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One World with Zain Asher

Loud Blasts Heard In Abu Dhabi; CNN's Fred Pleitgen And Team Cross Border Into Iran; Sources: U.S. Gulf Ally Running Low On Interceptor Munitions; Trump Says He Must Be Involved In Appointment Of Iran's Next Leader; Evacuation Flights Ramp Up Throughout The Middle East; Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government: Reports Of Plan To Send Kurdish Forces Into Iran Are "Completely Unfounded"; Oil Hits Highest Level Since End Of Biden Administration; Aired 12-1p ET

Aired March 05, 2026 - 12:00   ET

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

[12:00:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News.

ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Coming to you live from New York, I'm Zain Asher.

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. You are watching the second hour of "One World."

From the Gulf to Lebanon to Iraq, the U.S. and Israeli war in Iran is expanding by the day as the crisis continues to spill beyond borders.

Tehran is retaliating throughout the Middle East, targeting American assets and interests in the region.

Just a short time ago, a CNN team heard loud blasts in Abu Dhabi. The UAE's defense ministry says air defenses are responding to incoming missile and

drone threats from Iran.

ASHER: And Azerbaijan may be unwittingly drawn into the widening conflict as well. For the first time, an Iranian drone landed on its territory,

causing Azerbaijan to warn that it is preparing retaliatory measures. Iran is denying launching this particular drone.

Meantime, Iran says the death toll from the nearly week-long conflict is now at about 1,200 people. And it's accusing the U.S. and Israel of hitting

civilian targets.

Earlier, the foreign minister had this to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ESMAIL BAGHAEI, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN: We didn't start this war. This was not our war of choice. We were attacked. The aggressors are

responsible for the consequences. They initiated this war. This is not the war against Iran only. This is a war against the future of the whole

region.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Israel is continuing to pound Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. The IDF has issued evacuation orders for southern Beirut neighborhoods that the

Israeli finance minister claims will be reduced to rubble.

CNN's Paula Hancocks is in Dubai, where things appeared to be calmer than what they were like about an hour or so ago.

Paula, you are outside. Last time we spoke to you about an hour ago, you were indoors because we were hearing the sirens and incoming projectiles,

the sound of them being intercepted.

Just walk us through where -- where things stand now, and also what things are like an hour away in Abu Dhabi too.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So it was about two hours ago in Abu Dhabi when the alerts first started to come through. And then there was a

fairly consistent barrage of -- of missiles, potentially drones, coming into Abu Dhabi itself.

Now the alerts and the signs of interceptions overhead lasted about an hour in Abu Dhabi. So that's something that we haven't really been seeing for a

few days here in the UAE. There have been the signs of interceptions, but they have been fairly sporadic, one here, one there.

So, this was definitely taking us back to -- to Saturday and to Sunday when the barrages of -- of projectiles coming in from Iran were -- were far more

consistent. And then -- and of a -- a certain number.

So we know from our teams in Abu Dhabi they did hear a number of loud blasts of interceptions. Overheads, we believe that the debris from one of

those interceptions did fall in an area fairly close to -- to residential areas. We're not hearing any reports of -- of damage or -- or casualties at

this point.

And then here in Dubai, we also heard a number of interceptions. They've -- they've heard -- sounded a fairly distant from where we were, but again, an

emergency alert rang out.

We heard or we saw an alert from the government saying that it should be heard in scattered areas of the country, which really suggests that that

particular barrage or that hour long period was targeting a number of different areas in the UAE. And as I say, it's something that -- that

really hasn't been felt or heard for -- for a number of days.

Now, there have been deaths and injuries here. We know three deaths and about 94 injuries according to authorities. They say though those injuries

are minor.

And when you look at the number of -- of -- of incoming missiles and drones, now these will be dated as we have just had some -- some more

coming in.

But there was a few hours ago 196 missiles that had been directed towards the UAE and 1,072 drones. So the number of drones really is quite

significant. And when you put all that together, it really does feel as though the UAE is -- is -- is the -- the biggest target when it comes to

the Gulf Nations.

We've certainly seen the largest amount of -- of ordnance coming into the UAE of all the Gulf Nations.

ASHER: All right. Paula Hancocks live for us there. Do stay safe, Paula, thank you. Thank you so much.

And our senior international correspondent Fred Pleitgen and his photographer and producer, Claudia Otto, have crossed the border into Iran.

CNN is the first U.S. network allowed into the country since the start of the war.

