
SOARES: Yes --
PLEITGEN: You don't have to interdict tankers if you want to close the Strait of Hormuz. In the Strait of Hormuz, you can also do a run-up to the
strait --
SOARES: And that's where we have been seeing this pretty much being --
PLEITGEN: That's almost, yes --
SOARES: Only a few -- only several vessels have actually made it through, but that has been completely frozen, and then they have been told -- right
--
PLEITGEN: Well, it's been frozen, the Iranians have essentially said --
SOARES: Yes --
PLEITGEN: They control this place now --
SOARES: Yes --
PLEITGEN: They control this place and they decide who goes through there and who doesn't.
SOARES: Fred, great to have you on the show, thank you very much. What a treat to have Fred with us here in the studio. Well, we often -- we hear --
often hear from world leaders and diplomats on Iran.
What about the people inside the country who are actually bearing the brunt of this war? CNN spoke with some Iranians who say they feel trapped, deeply
frustrated as well as betrayed. Leila Gharagozlou has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I'm so angry. I feel like we're just a play thing. We've been toyed with. When Trump said help is on the
way, we'll save you and it amounted to nothing, which was obvious for some of us. But some of us believed it and it deeply divided us. This was some
crazy psychological warfare.
LEILA GHARAGOZLOU, CNN PRODUCER (on camera): Ordinary Iranians are caught in the middle of geopolitical posturing and war, facing an uncertain
future. President Trump has expressed optimism that a deal to end the war with Iran is in sight.
CNN spoke to Iranians about how they feel about possible negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. Having already gone through one war last year
and deadly protests that culminated this year, Iranians are feeling frustrated, betrayed and angry.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I am angry, I am so angry that nothing has changed, and that more likely, nothing will happen or change
that will benefit the Iranian people. I had the same feeling last time in the 12-day war.
Why did this happen? For what? Why did they for 12 days bomb us, force us out of our homes, force us to flee. It created terror and horror for
ourselves, our children, our animals. These things are serious. Our lives are at risk.
GHARAGOZLOU: Despite the anger, there is hope that a ceasefire or a deal could offer some relief to people whose lives have been upended by decades
of economic turmoil and conflict.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Maybe if they do talk, at the very least, it can improve the economic situation. If this war continues,
our lives will be halted and stopped, meaning, we cannot move forward.
While the situation in Iran remains unclear, we are all up in the air. We've been in this limbo for months, nearly a year, and in the past few
years, it's just gotten worse and worse.
GHARAGOZLOU: Until world leaders found an off-ramp for this war, ordinary Iranians say they will continue having to bear the brunt of this conflict
and an uncertain future.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I am pissed off. I am hopeful, I am scared, I am all of these things all at once, and it's suffocating quite
frankly.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Our thanks to Leila for that report. Well, inside Lebanon as well, civilians are paying a high price as the war escalates between Israel and
Hezbollah. These families are among the million people who have been displaced.
And they're huddling in tents in Beirut, many lacking basic essentials and proper shelter from the cold and the rain. The death toll is growing on
both sides of the border, as Israel and Hezbollah exchange fire.
We're just getting this video from northern Israel where emergency services say a man was killed in Hezbollah rocket attack. Lebanese authorities
meantime say at least, five people were killed today in Israeli airstrikes.
The IDF is also carrying out what it calls targeted ground operations. Well, for rescuers in Lebanon, rushing to help the wounded can mean risking
your very life. Lebanon's Health Ministry says at least, 42 paramedics have been killed in Israeli strikes since the war began.
[14:15:00]
Our Nick Paton Walsh visited the town of Nabatieh, where two rescuers lost their lives just days ago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Shaken awake all night by blasts, the days aren't much better. A town right
here, Nabatieh kind of caught in limbo. A lot of the civilian population have left.
You can see why. And still, it's something of a hub for rescuers. The injured from all around brought here as the frontlines get closer and
closer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
WALSH (voice-over): A drone strike visible from the hospital on the Hill. But the rush to help here comes with a huge caveat. Medics killed across
the country, two just two days ago here by an apparent Israeli strike mean they have to consider there, not just the victims' safety too.
(On camera): All right, it's tough call for the medics when they respond after the recent deaths, but still heading in fast and still over there,
too, despite the rain, some shelling picking up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
WALSH (voice-over): Three units head down. Nobody left to rescue here, though. Two men killed and stuck beneath the rubble.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: About two homes are fully damaged.
WALSH (on camera): Yes --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two houses.
