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One World with Zain Asher
IEA Member Nations to Release 400m Barrels of Oil; Oil Prices Rise Again as Vessels Attacked Near Strait of Hormuz; International Energy Agency Recommends Releasing Oil from Reserves; Senate Democrats Demand Public Hearings on War in Iran; White House Spurs Support for Iran War with Military Montages; Fears Grow for Iran's Women's Football Team as They Return Home. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired March 11, 2026 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ZAIN ASHER, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: All right, coming to you live from New York. I'm Zain Asher. Bianna Golodryga is off today you are watching "One
World". Begin this hour with a drastic move from the International Energy Agency. Member nations are set to release millions of barrels of oil onto
the global market.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FATIH BIROL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY: I can now announce that IEA countries have unanimously decided to launch the largest
ever release of emergency oil stocks in our agency's history. IEA countries will be making 400 million barrels of oil available.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Right, this comes as oil prices rise once again, amid concerns over supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. Earlier, three vessels near the
strait were hit by projectiles. And sources tell CNN that Iran has begun laying mines in the key waterway.
Meantime, Iran claims that it has launched its heaviest operation to date. Israel also ramping up its attacks in Tehran, saying the operation will
proceed without any limit in Iran. CNN is told the new supreme leader actually suffered a fractured foot and other minor injuries on the first
day of the war on February 28th.
Meantime, Western intelligence official tells CNN that Russia is helping Iran with specific advice on drone tactics. Joining us to break down all of
these developments is Nic Robertson. Joining us live now from Kuwait. Obviously, over the past sort of week and a half, Nic Kuwait has suffered
significant attacks from Iran, especially targeting U.S. bases, American bases, in Kuwait.
And obviously Kuwait sees this as an unfortunate because it has maintained diplomatic relations with Iran and opted for this sort of quasi diplomatic,
neutral mediator, like role with Iran. We know that a lot of Kuwaitis are of Iranian descent who live there. So just walk us through what Kuwait is
preparing to do in response to this. How are they reacting to all of this, Nic?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, and I think that the people of Kuwait and, of course, the region and elsewhere will have got
a real sense of that sense of bond and connection with Iran, from the Emir when he spoke a couple of days ago, asking, essentially, in an open way,
the Iranian leadership, what are you doing?
Why are you doing this? We're friends making the same point so many Gulf leaders are making that the U.S. bases, or the bases that United States
operates out of, are only being used for defensive reasons, and lodging very strong and loud complaints with the U.N. and other international
forums that Iran's attacks here.
And they have been many for such a small country and a population of just over 5 million people, talking here of over 200 ballistic missiles, more
than 400 drones, although the United Arab Emirates has had a huge impact by a huge number of drones. Those ballistic missiles are sort of
disproportionately per capita, been targeting Kuwait and the results have been felt on the ground.
Six U.S. service personnel have been killed here. Four Kuwaiti service personnel killed more than 90 people injured here, including, well another
one of the dead was an 11-year-old girl. So, it's a shock, because Iran was perceived to be somewhat of a friend, and it's a shock because of the
intensity.
I think there's a sense today, a sort of slight easing of the shock that people here last night only witness, and the government only mentioned that
five drones were fired, no ballistic missiles, only five drones were fired at Kuwait. Four of those intercepted. One fell in open area.
We were talking with fishermen today in their fishing boats, and at the fish auction, they're feeling the impact. It's driving fish prices up to a
degree. A lot of fishermen can't go out to sea because it's too dangerous. Iran is only 50 miles across the Gulf here, but there is this sort of sense
and hope that while today they've witnessed heavy attacks on the UAE, on Qatar and other and Bahrain as well.
[11:05:00]
It seems that perhaps the barrage is lessening on Kuwait, although no one here will sort of take that for granted and believe that that's definitely
the way things will continue. They know this war is very much ongoing and has a daily, hourly potential threat to their lives.
ASHER: And Nic, just in terms of some other news that we are watching. We're all watching the Strait of Hormuz very, very closely, especially
considering that a fifth of the world sort of global oil supply passes through this very narrow strait. We know that three vessels were attacked
this morning.
We know that there are a number of Thai personnel who are on these vessels who are still missing. The majority of them were rescued, but one vessel
that was attacked today, you have three Thai nationals who are missing. Obviously, when it comes to the U.S.'s strategy here, they are aware of
some reports that Iran is laying mines, or considering laying mines, or has begun laying mines in this very narrow strait.