[12:05:06]

GOLODRYGA: Yes. We have to point out that CNN operates in Iran only with government permission. Here's Fred's report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We just crossed the border and are now inside of Iran. The Iranian government has granted

us a visa to come here and to report from the Islamic Republic of Iran.

We're now trying to make our way to the capital, Tehran, as fast as possible. But, of course, the distances in this huge country are immense.

And we know it's going to take many, many hours for us to get there.

We also don't know what the situation on the road to Tehran is going to look like, how many checkpoints there's going to be. And, of course, we

know at the same time there are massive combat operations also going on.

The United States and Israel are continuing their huge aerial campaign against targets inside of Iran. At the same time, the Iranians continue to

retaliate, not just with their ballistic missiles, but with their drones mostly hitting Israel, but then also American military installations,

especially in the Gulf region, but in general in the Middle East.

In total, the Iranians are saying that they can continue this campaign for a very long time. They say that their missile arsenal is still immense, so

they haven't even used some of their most modern missiles.

But we also, of course, know that the place that we aim to go to, Tehran, has been under almost sustained attacks, with massive airstrikes going on

there and also huge damage being caused. And, of course, many people also having been harmed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: All right. Our thanks to Fred Pleitgen on his reporting there. We'll bring that to you more when we get more information in from that

exclusive reporting.

Meantime, we want to bring you live pictures from the Capitol Hill where the U.S. House is set to vote today on a measure that would limit President

Trump's military campaign against Iran.

ASHER: Yes. It's the same War Powers Resolution that was rejected by the Senate on Wednesday, 47 to 53. The resolution would have forced Trump to

get congressional approval for future attacks against Iran.

GOLODRYGA: Even if it passed both chambers, it would not likely survive a presidential veto. Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, a member of the

Armed Services Committee says Trump overstepped Congress by ordering the strikes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

Rep. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT): I have emerged from classified briefings deeply concerned and very fearful that we're on the precipice, not only of

an escalating conflict in that region, but also our putting American troops on the ground, our sons and daughters, in harm's way because that is almost

inevitably the path that the administration has chosen by its current tactical approach.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Iran is showing off its missile power releasing this video showing a launch from an undisclosed location.

This comes as sources tell CNN that at least one U.S. Gulf ally is running low on crucial munitions.

ASHER: Yes. The interceptor munitions are used to defend against Iranian missile and drone attacks. This mirrors concerned across the region

including in Israel about the stockpile of weapons needed to defend against attacks.

GOLODRYGA: CNN's Haley Britzky joins us now from Washington D.C. with more.

And, Haley, these are some of the same concerns that both Israel and the United States had last summer during the 12-day war there which was clearly

not of the size or scope of this current war and its trajectory.

Just talk to us about what you're hearing from Pentagon officials. We know their public statements saying that they have enough of what they need, but

is that really the case?

HALEY BRITZKY, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Certainly so. Secretary Pete Hegseth, like you mentioned, I mean yesterday saying that Iran will not

outlast the United States, that the terms of the timeline of this operation is strictly set by the president, not necessarily by any kind of stockpile

limitations.

But the military is never going to come outright and say publicly, definitely, that, you know, they don't have what they need or they're

running low on some things in order to not project that message to Iran in this case.

And like you mentioned, I mean last year, we saw in the 12-day war between Israel and Iran the U.S. burned through roughly a quarter of its high-end

THAAD missile interceptors.

So there are a lot of questions about how long this can go on. The U.S. is burning through those stockpiles now.

And it's important to note that the concerns about air defense and interceptors and these sorts of weapons -- or has been a concern for years,

if not decades. I mean, this is a very evergreen concern that has never really seemed to abate, that the military hasn't seemed to ever make enough

or have stockpiles high enough that this isn't something experts are warning of.

But as we're seeing now with the rate of fire from Iran, not just towards the U.S., but to these other Gulf nations, experts saying that, you know,

these Gulf nations may have to start to be more particular with what they shoot down in order to conserve some of their munitions.

[12:10:09]

So it's really going to be interesting to see how this changes on the battlefield. General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

said yesterday that they've seen Iran's ballistic missiles and attack drones rate of fire drop since the beginning of this operation.

But there are questions about, does that mean, you know, they're running out? Or does it mean that Iran is conserving some of those munitions in

order to last longer in this conflict?

And without a clear timeline here from the president, from Secretary Hegseth, General Caine, there it's a really big question as to how long the

U.S. will be able to keep this up with its partners and allies.

