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One World with Zain Asher
Secretary Pete Hegseth, General Caine Give Update on War with Iran; Saudi Arabia Warns Iran: Military Action not off the Table; Vance to Meet with Oil and Gas Executives; Japanese Prime Minister Visits Trump at the White House; Iran Targets Israeli Oil Refineries; Trump Meets with Japanese PM at White House Amid War with Iran. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired March 19, 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)
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: Hello, everyone. Live from New York. I'm Bianna Golodryga. Zain is off today. You are watching "One World". At
any moment now, President Trump is set to welcome Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to the White House.
The U.S. Israeli war with Iran, exposing Japan's vulnerability when it comes to energy dependence. Japan imports more than 90 percent of its crude
oil from the Gulf region. This visit comes after a string of American allies, including Japan, have declined Trump's request to send warships to
help transport oil through the Strait of Hormuz.
Let's begin with Hanako Montgomery, who is live from Seoul, South Korea. Hanako, it's good to see you. This is a prime minister who is very popular
at home. I happen to be in Tokyo when this war began, however, and this really does test what is a new but quite friendly and warm relationship
between President Trump and Prime Minister Takaichi.
She just run with a snap election yet a larger mandate that would help secure her policies moving forward as leader of the country, though, all of
this happened prior to this war and now really testing Japan's economy potentially if it drags on longer. What is she expected to tell President
Trump today?
HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. Bianna, you're absolutely right. I mean, Japanese officials are expecting this summit to be a real
stress test for the Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. They're expecting Trump to make demands of Japan that potentially it can't meet.
Like, for example, sending mine sweepers or sending vessels to the Strait of Hormuz to help secure that key waterway that Japan so relies upon. In
fact, here's what President Trump said just days ago, of Japan and other U.S. allies regarding that waterway.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We strongly encourage other nations whose economies depend on the strait far more than
ours. We get less than 1 percent of our oil from the strait. And some countries get much more. Japan gets 95 percent. China gets 90 percent. Many
of the Europeans get quite a quite a bit. South Korea gets 35 percent. So, we want them to come and help us with the strait.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MONTGOMERY: Now, as you asked, Bianna Takaichi is largely expected to make some kinds of assistance, or pledges of assistance, to the United States in
its war with Iran. But of course, not get involved directly militarily in this war, because Japan, of course, is constrained by a pacifist
constitution that severely limits its use of force to defense.
Japan also has its own ties with Iran because, of course, Japan is such a resource poor country, and it relies so heavily on the Middle East for oil,
so to get involved in a conflict that would make it a direct target of Iranian attacks is something that Japan wants to avoid.
But I do want to note here that some U.S. allies and also Japan just released a joint statement moments ago, saying, quote, we express our
readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the strait. Now, again, this is a joint statement from Japan and
other U.S. allies just moments ago.
So again, Japan is expected to try to keep Trump happy, try to really hope that Trump is able to understand Japan's own legal constraints, its own
limitations in getting involved in the war, but also not commit entirely to fighting this war with the U.S.
Now we can potentially see Japan announcing a second-round investments. Japan already has a $550 billion trade agreement with the United States
that it signed last year during their previous summit. Japan is expected to announce its second round of investment targeting specifically energy
sectors in the United States.
So, for example, nuclear reactors, the development of that also the development, possibly of crude oil production in Alaska also liquefy
natural gas. Now this is, of course, all indirectly related to the war with Iran. Now also, we are hearing that Japan could potentially get involved in
the United States as Golden Dome project helping develop missiles for the United States.
So again. Japan will be very much trying to walk this very thin diplomatic tight rope of trying to appease Trump, trying to show that the U.S. Japan
alliance is stronger than ever.
[11:05:00]
And that Japan is there for the United States, its key ally, but also not get involved directly with this war Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah. And you mentioned, in addition to the constitutional constraint that she and Japan face this war is not very popular among the
Japanese public. I think it's polling it at 9 percent approval at this point. So, she's walking a fine line here in Washington, but also back at
home, where her constituents will be monitoring things very closely. Hanako Montgomery, thank you so much.
My next guest is Tobias Harris, a Japanese Politics Analyst at Teneo Intelligence. He is also the Author of the iconic class "Shinzo Abe and the
New Japan". It's good to see Tobias. So, you noted that prior to this meeting, the Japanese Prime Minister desperately wanted the focus to shift
to reassurances ahead of the meeting between President Trump and President Xi Jinping, which we know now has been delayed by several weeks.
With Trump now entirely focusing on this war in Iran and in the Middle East can Prime Minister Takaichi salvage any of her initial goals going into
this meeting?
TOBAIS HARRIS, JAPANESE POLITICS ANALYST, TENEO INTELLIGENCE: I think it's certainly gotten a lot harder. And certainly, you know, the hope had been
that, you know, she, of course, she would talk to him right before the meeting with Xi Jinping, and would have Japan's interest mind as he did
that.
And so clearly, you know, in that sense, the summit is not going to succeed. And really, I mean, this is unfortunate timing, because, you know,
I think had she known that she'd be coming as this war was, in some ways getting more challenging for the United States, I think the last thing
which she would want would to be here only to talk about the war.