What are the U.S. is options here? I mean, obviously they've talked about perhaps using naval warships to accompany some of the vessels that are
passing through the strait, but a lot of the options that the U.S. has at its disposal do come with some significant risk, Nic.
ROBERTSON: Yeah, it's not going to be easy getting commercial tankers and other shipping, cargo shipping through the Straits of Hormuz, if Iran is
able to keep up, put laying fresh mines or keep up targeting vessels that pass through with missiles. We know that the U.S. and Israel are targeting
those missile systems, trying to target the drones target the missile launch systems.
But you know, and I think this is sort of common knowledge in the Gulf here, it will take more than that to make the Strait of Hormuz safe. I
mean, we can look back at the tanker war, what was known as the tanker war here, 1987, 1988 and Kuwait very much felt that at the time that Kuwaiti
tankers were re flagged, given U.S. escorts, helicopters, warships to get them through the Gulf because of tensions with Iran.
So, everyone here sort of knows that that is a pressure point that Iran uses. And Kuwait actually has decided to sort of put some strategic oil
reserves outside of the region in advance of this war. They could see the war coming. They know what Iran does. They know its pressure points here
the Straits of Hormuz.
So, they took early action. The other sort of part of the picture as well. Take 2019 when Iran was trying to put pressure on the global community.
Then again, it targeted ships in the Straits of Hormuz. It didn't use its navy, which we understand from the U.S. military has been very heavily hit.
They just used small fishing boats with a couple of military personnel aboard that stuck magnetic mines to the side of tankers. I was down in the
Strait of Hormuz, or on the edge of the Strait of Hormuz, then going out in United Arab Emirates tug boat out to sea there.
You could see, and they took us out to see one of the vessels. I think it was a Norwegian vessel that had been targeted by these mines. This is a
very simple, very effective way back then, at least seven years ago to disable vessels put pressure on the Strait of Hormuz.
And back then, 2019 there were vessels lined up, both inside the Strait of Hormuz, outside the Strait of Hormuz, they couldn't get through because of
this very simple, relatively easy back then, to execute tactic of Iran to stymie cargo ships getting through. So, it's going to be difficult for the
United States to be able to ensure that shipping is safe.
Iran, historically has well practiced, well-tried methods of disabling shipping and driving up the cost and making it almost impossible for
insurers to want to ensure vessels to go through which is obviously part of their tactics here.
ASHER: Yeah, indeed, it is. Nic Robertson live for us there. Thank you so much. And as we just mentioned, we're just talking about with our Nic
Robertson, Iran says it fired on two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz today. The IRGC says that this ship right here, flying the Thai flag and another
vessel were attacked after they ignored warnings not to sail through the strait.
Three crew members from the Thai ship are still missing. As we know, 1/5 about 20 percent of the oil consumed around the world has to pass through
this very narrow strait. And sources tell CNN that Iran's military has begun laying mines in the strait. U.S. says it destroyed multiple Iranian
naval ships, including 16 mine layers, and actually released a video of one such attack.
National Security Reporter Haley Britzky joins us live now from Washington, D.C.
[11:10:00]
So, Haley, as Nic Robertson was just saying there, this is a very tried and true, very clever tactic by Iran, just in terms of laying mines in the
Strait of Hormuz, just an easy way to sort of disable shipping and basically cripple the world's oil supply. When it comes to their underwater
weaponry, they have, as I understand it, per CNN's reporting, they possess between 5000 and 6000 naval mines.
They are literally just getting started here. I mean, even though the U.S. has talked about wiping out explosive laden vessels, this is not going to
be easy for the Americans.
HALEY BRITZKY, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Certainly, and we know that targeting the Iranian navy for one of the that's -- one of the primary
purposes, has been a key objective of the U.S. military. We've heard Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs,
General Dan Caine, frequently point to the destruction of the Iranian navy as one of the key objectives in this operation.
And as CNN has reported, and as you mentioned, I mean, the Iran has started laying these mines, not extensively yet, as CNN reported just a few dozen
mines, perhaps being laid, and the military is already saying that they have started going after these mine layers.
Central Command, U.S. Central Command saying yesterday that it had targeted 16 mine layers from Iran. The president has made clear that that is
something unacceptable. Said that if Iran does not remove those mines, there will be -- the consequences for doing so will be at a level never
seen before, as he said in a social media post yesterday.