Certainly something that I know reporters will want to be asking about later this afternoon when Secretary Hegseth is standing next to the central

command commander, Admiral Brad Cooper, down in Florida for a press conference then.

GOLODRYGA: All right. Haley Britzky, you'll be following it all for us. Thank you.

ASHER: All right. Just in CNN, President Trump has given an interview to "Axios" where he said that he must be involved in the appointment of Iran's

next leader.

Kevin Liptak is that the White House for us. So, Kevin, just give us more context here, because obviously one of the sort of key issues here is Iran

moving from this sort of theocracy that it's been stuck in since 1979 to a -- a true democracy, where the people truly have a say over the leader.

Just explain to us how President Trump's comments that the U.S. should be involved in choosing Iran's leader fits into that.

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes. And in terms of who has a say in the leader of Iran, the only person that President Trump is

mentioning is himself, frankly. And he says specifically that he will have to have a say in this.

And he was asked in particular about the son of the now deceased Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, so the oldest son of Ayatollah Khamenei.

The president seems to suggest that he is not someone who he could sign off on. He says that they would be wasting their time. Khamenei son is a

lightweight. And then the president says, quote, I have to be involved in the appointment like with Delcy in Venezuela.

So talking about Delcy Rodriguez, the one-time vice president of that country who was elevated to lead it when the U.S. deposed Nicolas Maduro.

The president continuing on this discussion of Khamenei's son says that he is unacceptable. We want someone who will bring harmony and peace to Iran.

So the president suggesting here that he will have a heavy hand and who will lead that country going forward.

Now, the country has not selected a new supreme leader. It does seem as if Mojtaba Khamenei is the front runner, but they haven't made that

announcement just yet.

And I think the president's comments here are so notable because what you have heard from the administration, over the last several days, is that

regime change is not actually their objective. You heard that from Pete Hegseth when he says that this was not a regime change war.

You heard it yesterday from Karoline Leavitt saying and listing out all of these other objectives that the White House and the administration was

trying to achieve, but suggesting that regime change was sort of a secondary and celery objective that could, you know, perhaps be a result of

what they were doing, but certainly not the foremost in their minds.

President Trump here is suggesting I think something quite different, that the regime that ultimately comes in place in Tehran is one that he will

have to have ultimate sign-off on.

Now, how he does that I think is an open question, both legally, obviously the president of the United States has no legal right to select the

government in Tehran.

But also just practically, does he intend to enforce that with some sort of military intervention on the ground? Does he go into Tehran using U.S.

troops to enforce his view of what the leadership looks like there? Unanswered in this interview.

But I think really kind of a remarkable statement from this president now, you know, five days into this war as we still try and ascertain what

exactly his end game might look like.

Now saying that he intends to have a major role in selecting the government in Iran going forward.

ASHER: All right. Kevin Liptak, live for us there. Thank you so much.

GOLODRYGA: All right. Let's bring in CNN military analyst and retired Air Force colonel, our friend, Cedric Leighton. Good to see you, Colonel.

So back to this issue that we discussed with Haley and concerns about stockpiles of U.S. weapons. The Pentagon keeps stressing that we have

plenty of guided munitions left. It's understandable while they're -- why they're not giving us specific numbers in these briefings right now.

What we did hear from them was a steep drop in the number of ballistic missile launches, though they're still launching missiles from Iran, as

well as drone launches.

[12:15:07]

How concerned are you though, specifically as it relates to interceptors? And I'm wondering why this wasn't, or perhaps it was, and maybe we are

wrong to be so concerned now. Why this wasn't a bigger factor given that we had this very issue unfold, you know, last summer, just a few months ago

with the 12-day war?

CEDRIC LEIGHTON, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yes, Bianna, that's -- it's great to be with you again. And it's one of those things where there's a lot of

noise sometimes with some of these issues. But I think in this case, the noise is justified and here's why.

One of the key elements here, of course, is the ability for our industrial base to actually produce these kinds of interceptors. And that is basically

the high end. If you notice when -- when you look at President Trump's statement, he talks about the medium and the medium high range or -- or

some words to that effect, that those stockpiles are good.

But then when it comes to the higher end, in other words, I would interpret that as the more precise weaponry, such as with a patriot missile or the

THAAD. That's the kind of area where there are shortages.