WALSH (voice-over): Zeina(ph) lives with her father doctor in the hospital, has her toy slime for fun, but knows what she fears.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
WALSH: The elderly ferried out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are some people here, they are trying to live, and they didn't find any shelter to go. The drones are flying over us, but
we don't have any options. We have to go. Yes.
WALSH (on camera): It must be harder after the loss of your friend's son.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it's --
WALSH: Two days ago --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very hard. But we don't have choices. We don't have choices.
(MALE SOBBING)
WALSH (voice-over): His friend, this rescuer here on Tuesday lost his son. One of two medics killed by an Israeli strike on a motorbike. Israel
hasn't responded to our request for comment. They buried Jude Suleiman(ph), aged 16, on Wednesday, fearing it won't be the last. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN,
Nabatieh, Lebanon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Our thanks to Nick and the team for that report. Well, President Trump is once again criticizing NATO countries as falling short in the war
with Iran. In a social media post, the President slammed NATO for doing, quote, "absolutely nothing to help", as you can see there.
Meantime, America's top diplomat, Marco Rubio is en route to a meeting of the G7 Foreign Ministers hosted by France as the bloc -- as the bloc, of
course, grapples with the repercussions of the Iran war.
The U.S. and Israel launched their military action without the support of European allies, as you know. But the German Foreign Minister says NATO
countries are working to find a common position with the U.S. on the war against Iran. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHANN WADEPHUL, FOREIGN MINISTER, GERMANY: So, for us, of course, it is now important, together with our closest allies within NATO, particularly
with the United States, to develop a common position. There is also consensus on this within the E3 group, and that is why it is good and
important and right that Marco Rubio is coming here, and that we can speak with him tomorrow.
I do not want to preempt these talks, but my expectation, and I am quite confident on this, is that we will be able to define a common position.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, the EU's chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas says the bloc is working towards de-escalation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAJA KALLAS, VICE PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN COMMISSION: All the countries in the world are one way or the other way affected by this war. So, it is in the
interest of everybody that this war stops. And that's why we are also doing the outreach.
We have partners, global partners here today to have a unified message that we need an exit, not an escalation in this war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, the meeting of G7 and EU Foreign Ministers comes as negotiations to end Russia's war in Ukraine have stalled, whilst the focus
shifts to the Middle East. There is growing concern among European officials that the U.S. could push Kyiv into an unfavorable peace deal
ahead of U.S. midterm elections in November.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, meanwhile, says western leaders need to target the Russian shadow fleet. This is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEIR STARMER, PRIME MINISTER, UNITED KINGDOM: Putin is rubbing his hands at the war in the gulf, and the rising oil prices. And that is why, in my
strong view, we should go after the Shadow Fleet even harder.
[14:20:00]
The British Armed Forces and British law enforcement are now able to board sanctioned vessels that are passing through our waters. Together, we must
close off critical sea routes to this vital trade to keep up the pressure on Putin, and to help change the narrative of this war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And on this, and just to note for tomorrow's show, we'll hear from Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski and my colleague Max Foster will
get his take on where Poland stands in the war with Iran, and how this war in the Middle East is also benefitting Russia.
That's tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. Eastern, 6:00 p.m. if you're watching here in London. And still to come tonight, Nicolas Maduro back in a U.S. federal
courtroom for the first time since he was arraigned. How the judge ruled on an attempt to get the case dismissed against the ousted Venezuelan leader.
And then later in the show, a CNN investigation into a hidden network of men drugging and raping their wives and sharing about it online.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Well, U.S. federal judge says he will not dismiss the case against Venezuela's ousted president and his wife. Nicolas Maduro's attorney had
argued the U.S. government is interfering in the case by not allowing Venezuela to pay for legal fees.
Prosecutors say Maduro and his wife can cover costs with their own money. Maduro has pleaded not guilty to charges related to drug trafficking, money
laundering and corruption. And U.S. President Donald Trump today said that other cases are going to be brought against him.
Our Maria Santana is outside the federal court in New York, and it's been very lively where you are, Maria. Give us a sense of what we're hearing,
not just inside the court, but also outside.
MARIA SANTANA, CNN REPORTER: Well, yes, supporters and the opposition community showed up today to protest Maduro's presence here. They were both
here at the same time, sometimes arguing with each other.
Some of them had banners that read, "free Maduro and Cilia Flores", his wife, who is also accused of these charges here. While you know, Venezuelan
community members who are living here in exile say that this is the justice that they had been waiting for.