But at the same time, the president saying this morning, talking to Axios, saying that the war will end very soon, claiming there is nearly nothing
left to target. So, it's a big question of how this will be handled, how the U.S. military will be able to respond to this.
As Nic had mentioned, you know, the issue of escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz is a big question mark right now. General Dan Caine said
yesterday that they are working through options to figure out how best to do that if they were asked to do so, that has not started yet, and
certainly would be a large responsibility placed on the U.S. Navy to ensure the safe passage of those ships.
But we are seeing the real impact of Iran's activity here. As you've mentioned, two ships being struck today by Iran, and so it's something that
the U.S. military is going to have to work through and sort through. And I want to mention reporting from CNN's Brad Lendon, which said that U.S. Navy
dedicated mine sweepers were de commissioned just last year.
So, there were no U.S. Navy ships whose explicit mission is mine sweeping in the region at this point. There are other options, other vessels they
have who can do that job. But that is certainly timing that came right before this what we're seeing in the Strait of Hormuz and the very real
need of these ships to be able to safely transit the strait, Zain.
ASHER: Right, Haley Britzky, live for us. Thank you so much. And we'll have much more analysis on this, as well as new developments in the war later on
this hour with General Wesley Clark. All right, a small relief for gas prices could be on the way. The International Energy Agency recommends its
member countries release about 400 million barrels of oil onto the market from their reserves.
It is a drastic move aimed at boosting supply and bringing prices down. So far, Germany, Australia, or rather, Austria, excuse me, and Japan have
signed on. While that is a lot of oil, it won't take long for markets to refocus on the 15 million barrels of oil per day that is not flowing
through the Strait of Hormuz.
Experts say, until Iran lets oil tanker traffic resume, prices will, of course, be higher. Here's how crude oil is trading at the moment. WTI, the
U.S. benchmark, is at $86 a barrel, and Brent crude, let's take a look here, slightly higher at $90 a barrel. Brent crude is the international
benchmark.
Anna Cooban joins us live now from London. Anna, what struck me about the IEA's announcement, that it's recommending member countries to release 400
million barrels of oil as this will continues, is that it is so much more than what they recommended member countries release back in 2022 when the
war with Ukraine started, back then it was 240 million barrels of oil.
Just walk us through what this suggests, because my reading is that if they're asking member countries to do this, it suggests that they really do
believe that this war is going to last quite a while.
ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS & ECONOMICS REPORTER: Yes, Zain, well, you put it very well there. You know, this is an unprecedented release of those
strategic oil reserves. Fatih Birol, the Chief of the IEA was saying that this is the largest in the IEA's history.
And he dated back to the first Gulf War, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Libyan Civil War, and, of course, Russia's full-scale invasion
of Ukraine, it's around double the amount that they released back then. But I think talking to analysts this is something, but it's not enough.
And I was speaking to one analyst at -- earlier who told me that this 400- million-barrel release is only really going to cover or sort of tie the market over for the next 20 or so days.
[11:15:00]
And we have entered a whole new dimension of this conflict, at least from an oil perspective. When we're talking about the reports around mines being
put in the Strait of Hormuz, there was a report from the U.S. Congress last year which said that they believe that Iran is in possession of around 6000
naval mines.
And so, if this is indeed what's happening, this is a whole new area of focus. And of course, you mentioned earlier today that we have seen these
attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. So, this is a rapidly escalating situation, no matter what the White House might be saying around
the war, you know, potentially drawing to some sort of a conclusion.
These were comments that Trump gave a couple of days ago. He said that the war was very complete. That meant that caused prices for oil to sink.
They've been on a wild ride over the past few days. But I think, Zain, in answer to your question, the fact that the IEA, these 32 member countries,
have come out to say that they will release the most oil from their reserves ever is a huge indication that this is a real big mess.
ASHER: Yes, it is. Say that again. Anna Cooban, live for us. Thank you so much. All right, still to come, what exactly is the case for war, U.S.
Senate Democrats demand public hearings as the White House Office mixed messaging on its objectives and timeline in Iran.
Plus, the U.S. Defense Secretary is taking an unusual and highly combative tone when delivering updates on the war. Ahead, we'll also discuss his
unconventional shall we say approach.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right, 12 days into the war with Iran. Democrats on Capitol Hill say the White House has not clearly explained why the U.S. entered this
conflict in the first place. One Senate Democrat called the strategy incoherent and incomplete. Here's how another Democrat reacted.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want to drag this into the open and ask questions in front of the American public.