And so one of the key elements here is to make sure that the production of those particular interceptors is done at the highest priority. And it seems

to me that that has not quite been accomplished yet, because President Trump is supposed to be meeting soon with the leaders of major defense

contractors. And they are basically, I think, going to be told that they need to ramp up production in this area.

So that's my suspicion that that's what's going to happen. And it certainly should happen. But this is a critical element. The weapon systems work

extremely well. But they have to have the actual warheads to make those interceptors be as effective as possible.

ASHER: Just in terms of the news we got, upon waking up this morning that Iran might have, and obviously Iran is denying it, might have sent a drone

towards Azerbaijan.

I mean, obviously, Iran and Azerbaijan border each other. Apparently this drone struck an airport in the sort of southern part of the country, a

small airport. Give us your -- your thoughts on that.

Azerbaijan seems convinced that it was an Iranian drone. Iran is saying they had nothing to do with it.

LEIGHTON: Yes, Zain. Well, again, fog-of-war-type issues are going to permeate the -- the discussion, I think. But it does seem to me that it is

most likely that this was, in fact, an Iranian drone.

When you look at the history of relationships between Azerbaijan and Iran, they're not always the most cordial. There have been a few moves, you know,

in the past, such as with building dams and water sharing and -- and doing things like that, where they've tried to work together, but there is a

significant issue.

Azerbaijan is one of the few Muslim countries that actually supports Israel in many instances and seems to be supportive of the Israeli action against

Iran. And if that holds true, there is every reason for the Iranians to send a message to Azerbaijan.

But by the same token, there's also a reason for the Azerbaijan is to be very concerned with this war widening into their -- into their area, into

their territory.

GOLODRYGA: If we could go back to your point with the president's schedule to meet with defense company heads. The question is raised about whether

the president can enact the Defense Production Act, which would force these companies essentially to procure more weapons at a quicker pace. I remember

this being a conversation being had during the early days of COVID as well.

But even if that happens and even if these companies are on board to producing and procuring more weapons, just from a timeline perspective, how

long would that take?

LEIGHTON: Yes. It really depends on -- on some of the specifics such as, you know, are there enough upgrades? I know they were upgrading the

assembly lines in some of these companies for the production of these kinds of interceptors.

So, you know, how fast have they gotten to the point where these assembly lines have been upgraded? So that's an internal issue to the companies, but

it has big impact.

And then you also have to look at, you know, how much has actually been procured already, what is in the pipeline, and then what -- what will come

out.

So, basically, I think we're looking at, at least a six-month time lag before, you know, they actually see these interceptors actually go -- get

fielded. And that, of course, is a very long time and a lot of different things can happen in those six months.

And then, of course, we can't forget that Ukraine is also in need of these kinds of weapons. And this is where there's going to have to be a decision

made to not only produce these weapons, but also to look at our war plans and our capabilities because the reason that some of these weapons have not

been produced and the quantity that they need to be produced in, is because we have done away with the idea that we can fight what used to be called a

two-and-a-half front war.

[12:20:17]

Ever since, you know, we got out of the Cold War and we thought we had a peace dividend, you know, back in the early '90s, and things have evolved

through the war on terror and to the present day, you have a situation where what you -- what you really have is a failure of imagination on the

part of many planners to look at this and say, OK, we might not have the same kind of competition that we had during the Cold War, but it is

definitely a competition.

And I would argue the way countries have evolved in terms of geo -- their geopolitics and their efforts, you know, on the global stage, that we are

basically entering a similar phase to the Cold War, but it is going to be different, but in terms of the actual specifics.

But what is going to be the same is that we're going to have to be able to fight multi-front wars and do those very efficiently -- conduct those very

efficiently.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. Stark contrast in the price of some of these weapons as well. The most effective of drones costing just several thousand, tens of

thousands of dollars while some of the -- the more high-end weapons that we just discussed are, you know, a million plus.

Retired Colonel Cedric Leighton, thank you so much.

And still to come on "One World," thousands are fleeing the Middle East as evacuations ramp up. We'll speak with a reality T.V. influencer who says he

is still stranded in the region.

ASHER: And oil prices hit their highest level in more than a year as the war escalates. We look at what it means for the global economy, up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GOLODRYGA: Travel chaos issues across the globe as evacuation efforts in the Middle East ramp up.

Now, more airports have resumed limited flights allowing thousands of people to flee the region amid the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

ASHER: Israel opened its airspace earlier today to allow a handful of flights to land near Tel Aviv. And the first repatriation flight from Dubai

to Nairobi has now been completed.