That they were waiting for the day to see Nicolas Maduro pay for what they say is the human rights abuses and the crimes that he committed in
Venezuela. Now, inside the court, Judge Alvin Hellerstein, he basically said that it was too early to consider dismissing the charges against
Maduro.
[14:25:00]
And the issue at hand is who is going to pay for his defense attorneys. Now, what his defense attorneys are saying is that, the U.S. government is
interfering with Maduro's constitutional right, the defendant's constitutional rights to defend themselves to elect an attorney of their
choosing by blocking funds from the Venezuelan government to pay for their defense due to sanctions that still exist over that government.
And what the prosecution is saying is that Maduro and Cilia Flores have their own funds to pay for their own defense, but that it is impossible to
lift these sanctions now, because, the -- it -- they still have to do with national security and foreign policy issues.
Now, the judge was really pushing back on those arguments. He basically said, you know, the relationship between Venezuela and the U.S. seems to be
changing. We now have commerce and business opening up between the two countries.
So, why are these sanctions still necessary, and especially because the problem with why Venezuela had these sanctions, very harsh, you know,
oppressive regime, that problem seems to be gone. We took care of it.
Maduro and Flores are now here. So, you know, he said that he would decide later on. He seemed to be leaning towards just ordering the U.S. government
to release these funds to allow the Venezuelan government to honor the indemnization for Maduro and Flores, which the Venezuelan government has
agreed to do.
But he said that he will, you know, give a written order later on, and in that order, he will decide if the -- if the U.S. government decides to not
follow the order to lift these sanctions. If you were to decide that, that way, then they can start discussing dismissal of the charges. Isa.
SOARES: I know you will stay across it for us, Maria, thank you very much indeed. Maria Santana there for us in New York. Well, the U.S. attack on
Venezuela months ago effectively cut off shipments to Cuba. Doctors there say they are feeling the pressure on themselves and the Cuban healthcare
system.
Recent island wide blackouts, shut down electricity and forced limited hospital visits, something we've heard from our Patrick Kavanagh(ph), from
our Patrick Oppmann in Havana. Almost a 100,000 Cubans are on a waiting list for surgery, and that is according to the Health Ministry, and medical
staff said they are working under difficult conditions. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We're already used to a lack of this, the lack of that, and we do what we can with that situation. Let's
suppose, today, I wake up, there's no electricity. What can we do? After five minutes, the power comes back, then goes out again, and so on.
So, if you don't get sick, it makes you sick. So, you have to take it calmly until the power comes back. Until there's water, until there's gas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Incredible resilience there. And still to come tonight, U.S. President Donald Trump reveals what he called a present from Iran earlier
this week as uncertainty grows over the trajectory of war. That is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:00]
SOARES: Welcome back. Back to our top story this hour. U.S. President Donald Trump says Iran is begging, those are his words, behind closed doors
for a deal to end the war. But he told reporters today he doesn't care whether an agreement is reached or not. At a cabinet meeting in Washington,
Mr. Trump said he wasn't sure if he will hold Iran to a Friday deadline to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz. He also revealed what he calls a present
from Iran earlier this week. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Look, we have very substantial talks going on with respect to Iran. With the right people. You know, I told you about
a present, right? Steve, can I reveal the present?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can do anything you want, sir?
TRUMP: Thank you. They said to show you the fact that we're real and solid and we're there. We're going to let you have eight boats of oil. Eight
boats. Eight big boats of oil. Eight big tankers are going loaded up with oil right through. And I said, well, I guess they were right and they were
real. And I think they were Pakistani flagged. And I said, well, I guess we're dealing with the right people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Let's get more on this. I'm joined by CNN's Stephen Collinson. Stephen, as you know, as you've seen, we -- every day this week we've been
trying to make sense of the words that we're hearing from the U.S. president, from Iran. So, help us really navigate these talks because we
heard the president there in his Cabinet meeting, very lengthy Cabinet meeting as well, ramping up the pressure for a deal, then casting doubt on
whether he's willing to negotiate. What -- how did you interpret what we heard?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Well, it's very difficult. I mean, we've been watching this for four weeks. And the
characteristic of this war so far is that the president and his administration aren't able to put forward clear strategic goals, say
exactly what they're saying. The president has been saying that Iran is desperate for talks. Everything that he's said over the last few days makes
it look like he is the one that really wants a way out of this. And I'm sure that is being observed in Tehran while they think about this.
The -- this issue of the boats that were supposedly let through the Hormuz Strait, well, yes, that could be a show of goodwill, the fact that the
Iranians want to speak, but it is also a clear demonstration of the fact that Iran and not the president of the United States has the power and the
leverage in this situation. And it's not clear how Trump is going to get himself out of this box in which he's put himself in.