SEN. JACKY ROSEN (D-NV): If he does want to put us in a forever war, he needs to come out and let us be able to have this discussion, or take that
Gaga order off us.
SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): The American people need to hear what we are hearing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: The White House, meantime, continues offering mixed messaging on the war's goals and its timeline, but the defense secretary says in the end, it
will benefit the U.S.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE HEGSETH, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: Ultimately, the aftermath is going to be in America's interest, our interests.
[11:20:00]
We are not -- we won't live under a nuclear blackmail scenario of conventional missiles that can target our people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Let's go now to CNN's Global Affairs Commentator Sabrina Singh. She's also a Former Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary. So, it's interesting,
over the past few days, the U.S. President has really reiterated this line that the war is going to end when I say, well, it is my decision to make.
He came out today and said, there's practically nothing left to target in Iran. The war will end soon, and the conflict, the ending of this conflict,
is going to be his call. Does that suggest to you that the objectives of this war, this idea of regime change, might end up changing?
I mean, I think that the administration is beginning to really wake up to the fact that regime change, it's not as simple as just sort of killing the
Ayatollah. Regime change is going to be a lot more difficult. And if Trump is saying this war is going to end soon, obviously, you know, changing the
regime takes a lot longer than a few weeks.
Just walk us through, whether you think they're going to try to figure out some kind of off ramp without fulfilling the original objectives of this
war in the first place, which was, of course, regime change.
SABRINA SINGH, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Well, I think also the original objectives of the war when Donald Trump came out, you know, last
Saturday, almost, you know, 11 days ago, and outlined the cause for the war. It was about, you know, he sorts of gave these long platitudes about
their nuclear ambitions.
And then it changed to, you know, it's now the time for the Iranian people to take back their country, hands in your hands. And now, of course, we
continue to see this evolving change with this administration, whether it comes to regime change or just someone there that is more friendly to U.S.
interests.
I think what this administration has miscalculated, which is it's very different than the situation that we have in Venezuela. I mean, the IRGC,
this regime came in, you know, during in the late 70s, and has really instituted a long grip of power and fear within Iran that goes down beyond
just the first layer of those top senior military and political leaders.
So, it's going to be harder to break this regime just generally. But I think also a factor that is coming into play for this administration is the
fact that the markets are reacting to what you're seeing in the Strait of Hormuz, with nearly 20 percent of the world's oil not being able to get in
and out of that strait.
We're seeing the prices of gas go up, not just around the world, but here at home in the United States. And the president, he's going to Ohio today.
He's going to Kentucky. Last week, gas in Ohio was around $2.70. Today it's upwards of $3. So, this is also a calculation that the administration has
to make, and we're also, of course, in a midterm year.
So, I think there's a lot of moving goal posts that this administration has yet to really explain to the American people what the end goal is in Iran.
ASHER: Yeah, and I do want to ask about the political fallout here, because I was on air anchoring the show on Friday, February 27th and I remember
speaking to one of our reporters on the ground, and we were talking about the negotiations taking place between the Iranian and the Americans, while
of course, mediators, Omani mediators.
And the line that was coming out from the Iranians and the Omanis was that no deal had been made in terms of negotiations between the Americans and
the Iranian, but that progress was being made. And essentially, the Iranians looked forward to negotiating, or continuing negotiations next
week.
That was the last line. The following day, the Ayatollah was dead, and I think that for a lot of people, it was very clear that this war started
without the complete, utter exhaustion of all diplomatic channels. And so, for Americans who are sitting at home watching this. And bearing in mind
that this is a president that campaigned on not starting any new wars.
SINGH: Right.
ASHER: For Americans sitting at home, how is that going to affect their judgment in terms of elections and the mid-terms? Will there be a political
price for this administration to pay for this decision?
SINGH: Well, you know, I think that's a great question, and something that we're seeing play out in real time. Usually when wars have been declared by
different presidencies, you see the polling actually spike in their favor, and sort of Americans rallying around their efforts.
This is actually the war in Iran has actually had the opposite effect. You're seeing Americans react negatively towards what Donald Trump has
done, which is essentially a war of choice. And I think what most Americans wanted to see was maybe the diplomatic efforts were never going to yield a
result that ended in some type of deal.