The U.S. State Department says that multiple charter flights are now underway evacuating stranded Americans in the region.

Joining us live now is stranded reality T.V. influencer for Bravo, Oliver Sims IV. Oliver, thank you so much for being with us. I mean I was reading

your story and my goodness you've had quite an ordeal.

[12:25:07]

Just talk to us what's been happening to you since Saturday and how you're doing now.

OLIVER SIMS IV, BRAVO INFLUENCER: Yes. I mean, since Saturday it's kind of been a lot. You know, I was just trying to simply get home and then all of

a sudden I just got flipped, you know, 180 and now I'm just stuck here.

But, you know, I've heard multiple explosions throughout the course of a couple of days and it's been waking me up out of my sleep. I -- you know, I

can't sleep sometimes because I would hear those as well.

You know, we've been told to shelter in place here by the U.S. Embassy. We've also been given, or certainly been sent a lot of emergency

notifications on our phone by a Qatari government here. But it's just -- it's a lot.

GOLODRYGA: And, Oliver, just in terms of what you're hearing from other stranded passengers, people who are desperate to get home to their own

countries as well.

There had been some criticism that other countries had been better prepared or had been working with more urgency and efficiency to get their citizens

in nationals home.

What are you hearing from others? I mean, do you get a sense that Americans are -- are being denied some of the access that others around you happen?

Or no, is everyone sort of in the same boat?

SIMS: No, those are definitely valid criticisms, especially from my point of view. You know, I just think that there could have been more and there

can be more that the U.S. government can do to help the U.S. citizens that are here, that are stranded in the region. So, yes, definitely.

ASHER: What is your -- your best hope at this point in time, just in terms of -- of getting out?

SIMS: Well, my best hope is that I can get out within the next couple of days. I mean, my birthday is actually coming up this Saturday, and I was

hoping to be home by then.

But, you know, if not, that's, you know, completely out of my control. But I'm just hoping that everyone here as well can get home safe and sound.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. Well, it's, you know, obviously would be great to have you celebrate your birthday with your family, but the most important is for you

to be safe on your birthday as well.

Oliver, how long have you been in the region?

SIMS: Yes. No, I've been here since it started. You know, I was just flying out. I've just got on my connecting flight from Doha. And then,

like, an hour and a half in the flight, we had to turn back around and come back here. So, I've been here since the very beginning on the 28th.

GOLODRYGA: Wow.

ASHER: Well, Oliver, we wish you the best of luck. I mean, I can't imagine what that's -- that's like, just the fact that you were literally trying to

get out of the country. You were on your way out and then to have, you know, to be sent back on your plane, back to the Gulf region. And now

you're essentially there for the time being.

I really hope that you make it back home to Dallas is where I understand that you're from. Hope you're able to get back there --

SIMS: Yes.

ASHER: -- by your birthday on -- on Saturday. So, I'm crossing our -- we're crossing our fingers for you.

GOLODRYGA: We're cheering for you.

ASHER: Yes, Oliver.

SIMS: Thank you. Thank you so much. Appreciate that.

GOLODRYGA: Thanks for joining us.

ASHER: Of course. Of course.

GOLODRYGA: All right. And still to come for us. What role, if any, will Kurdish forces play in this war?

We'll have the latest reaction from the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:30:22]

GOLODRYGA: All right. Welcome back to "One World." I'm Bianna Golodryga.

ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher.

Completely unfounded. Those words coming from the Iraqi Kurdistan regional government as they dispute reports of a possible plan to send Kurdish

forces into Iran.

GOLODRYGA: A spokesperson says they are, quote, not part of any campaign to expand the war. And instead, they are calling for peace in the region.

Our team is on the ground in Iraq. Let's bring in CNN's chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward, who is reporting from Erbil.

Clarissa, a lot of confusion about what this means in line with some of the reporting that we've been hearing more and more of about the U.S. arming

Kurdish fighters. Just tell us what you're hearing, what the latest is there from Iraq.

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right, Bianna. So just to be clear, what the Iraqi Kurds are saying is that Iraqi Kurdish

forces will not be involved in any kind of a ground offensive.

And indeed, Iraqi Kurdish leadership has no desire for their territory to be used as a launch pad for a potential ground offensive into Western Iran.

But it is Iranian Kurdish forces who operate in camps along the border with Iran here in Iraqi Kurdistan who have been saying that they are preparing

to take part in that ground offensive in the coming days.