If the talks don't work, it almost seems clear that he's going to have to move on to some kind of more military escalation. That could have very
uncertain consequences. We've seen the global impact of this war already. As you were saying with Fred Pleitgen earlier in the show, going after
Hague Island, for example, that could really send shivers through the global oil markets and make this whole situation worse.
So, it's very hard to see how the president gets out of this, and it does seem like, diplomatically at least, that Iran is -- has the upper hand
here.
SOARES: Yes, it does seem like it, and this is something I know that you heard yesterday in my discussion with Aaron David Miller, of course, and he
was, you know, pretty pessimistic about these negotiations.
Just on Hague Island, you know, just for context for our viewers, we are hearing that Iran is preparing for a possible U.S. operation to take over
Hague Island. I've also saw today, just before I came on air, Stephen, that Axios is reporting that the Pentagon has basically developed military
options for what it calls a final blow in Iran, and that would include the use of ground forces and a massive bombing campaign.
[14:35:00]
I mean, how would something like this -- because, as you heard from Fred, this would be a major escalation, how would something like this be received
by the American population?
COLLINSON: Well, just before I came up here, I was looking at polls, and there have been three polls this week that have come out that has President
Trump's approval rating below 40 percent. His disapproval rating trending towards 60 percent. This is as bad as his approval has ever been across two
terms in the White House. And I think it underscores the risk that he would take by putting American troops in harm's way.
It seems very likely in an operation against Hague Island or perhaps putting troops into the shore around the Strait of Hormuz onto the coast
there that you would see substantial American casualties. In a war which the president hasn't explained, he hasn't prepared the country for, and
which is already having huge economic consequences in the United States, it's very hard to see how he could sustain this war domestically.
It's also not completely clear that another escalation, a military pushing this up further up the escalation ladder, would that create the situation
the president wants, a way to declare a clear win against Iran?
SOARES: Yes. Well, he -- I know we -- we know he's looking at the markets. He doesn't think the oil markets have gone up as much. He doesn't think the
equity markets have gone down as low, as what we've heard. So, we shall see where these talks lead, if we can call them talks. Appreciate it, Stephen.
Thank you very much indeed.
While the war with Iran is causing economists, as we heard from Stephen there, to radically alter their expectations for the coming year, and this
is something we're hearing from the OECD -- OECD pardon me, that one of the most respected international economic bodies, which has sharply raised its
inflation estimate for the world's biggest economies. It also says higher energy prices will hit Europe harder than some of the other regions. You
can see there the forecast in December, 2.8 percent, new forecast of 4 percent.
Meanwhile, oil prices continue to bounce around amid all the uncertainty, there's so much volatility about what will happen next in the Persian Gulf.
Today prices are up about, oh, close to 4.5 percent, just over 4.5 percent.
While there are some small signs of relief when it comes to Iran's hold on the Strait of Hormuz, President Donald Trump said today that Iran had
agreed to let multiple oil tankers pass safely through the Strait. That present that he was talking about as a goodwill gesture connected the peace
talks currently underway. Let's call them talks currently underway.
And a marine tracking service reported several ships made it through the Strait in the past day. Like the result of Iran agreeing to allow vessels
through it if they pay, remember, if they pay a fee. But despite this move from Iran, as our Kristie Lu Stout now reports, many seafarers are still
unsure of what comes next.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 20,000 seafarers are stranded in the Middle East, caught in the crossfire of the U.S.-Israeli
war with Iran. And the captain of this oil tanker was one of them.
SAMANTH BAKTAVATSALAM, OIL TANKER CAPTAIN: It was quite intense. We could actually see projectiles and naval and air force services in action.
STOUT: Wow. How did your crew respond to that?
BAKTAVATSALAM: Initially, crew were in a state of shock because there was something tangible then when we could see something actually flying over.
STOUT (voice-over): After three weeks, Captain Samanth Baktavatsalam is now on safe passage out of the region. Iran's selective blockade of the
Strait of Hormuz has impacted thousands of vessels. All exposed to mines and explosive drones. Their vulnerability laid bare when this Thai cargo
ship was hit. Rescued crew members returned to Thailand. Three remain missing.
Since the start of the conflict, there have been at least seven seafarer deaths and more than a dozen vessels attacked near Iran. Angad Banga is the
CEO of Hong Kong-based The Caravel Group. Under his charge, the world's second largest ship management company looking after dozens of stranded
vessels in the Gulf with over 600 seafarers on board.