But they certainly did not want to go to war. They certainly did not want to put their sons and daughters in harm's way.
[11:25:00]
We've already lost seven American service members. And of course, this administration has said they don't know how long this is going to take. So
more of our Americans, more of our partners and allies, are being put at incredible risk. So, getting to your question on the political calculation
that this administration is going to have to take in.
I mean, Donald Trump's numbers are already in the tank, and we know that the issue that he won on in 2024 was on the economy. It was on
affordability. It was on lowering prices for Americans. And right now, Americans are sitting at home, looking at their gas bill, their electricity
bill, their grocery bills, and it's all higher.
I mean costs are higher than when Donald Trump took office when it comes to what's at the pump. So, I do think there is a political calculation that
this administration is going to have to weigh. And we are heading into what we call the on-year, which is the midterms.
And I think it certainly looks like if Democrats can continue to make the argument to Americans, are you better off than when Donald Trump took
office. And I think largely you're going to see many people are going to say no, this war is going to have a huge impact, not just on this
administration, but on Republicans up and down the ballot across the country in November.
ASHER: Yeah. And even though the IEA has come out and recommended member countries to release an extra 400 million barrels of oil, that reserve can
only really last so long. So, if this will continue to drag out, we'll continue to see oil prices become that much more volatile, even if there is
a temporary dip.
Sabrina Singh live for us. Thank you so much. Right, the Pentagon says that seven American service members, as Sabrina was just talking about, have
been killed and at least 140 injured so far in Operation Epic Fury. This comes as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivers what some has have
described as brash media briefings on the military operation.
CNN's Tom Foreman has more on Hegseth's unconventional approach.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HEGSETH: America is winning decisively, devastatingly and without mercy.
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ever since the first fighter launched --
HEGSETH: With brutal efficiency, total air dominance and an unbreakable will to accomplish the president's objectives.
FOREMAN (voice-over): And the first missile landed --
HEGSETH: You act decisively in chaos.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Pete Hegseth has been speaking unlike any other Secretary of Defense ever.
HEGSETH: Death and destruction from the sky all day long.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Gone are the solemn statesman like updates on warfare, the Pentagon has long preferred in their place. Hegseth has picked
up the tone long established by the commander-in-chief.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: He died like a dog. He died like a coward.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Blasting the Iranian regime.
HEGSETH: For 47 years, these barbaric savages in the Iranian regime have murdered our brothers in arms, my guys, your guys.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Ridiculing their attempts to stand up to the dual military powers of the United States and Israel.
HEGSETH: The combination is sheer destruction for our radical Islamist Iranian adversaries. They are toast and they know it, or at least, soon
enough, they will know it.
FOREMAN (voice-over): And even as he mocks the faith of Iranian foes and his department post online about showing them no mercy, Hegseth is blurring
the line between his private Christian beliefs and his secular public duties.
HEGSETH: May the Lord grant unyielding strength and refuge to our warriors, unbreakable protection to them in our homeland, and total victory over
those who seek to harm them.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Like Hegseth, the White House too, has taken a peculiar tack to spur support for the war, turning bomb blast into a
highlight reel on X set to the song, Here Comes the Boom. Snagging scenes from the video game Grand Theft Auto to underscore other explosive moments.
And even intercutting scenes from factual battle with clips from fictional movies and TV shows, all with the clear intent of selling the public on the
proposition that everything is going as planned.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Flawless victory.
FOREMAN: Of course, this fight has not been flawless for American troops. Some have died, others have been wounded, and it is not at all clear how
long they're going to have to stay in the battle, even as what looks an awful lot like a marketing campaign marches on. Tom Foreman, CNN,
Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right still to come, President Trump warns Iran over the Strait of Hormuz as ships continue to come under attack near the vital waterway.
Live report from the White House view ahead. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:30:00]
ASHER: Right, welcome back to "One World". I'm Zain Asher from New York. Here are some of the headlines we are watching for you today. Iran says it
targeted two vessels, including this Thai flagged carrier in the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC says that the vessels ignored warnings and attempted to
illegally pass through the strait.
Thailand says that three crew members are missing. In peace time, 1/5 of the world's oil passes through this strait, typically. And Iran's New
Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei hasn't been seen in public since his appointment, and as questions swell over his public absence, a source tells
CNN that Khamenei suffered a fractured foot and facial lacerations on the first day of this war.