Now, I appreciate that sounds incredibly convoluted. But just to explain from the perspective of the leadership of Iraqi Kurdistan, they are very

concerned that they will face harsh retaliation from the Iranian regime if their territory is used as some kind of a launch pad.

And actually, just in the last hour, we saw a statement come out from the first lady of Iraq. This is the wife of Iraq's president. Iraq's president

is always a Kurd. And she was not mincing any words. She said simply, quote, leave the Kurds alone. We are not your guns for hire.

This is obviously expressing some resentment, which is pervasive in many Kurdish communities who feel that too often they have rallied to the side

of U.S. forces, most recently in Syria, only then to be cast aside.

And I should say that here on the ground, there has been a steady stream of strikes, both missiles and drones, on those Iranian Kurdish opposition

camps ever since this reporting that we first actually revealed a couple of nights ago came out into the open, that the CIA has been supporting these

Iranian Kurdish groups and that they are preparing to go into Western Iran.

Now, when we have checked in with these Iranian Kurdish groups, they are now being a little more circumspect about the timeline. They're saying

we're ready to go in at any moment. And they have indicated that they have support from the U.S. and Israel.

We don't know exactly what that support looks like. But what is clear is that all of this is creating more tension and potential conflict here in

Iraq, Bianna.

ASHER: And, Clarissa, if you could just expand upon this sort of feeling of resentment. I mean, obviously Iran is sort of a multi-ethnic country. It is

pluralistic. And there are a lot of different ethnic groups.

How do other sort of non-Kurdish Iranians feel about the fact that the CIA may be arming the Kurds to sort of rise up? And then on top of that, just

about an hour or so ago, President Trump spoke with Axios here in the U.S., essentially suggesting that he, as in the U.S. president, should have a say

in Iran's next leader. Just how is all of that playing out on the ground?

[12:35:19]

WARD: Well, I would say that it's really difficult for us to get a good picture of what people are thinking and feeling in Iran. It's a country of

more than 90 million.

But the reports that we are hearing indicate that for many, after what might have been a kind of moment of elation to see the supreme leader

killed, there is now real concern that the goals of this war are not clear, that the bombardment is simply unsustainable, that the possibility of chaos

on the ground, particularly with these reports about some kind of a Kurdish insurgency being encouraged, Iranians don't like to feel that they are

being factionalized, that they are being played off one another.

And for many Iranians as well, I'm sure it's galling to hear the president of the United States saying that he will be the one to veto who Iran's next

leader will be.

That said, there are still many who are desperately hoping that the U.S. and Israel as part of this bombardment campaign will go the full mile, that

they will not do what we saw in Venezuela, for example, and take out the top leader, but then make a deal with the existing regime because for them,

the Islamic Republic of Iran, not just one man and one leader, but the entire apparatus is the source of many decades of suffering and they want

to see that come to an end, Zain.

GOLODRYGA: All right. Clarissa Ward, excellent reporting, as always. It's a relief and a benefit to all of us when we see you on our air. Thank you so

much.

And we'll be right back for more.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GOLODRYGA: Right now, CNN correspondent Fred Pleitgen and his photojournalist and producer, Claudia Otto, are making the long drive to

Tehran. CNN is the first U.S. network in the country since the start of the war.

ASHER: And it's important to note that CNN is operating inside Iran only with the permission from the government there.

Let's look at Fred's report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN: We're making fairly good progress towards Tehran. It is a very, very long drive though.

[12:40:02]

Some things that we are seeing, we already went past one place where apparently there had just been an airstrike. There was thick black smoke

billowing over one place.

So it seemed like a fairly fresh airstrike, also some destroyed buildings that we saw from our vantage point as we were driving past.

The other thing that I would also say is that there are definitely more checkpoints than usual. We did see checkpoints with fairly heavily armed

security personnel.

Other than that though, it seems as though things are going on and we certainly don't see any sign of order collapsing here.

Taking a quick break for a coffee along the way. We've been driving for several hours. There's a couple of things that we've noticed. Number one is

that, first of all, all the shops are open. All the shops are really well stocked even with fresh things like for instance fruits and vegetables.

Coffee obviously also available as well.

And then also the gas stations. There's no long lines at gas stations. Fuel seems readily available and you just don't see any sort of degree of panic

anywhere.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: And in the last few hours, President Trump has been giving interviews to journalists, including "Axios" and Reuters news service. He

told both news outlets that he is going to have a role in picking Iran's next leader like he did in Venezuela.