ANGAD BANGA, CEO, THE CARAVEL GROUP: There's definitely shortages of food, medical supplies, water. Things need to be rationed. Everyone in the
industry is trying to see how best to reprovision vessels when launch boats aren't available and getting access to the ports is not possible. Luckily
for us at the moment, we're OK, but it's something that we monitor every single day.
STOUT (voice-over): Seafarers have been caught in crisis before. Stranded at sea during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the Russian invasion of
Ukraine and under Houthi attack in the Red Sea. But the war in the Middle East is unprecedented.
[14:40:00]
JAKOB LARSEN, HEAD OF MARITIME SAFETY AND SECURITY, BIMCO: It's an extremely difficult scenario to navigate for everyone. I think the
situation and the level of complexity makes it very difficult to identify one single way ahead in this year's scenario.
STOUT (voice-over): The U.N.'s shipping agency is calling for a safe corridor to protect and evacuate seafarers from the Gulf. Iran now says
what it calls non-hostile ships may transit the Strait of Hormuz on its terms. More vessels are crossing, but the future is uncertain.
STOUT: Can vessels even cross safely when the entire region is a war zone?
BAKTAVATSALAM: One particular party may say it will allow safe passage, but conditions of safe passage depend on various factors, and parties
involved are too many.
STOUT (voice-over): The shipping industry transports 90 percent of all manufactured goods, making seafarers vital to global trade.
STOUT: And, Anand, you're the son of a seafarer. I am. So, does it take a moment like this for us to realize and to appreciate the essential nature
of these workers?
BANGA: I wish it didn't. I wish that we all understood the essential nature of seafarers, given the importance that they have to global trade.
STOUT (voice-over): Thousands of these essential workers now stranded at sea and praying to avoid the next direct hit.
Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And just ahead right here on the show, a CNN investigation uncovers a hidden network of men who drug and rape their wives and post
tips about how to do it online. We'll hear from the survivors after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Welcome back. Now, a months-long investigation has uncovered a hidden network of men sharing tips on how to drug and rape women. CNN's
Saskya Vandoorne spoke to women who survived this type of abuse and tracked down a man who boasted about raping his wife. And just a warning before we
begin, this report contains accounts from survivors of sexual assault as well as abuse. Those who appear on camera gave their consent, and we
respect the wishes of those who asked to remain anonymous.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Emergency.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Warden connecting.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Go ahead, caller, what's your emergency?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've just heard from my daughter. She's on her own in a house with four children and has just learned she's been drugged with her
son's sleeping medicine.
[14:40:00]
ZOE WATTS, SURVIVOR: We worry about his coming behind us walking down the street. We worry about going to our car late at night, but we don't worry
about who we lie next to. I didn't realize I had to.
SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN PARIS BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): Zoe Watts may never know if the videos her husband made of her being raped were ever uploaded
online. She met him when she was 17. He's now serving 11 years for rape, sexual assault by penetration, and drugging.
WATTS: I knew that he wanted to have a conversation because we'd had a church service that Sunday. He reeled off a list of his wrongdoings to me
as if it was a shopping list. I've done this, this, this, this, this, this, and this. I've been using our son's sleeping medication to put in your last
cup of tea at night to tie you down, take photographs, and rape you. And I think I just went into shock.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): Zoe kept the abuse secret for a few months as she grappled with what had happened to her. Speaking out only after a severe
panic attack, her mother then called the police.
WATTS: There were some times that I thought, you know, this isn't right. But what would it mean? What would our family look like? Their children
would be without a dad and there would be a reputation and my boys would grow up having a reputation and they'd know what their dad was doing.
VANDOORNE: I've noticed you haven't used the word rape a lot. Tell me why.
WATTS: Because it just doesn't -- I don't know. It's like one of those things, really. I really -- I struggle with that, to say that that's what's
happened. It's like people can say it to me, but I just don't think -- whew.
VANDOORNE: You know you're not alone.
WATTS: Yes. Yes, sadly.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): Huge numbers of explicit sleep videos are being uploaded online by users who claim it's non-consensual. One website
profiting from this is motherless.com. Last year, we began investigating a porn site that gets over 60 million visits a month, focusing on the
thousands of videos featuring women who appear unconscious during sex acts. Most of its users are based in the U.S. It's home to so-called sleep
content with hundreds of thousands of views.
One popular hashtag is eye check, a way of proving a woman is asleep. We created a fake name and soon got into a private Telegram group dedicated to
sharing sleep content with almost a thousand members. One day, a man in the group we're calling Piotr, not his real name, DMed me.