But earlier, the son of Iran's President insisted that Khamenei is safe and that there are no concerns. Iran also claimed that it has launched its most
intense and heaviest operation since the start of the war, targeting Israel and U.S. assets across the Gulf region. And sources say that a suspected
Iranian drone hit a U.S. diplomatic facility in Iraq.
Israel also ramping up its attacks as well. Overnight, a wave of strikes was launched on the Iranian capital Tehran. Israel's Defense Minister says
the operation has no time limit. All right, in the next hour, Donald Trump heads to Ohio to talk about his plan to bring down the price of
prescription drugs.
Meantime, the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran is now in its 12th day. Speaking to Axios, the U.S. President, said that the conflict would end soon,
saying, quote, little this and a little that, anytime I want it to end. It will end. The war is going great, and we are way ahead of the timetable.
We have done more damage than we thought possible, even in the original six-week period. Let's bring in CNN's Alayna Treene joining us live now
outside the White House.
[11:35:00]
So, one of the other things he said is that there is practically nothing left to target, and that, of course, the war will end soon, and that it's
going to be his call when this war ends. But also, you know what's happening with the Strait of Hormuz is really heating up. The fact that we
have these reports that Iran continues to lay down mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
Obviously, you had a couple of vessels that were targeted today. What are the American Presidents options, just in terms of ensuring that the supply
of oil does not continue to be disrupted in this way, Alayna?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah, when it comes to the Strait of Hormuz, I mean, there's no question that this administration is
incredibly worried about it, because that is really, you know, that key Persian Gulf that really connects that area to the rest of the world, that
is responsible for about 20 percent of the world's global oil supply.
And so, they recognize that having that essentially choked off by the Iranians at this point is incredibly concerning for global oil markets, and
we have seen them responding with volatility. We've seen oil prices spiking, all things that this administration is not only worried about, but
recognizes they need to try and be more proactive and helping.
And one thing that was really interesting is we've heard a lot of conflicting messages from this administration recent days, from the
timeline of this, you know, noting that interview you just mentioned with the president and Axios' Barak Ravid. But also, what we heard yesterday
from the energy secretary who posted and then quickly deleted a post saying that the U.S. Navy was escorting an oil tanker through the Strait of
Hormuz.
That ended up not being true, and the White House had, the White House Press Secretary had to go out and say that that was inaccurate. But of
course, it is something that the president is thinking about. So as to your question about options, that is potentially one option.
It hasn't been acted upon yet, this idea of having the U.S. Navy help escort ships through it, but then also trying to make sure that, you know,
the Iranians laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz and all of that that the U.S. is going after them effectively with these targets.
And we did see, of course, a U.S. Central Command saying today and yesterday that they have had several targets on ships trying to do just
that lay these mines in the Strait of Hormuz. But I think all of this comes as we're also hearing and I want to get back to what you noted about the
interview that the president is really trying to project optimism here.
And part of that as well as he recognizes many Americans are very wary about being drawn into a protracted military involvement. And so, he's
trying to signal that perhaps you know this is going to wrap up sooner than perhaps others in the administration are willing to actually say at this
point.
And part of that is also they do not want to lay, Zain, a definitive timeline on this war, and they're trying not to box themselves, and even as
the president is certainly seeming to do just that.
ASHER: Right. Alayna Treene, live for us there. Thank you so much. All right, let's bring in Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, General Wesley
Clark, joining us live now. So just want to start general. So good to see you, by the way, as always.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK, FORMER NATO SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER: Thank you --
ASHER: But just want to start with the fact that you have this Thai ship that was attacked, we have three crew members that are still reported
missing. A lot of them were indeed rescued. Forgive the question, but why on earth would this particular ship try to pass through the Strait of
Hormuz, knowing that there is a war going on right now and knowing the risks.
CLARK: Why would they do it? Because they had a contract. They were trying to get something picked up. Obviously, this is ship that's not loaded. So,
it's trying to get in there meet a schedule. They weren't a belligerent they thought, perhaps because they weren't a belligerent country in this,
by the way, the ship was flagged that they could take their chances and go through.
Now, I note from the picture of the ship that this obviously wasn't struck by a mine, so this was hit by a rocket or a drone or something. So, we've
got to look at the analysis of where it came from and what hit it, and then figure out what to do about these things.