And he has already vetoed the son of Iran's late supreme leader Ali Khamenei. It is the latest information that we've gotten from the White

House about their goals for the war in Iran.

ASHER: All right. Joining us live now is five-time U.S. ambassador and former assistant secretary of state, Christopher Hill. He's s also the

author of "Outpost: A Diplomat at Work." Ambassador, thank you so much for being with us.

I want to start just by getting your reaction to President Trump's comments that he should have a say in picking Iran's next leader. And obviously, as

you know, Iran has been in this sort of theocracy since 1979. And the people of Iran have had a very fraught relationship with this regime.

Now that the Ayatollah is out of the picture, they deserve a true democracy. Just give us your take on sort of this American sort of

political intervention saying that the U.S. has the right to choose the next leader.

CHRISTOPHER HILL, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ AND SOUTH KOREA: You know, I think we're in a rather fraught situation. This conflict is expanding by

the minute. We see other countries drawn into it, countries that never expected to be part of it.

And so I think when you're in the middle of this, you might want to keep it simple and straightforward. And offering to have the American president

choose the next Iranian leader is not in that category.

I think a little less said on issues like that and a little more focused on when does this terminate? What are our goals here? I think would be would

be more -- would be the right thing to look at.

GOLODRYGA: Ambassador, it is good to see you. Thanks so much for joining us.

It is a fine line, I would say, between saying you are going to ultimately decide who the leader of the country is. And also weighing in on who the

leader will not be.

And that is what Israel at least has publicly made clear that that is their goal, that they will continue to put a target on any leader that the IRGC

itself elects. We haven't heard that same rhetoric from the U.S., but it does appear that the two are in lockstep at least until now.

Is that something that you think is a legitimate veto power for the United States to have? That if you're going to go to war with the country, making

sure that the IRGC does not remain in charge of the country is part of the end goal.

HILL: I think it's legitimate to say we have gone to war with Iran for things that they have done over the course of the last few decades. They

have been the number one state sponsor of terrorism and this has got to stop.

And the second point is that we are not interested in seeing just another figure similar to the one before. And therefore, we want to see some --

some change in how they handle things as a country and how they handle their neighbors and -- and how they handle the world, frankly. So, I think

that's a fair comment.

Getting into who should be the next leader of Iran. And also I might add, getting into ideas of who can fight the IRGC and this idea of arming Kurds.

I -- I think these ideas may come into the category of, you know, the supply of ideas being a -- being a little more than the demand for these

ideas.

[12:45:11]

I mean, I think we need to really focus on what we're trying to do and whether we can create a situation that has the possibility for much more

stability in the -- in the decades ahead.

And certainly Iran has a lot of work to do, not just cleaning up from this bombing, but also kind of looking at themselves in the mirror, because Iran

created a situation which has been frankly intolerable for much of the world.

And I think Iran really needs to work on their succession issue. But I don't think it's for us to be telling them who they should select. And I

think our track record in that regard has not been a very positive one.

ASHER: Well, since you were ambassador to Iraq, I think you are the perfect person to speak to about the potential fallout and the potential sort of

consequences, negative consequences of arming the Kurds, because there are obviously reports, as you've seen at the U.S. is -- is trying to sort of

assist the Kurds. And we've talked about the fact that the Kurds only represent 10 percent of the population inside Iran.

What -- what would the potential consequences of such a move be do you think, Ambassador?

HILL: Well, first of all, the Kurds have been good friends to the United States, good friends, in some cases, good allies to the United States. But

I think the idea of arming this relatively small minority in Iran and -- and somehow unleashing them on the rest of Iran is -- is something that has

a lot of consequences.

For starters, I think it might galvanize how Iranians, Persian, Iranians view their country. And I think may create -- it would create some kind of

historical divide between even more than they have now between Persian Iranians and the Kurds.

Secondly, I don't think the Turks would welcome this kind of move. Thirdly, I think the Kurds would be looking for something in addition to what they

already have. And I think that could backfire as well. I think the Iraqis would be very worried. And even this very fragile situation in -- in Syria

could be affected.

So I would put that idea in the category of bad ideas. And I would suggest that we look at other issues, namely, what are our objectives and when do

we want to or when are we satisfied that our objectives have been -- have been met.

GOLODRYGA: From a logistical standpoint, because you wore so many hats. Zain is absolutely right. You're the perfect person to ask all of these

questions.