Piotr admitted to me that he had been crushing pills into his wife's drink to rape her in her sleep. Without encouraging him, I tried to find out how
he was managing to do this. Who was he? Where was he?
Even when women come forward, proving it can be nearly impossible. Some drugs leave the body within 12 hours. Survivors often only realize much
later what happened. And even with the courage to speak out, there are still countless roadblocks when it comes to reporting to police or bringing
a legal case.
Amanda Stanhope didn't know her partner had been abusing her for five years.
AMANDA STANHOPE, SURVIVOR: The police had to look through all these videos.
VANDOORNE: And what did they make of them?
STANHOPE: The one where I was absolutely horrified and he'd performed a sexual act on my face whilst I was unconscious and it was completely clear.
And the police looked at this one and I thought, there's the evidence. And the police said to me, well, we can't use that. That isn't clear evidence
because it looks like you're pretending to be asleep.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): Her former partner was charged with multiple counts of rape and sexual assault. He took his own life before the case
could go to court. While talking to survivors, the man I was DMing continued to message and send me videos.
VANDOORNE: It's made me even more determined to try and meet him, to get him in person. So, I'm going to send him a message now and I'm going to see
if he would meet with us.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): By now, we'd worked out he was in Poland and we knew roughly where he lived, but he refused to meet. And then, a tip. He
let slip that he was planning to attend a party.
VANDOORNE: That's him. I recognize him. So, we're inside the restaurant and I've just seen him dancing with her.
[14:50:00]
And at the start of this investigation, all of these men were faceless. And so, seeing him tonight has just really brought home the fact that this is
happening in real life.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): The man who had been messaging me day and night was only a few feet away, oblivious. I'd come to see if he was real and
there he was with his wife, the same people I saw in the videos. We couldn't approach Piotr's wife without potentially putting her in danger,
so we reached out to police about our findings.
The Telegram group we infiltrated eventually disappeared, but as the Patton authorities know well, one goes offline, another soon resurfaces.
We reached out to both Motherless in Telegram, but did not receive a response. As campaigns by German journalists to shut down Motherless and
strengthen moderation on similar platforms continue, videos of women who appeared to be abused while unconscious are still being uploaded. And U.S.
safe harbor laws largely protect the site from liability.
In the end, it all comes back to Gisele Pelicot, the survivor whose trial shocked France and drew global attention. With astonishing dignity, she has
taken hold of her own harrowing experience.
VANDOORNE: In reporting this case, we've spoken to multiple survivors who say they were drugged and raped by their husbands, and many of them see you
as a source of strength. With your permission, I'd like to read you some of the messages that these survivors have sent to me to read to you. One
survivor, her name is Amanda Stanhope, she lives in Wigan. Her strength inspired me to speak out. She broke the silence and shame, so many
survivors are forever grateful to her. I'd love to say thank you. If she can do it, then so can I.
GISELE PELICOT, survivor (through translator): You're making me cry. It's beautiful. These are testimonies that move me, of course, but it is nice to
say to yourself that they have found this strength. I was able to transmit that to them, it was a win, because we must indeed be united with
everything that happens. Because if you stay in your corner, you will never shift perceptions.
And I say bravo ladies, bravo. Don't be ashamed of doing it. All women must be able to do this process, even if it is very difficult, even if it is
very complicated in their head. But they're going to get there. It takes time. It can take months, days, maybe even years. But they will eventually
get there.
Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Vital reporting there from Saskya Vandoorne and team. And for help in the U.S., call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673 or
chat 24/7 at online.rainn.org. If you're outside the United States, U.N. Women and the Pixel project provide a directory of agencies. We're going to
take a short break. We'll see you on the other side.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:55:00]
SOARES: And finally, tonight, it's a new chapter for a comedy legend and the next instalment in the world of Orcs and Elves. Stephen Colbert has
announced he will co-write the next "Lord of the Rings film." The news comes ahead of the final episode of the late show that happens in May,
following CBS's, of course, decision to cancel the long-running show.
Colbert says the new film will explore parts of Tolkien's "The Fellowship of the Ring" book, missed in the original movies. And this announcement may
not come as a surprise to fans who know the host is a die-hard Tolkien enthusiast, with Colbert moderating The Hobbit panel back in 2024. Well,
congratulations. It sounds absolutely fantastic.
That does it for us for tonight. Thanks very much for your company. Do stay right here. "What We Know" with Max Foster is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