ASHER: So, then, that's an interesting point that you mentioned, the fact that this was flagged by a with a neutral country's flag. I mean, you know,
it's obviously a Thai vessel based on its flag, but still was attacked. Does that surprise you?
CLARK: No, because clearly, it's in the Iranian strategic interest to sow as much chaos as they can, because blocking this channel even for neutral
ships, what they're hoping is now the government of Thailand will come to the United States and say, you have to stop this.
And they're looking for pressure on the United States to call off the fight and that's their strategy. That's why they struck the nations across the
Gulf from them, the Emirates and Kuwait and Qatar. They want pressure brought on President Trump and the United States to stop the attacks.
[11:40:00]
ASHER: OK, so they thought that perhaps because they were a neutral country, and they were flagged by a neutral country that they perhaps could
try to sort of get away with it just in terms of being able to fulfill their contracts. But obviously, as we just -- as we've seen today, it
didn't quite work out that way.
CLARK: Right.
ASHER: Just in terms of the types of underwater weaponry that Iran possesses. We've been talking about naval mines, and this idea that they
have up to 5000, 6000 in their possession, they're clearly just getting started. But it's not just naval mines. What else do they have at their
disposal, just in terms of really completely crippling shipping in the Strait of Hormuz for a long time to come, depending on how long this war
lasts?
CLARK: Zain, you're right. I mean, this is a much more complicated problem than it was when we escorted ships back in the 1980s. What they've got is,
first they've all, as you say, they've got the mines, but they've got different types of mines. Some mines are floating.
Some mines may be anchored in command, detonated. So, there's somebody watching from the shore. When the ship goes by, they press the button, the
mine floats up off the bottom and contacts the ship, some mines might be magnetically triggered. So, there are different types of mines.
And then you have the problem of there may be a miniature submarine, small submarines, a small crew, very shallow draft, able to operate in around
this channel, which is less than 200 feet deep, and put a torpedo into a ship. It only takes one of those and you have a problem, and then you have
the ability to strike from shore.
You could use anti shipping missiles. They can be short range. They could be long range. You can use drones. You can use ballistic missiles. You can
target everybody through GPS. You could get assistance from the Russians or the Chinese in where the ships are and what's moving near real time
assistance.
So, there are many different weapons and processes that could be used to block this channel. So, it's a really complicated problem, and saying that
we could just solve it by putting a destroyer alongside the ship, that's not necessarily the solution to this. It's going to be more difficult than
that, I think.
ASHER: I do want to talk to you about this school, this girl's school, that was struck basically about 24 hours into this war in Iran. Obviously,
there's mounting evidence that the U.S. may indeed have been responsible, and that is because the missile fragments show the markings of an American
Tomahawk missile.
You've got the Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, saying, look, there's going to be an investigation. We make every attempt, obviously, not to strike
civilians. However, the U.S. President's initial comments were, you know, this could have been a mistake by Iran.
And also, there are other countries that have Tomahawk missiles. Based on that, how confident are you that any investigation or any results of an
investigation is really going to be, dare I say it, trustworthy, especially because this administration doesn't have a good track record of
investigating itself?
CLARK: Well, I think anything that's released is always a political decision to make a release of something. But I have a lot of confidence in
the integrity of the men and women in the armed forces who are doing the investigation. And I hope that the information will be released, because
transparency in something like this is absolutely essential to maintain U.S. credibility.
The fact is that mistakes happen, and the location of this girls' school was very near legitimate military targets. And I know from my experience
leading the air campaign in Kosovo that mistakes do happen. In that campaign, the target we received was verified by the Chinese, by the CIA,
and we thought it was an arms depot, and it was the Chinese embassy that we struck.
And a lot of apologies made. And I hope this administration will look at this, and if there was a mistake made, I hope it'll be transparently dealt
with.
ASHER: Yeah, as to be all. General Wesley Clark, thank you. Thank you so much. We'll be right back with more after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:45:00]
ASHER: All right. European nations are weighing in on the war in Iran as oil and gas prices surge. This as number nations of the International
Energy Agency are set to release 400 million barrels of oil into the global market. That is the largest release in its history.
The move comes as they hope to restrain surging oil prices. Meantime, EU Chief Ursula von der Leyen spoke to the European Parliament, where she
reaffirmed EU's commitment to international law, after earlier saying, quote, no tears should be shed for the Iranian regime.