We have seen a lot of chaos in terms of getting U.S. nationals out of the country and out of the region that have been trapped there. And there's

been some criticism at the State Department specifically for not pre- planning better and having some sort of flight path and messaging for those who are now stranded.

And now that we are seeing about 20,000 having made their way out of the region, the State Department saying that more flights are coming, how do

you square that with the Secretary of State saying two days ago, we are going to unleash Chiang on these people? You're going to perceive a change

in the scope and intensity of these attacks as the two most powerful air forces in the world take apart this regime and defang it, suggesting that

the fighting will only intensify.

What kind of messaging does that send to those who are waiting to go home?

HILL: Well, first of all, I think I've been a -- I've served in a lot of embassies. And every embassy I've ever been in understands that its primary

responsibility is for the welfare and whereabouts of American citizens.

So, I have no doubt that our embassies, all over the place, they may be short staffed right now, that's an issue. They may also be not have the

funding they should have, but I have no doubt that they have the priority of trying to help American citizens.

I think it's a particularly difficult situation, especially in the Gulf States. A lot of people living there never expected to have any kind of

evacuation plan, so they may not have registered with the U.S. embassy or consulate nearby, so that we may have a situation where we have a lot more

American citizens than we thought we did.

But I think planning for this, and I'm sure each -- each consulate, each embassy has a plan for how they would evacuate Americans. We've heard

talked about charter aircraft. We've also heard about land convoys. That's certainly been in the works in many parts of the world for many years as --

as part of the, you know, main area you would get American citizens out.

I don't want to be too critical because I'm not really sure what's been going on in terms of planning between the White House and the State

Department. I would suspect that there are some issues with communication. We certainly have seen those in -- in other circumstances with this

administration.

[12:50:13]

So, you know, I don't want to be too critical about this except to say that these are -- you know, if you are a family and you don't really know where

you're going to go and you don't feel the phone is being answered, you have a lot of concerns.

ASHER: Yes.

HILL: And so I would hope they could do a little job that these statements that they (INAUDIBLE) to be.

ASHER: All right. Ambassador Christopher Hill, thank you for your perspective.

We'll be right back with more after this short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: All right. As the Middle East War rages on, oil prices have now climbed to the highest level since the end of the Biden administration back

in January 2025.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. It comes after Iran's Revolutionary Guard said that it would specifically target ships from the U.S., Israel, Europe and other

American allies passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

Matt Egan is in New York with some new reporting. Matt, what are you hearing?

MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, Bianna and Zain, I just got off the phone with a former U.S. official who told me that they are alarmed by what

appears to be the lack of planning going into this crisis.

This former official told me that it seems as though some trouble officials are kind of making an up as they go along day by day or minute by minute.

And this official said that that makes them, quote, super nervous.

Now as you mentioned, the oil market is certainly very nervous right now. We're looking at oil prices up by six percent on the day to above $79 a

barrel.

The highest level since before President Trump started his second term. And as you noted, the focus remains on the Strait of Hormuz. This narrow

waterway off the coast of Iran.

New numbers from S&P show that as of yesterday exactly zero oil tankers went through the Strait of Hormuz because of the security situation because

insurers have dropped their coverage. Zero oil tankers yesterday.

That's down from a normal day before the war when about 60 tankers would go through the strait carrying oil and other energy products from Gulf nations

including Saudi Arabia out to the rest of the world.

And the longer the situation goes on, the more pressure we're going to see on oil prices going higher and higher.

And look, we know the cost of living was a major source of frustration for Americans and consumers around the world.

[12:55:04]

And look, we're seeing gas prices go even higher. The national average is now at 325 a gallon. It's the highest level in nearly a year. That's above

where it was before the war started just under $3 a gallon.

And look at this. Gas prices are now significantly higher than before President Trump took office. And the president has said that he wants to

provide some maritime insurance, some escorts for vessels in the Gulf, bought officials in the industry and traders tell me that they need to see

more detail on those plans before it ends up, before it's able to restore confidence. Confidence that has clearly been shaken. Zain and Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. The president, in his recent wave of interviews, though saying that for now he is not looking to tap into the strategic petroleum

reserves, but we'll continue to follow any developments there.

Matt Egan, thank you so much.

ASHER: Thanks, Matt.

GOLODRYGA: All right. That does it for "One World" today. I'm Bianna Golodryga.

ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher. Appreciate you watching. "Amanpour" is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:00:00]

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