On Tuesday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed Europe's growing concern over the war, saying, quote, a dangerous escalation is underway
with clearly no plan to end the war. And Ukraine has also sent anti drone experts to the Middle East to help them in their fight against Iran's
aerial attacks.
CNN's Melissa Bell joins us live now from Paris with the latest just in terms of the IEA announcement, this idea, they're recommending 400 million
barrels of oil to come online as a result of this war, clearly the largest recommendation in its history. But it is only a band aid, right, because
essentially, the supply boost is temporary and reserves are limited.
The longer this war lasts, the more of a problem it still becomes. Our Anna Cooban, who I interviewed a few minutes ago was essentially saying that
this temporary boost could literally only last 20 days, Melissa.
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That is the big fear, certainly here in Europe, one of those parts of the world, Zain, that is
feeling the impact of this, in terms of course, prices at the petrol pumps, inflation, with fears about how this goes forward.
And this is a continent, of course, that was not consulted at all in this operation to begin with. And that's really struggling with the fallout of
it, not just with voices like Giorgia Meloni in Italy, Pedro Sanchez in Spain, speaking out very vocally about the fact that they are against this
war, they are against the sort of infringements that it involves, against the rules-based order.
But what we're now seeing inside the European Union is something that goes a step further from the usual divisions between different countries or
parties with regard to the intervention of the United States and Israel to begin with 12 days ago. What we're seeing now is that the more time passes,
the longer this war drags on, the greater its impacts are felt here on the European continent, the bigger the questioning of the role of the European
Union, the functioning of the European institutions themselves.
You mentioned Ursula von der Leyen, who's really been fairly sharply criticized for overstepping her mark, by coming out initially in support of
regime change in Iran, that is when the war began. And more recently, earlier this week, speaking to the fact that Europe could not be a
caretaker of the old rules-based order.
[11:50:00]
Essentially implying that Europe needed to shape up and act more decisively and quickly in the shape of its commission, and therefore herself, if it
wanted to be heard and to be an actor in the world as it is today. Now that, of course, as you'd expect, ruffled a lot of feathers within the rest
of the European Union.
Not just those who are opposed to the intervention, but those who worry that the European Commission is getting too big for its boots expressing
itself too powerfully and without consulting the rest of the institution. So, this war that no one was consulted on is bringing these new internal
divisions to the European Union's institutions, its functioning and how it goes forward.
So just sort of existential questions that have added themselves to the already important divides that had existed in Europe before. We'd seen at
the time of the war in Ukraine, we'd seen it over this war now. There are the hawks, there are the doves, there are the countries that for own --
their own internal questions and fragility of their governments need to be cautious when it comes to backing military interventions elsewhere.
But then there is the question of actually how the European Union can function and how it can continue to be heard. We've also been hearing just
now from the French President, who is currently in charge of the G7 at the end of that phone call with the rest of the G7 members about this release
of these strategic reserves, and explaining, as you point out, that this is something of a mandate necessary, because this is what the reserves are
for.
They are making -- for making sure that the prices can remain stable even in times of great geopolitical shock. But they are, of course, not eternal,
and everyone will be looking here in Europe as to how they can perhaps begin to weigh in on a war that they've so far spectacularly failed to be
heard in, Zain.
ASHER: Melissa Bell, live for us. Thank you so much. Right, still to come here, one member of Iran's women's football team no longer seeks refuge in
Australia, changing her line, her mind, rather, at the last minute, that story just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right. Finally, this hour, one of the seven women from the Iranian football team who sought asylum in Australia on Tuesday has now
changed her mind and decided to return home. The decision prompted officials to quickly move the other six team members to a secret location.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY BURKE, AUSTRALIAN HOME MINISTER: Making that decision, she'd been advised by her teammates and coach to contact the Iranian embassy and to
get collected. It meant that the Iranian embassy now knew the location of where everybody was.
[11:55:00]
I immediately gave the instruction for people to be moved, and that's been dealt with immediately.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Fears intensified for the team after Iranian state media branded them traitors for staying silent as their national anthem played ahead of
their first match at the Asian Cup last week. All right, stay with CNN. I'll have much more "One World" after the break.
Including much more on oil prices rising once again amid concerns over supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz as well as the IEA decision to
release 400 million barrels of oil in order to reduce or lower oil prices. All of that and more next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