And so, I think in a lot of ways this is bad luck on her part. And certainly, it is not going to be the discussion that she thought she
thought she was going to have.
GOLODRYGA: Well, these two leaders have only met once before, but obviously share the same political ideology and share the same reverence for Shinzo
Abe and that's somebody who you are quite familiar with.
And despite the constitutional constraints that the country faces, given its pacifist constitution and Article Nine, which is calling for complete
renunciation of war and only allows the use of military from a purely defensive standpoint. Abe did open the door to providing a bit more
proactive military response from Japan.
Do you think that she will be able to walk that fine line and assist President Trump in ways that he may view as helpful without completely
undermining her constitutional legality to doing this and constituents at home who are not in favor of this war.
HARRIS: It's absolutely a difficult, tight rope to walk here, because, of course, I mean, the overriding goal of Japanese foreign policy, really,
since Abe came back in 2012 late 2012 has been Japan has to do whatever it takes to ensure that the United States remains committed to Japan's
security and to East Asian security.
And so, you know, of course, that leads her to want to -- want to do something other than just say no outright. But of course, I mean, the
reality is that you have an active war. Japan has never been involved in an active war. And in 2015 I mean, you look back at what Abe was saying there
during those debates.
I mean, they talked a lot about a hypothetical Strait of Hormuz situation, but the assumption had been that it wasn't going to be the United States
launching a war. Might be that Iran launches an attack, and then the U.S. calls for aid, and then Japan could be in a situation where it could come
to the aid of the United States.
And this is why, also, you've had a lot of questions of the government to make a you know, the Takaishi government to make a judgment about the
legality of the U.S. war. Because the reality is, is that if it is viewed as a preventive war, Japan would not be legally able to come to the aid of
the United States.
That it was very clear that in a defensive situation, Japan could come to the aid of the United States. And so, you know the origin of the war, why
this war is happening, the strategic goals the United States, all of these things matter and make it very difficult, as a practical concern, for
Takaichi to make that kind of decision.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah. She said, while it would be legally difficult for Japan to order its navy to take part in any sort of security operations in the sea,
she's thus far refrained from commenting on the legality surrounding this war.
Do you think that that will again give her enough wiggle room to walk away from this meeting with President Trump, where he feels satisfied, while she
also feels that she's walked away with some deliverables to bring back home?
HARRIS: I mean, ultimately, the answer to that question, ultimately, we have to know what President Trump himself thinks, and that really is the
answer.
[11:10:00]
And that, I think, is the reason why there's been a lot of anxiety from the Japanese government heading into this beating because I think they just
don't know. It's like, were you in 2019 when you had tensions in the strait Abe was able to convince both Trump and the Iranian government to let Japan
basically send ships to the area, but not really to do anything active.
You know, they were in this intelligence gathering mission with the option, potentially, of getting involved. But really, I think, you know, the
understanding was that they would be in the area, but wouldn't be involved. I don't know if Trump is going to be satisfied with that, you know, given,
you know, there's this feeling of, you know, the war, really, in some ways, is spiraling out of control.
It's not, you know, it's not going the way I think they anticipated. And, you know, really wanting assistance. And so is the president going to be
happy with Japan saying, well, you know, here's all the reasons why we can't do this, but we can maybe send some ships to the area. Is he going to
be happy with that? It certainly doesn't seem like it. But ultimately, you know, we really don't know, and we won't know until they talk.
GOLODRYGA: Well, let's just look at the data itself. Japan relies on the Middle East for 90 percent of its crude oil, and just released an
unprecedented 45 days' worth of strategic reserves. So, while the President of the United States has to deal with rising oil and gas prices, because
it's a globally traded commodity at that price, and that is what's impacting Americans here at home.
We're in a different situation, given the fact that we are now the largest producer of oil. Japan is not in that position right now. So, at what
point, how much longer does this war need to go on for her to really feel the pinch and for the Japanese economy to take a big hit?
HARRIS: Well, they, I mean, they clearly have at least a little time before you really are going to stop receiving shipments from the Middle East. You
know clearly, they've bought some time with the releases from the reserves, you know. But I think you know, as time goes on, you're going to start
seeing the price impact.
I mean, they've already announced they're going to try to cap retail gasoline prices. We'll see how that works and what that actually ends up
doing for government finances as they spend more to keep those subsidies. I think it is also worth noting that one of the things that Takaichi is
likely to do is offer to buy more oil from the United States, even though, I think there have been price concerns and logistical concerns.
I think diversifying away from Middle East oil is probably, definitely, probably going to be a priority for the Japanese government going forward.
I think, you know, the thing that I think the Japanese government is going to want to do, and they're going to want to use that relationship they have
with Iran and with the United States to try to find a diplomatic solution.
Because ultimately, I mean, I don't think the Japanese government is convinced that this situation is going to be resolved simply by fighting,
you know, a coalition fighting its way through and keeping the strait open for good. I think ultimately, they see the value in trying to find a
diplomatic solution, and they're going to continue to work on that front.
We've already seen outreach the Iranian government, from the Japanese government. I think ultimately that is where their focus is going to lie.
You know, really trying to find a way to resolve, to move past the shooting war phase, and then maybe at that point too, you might have Japanese
participation in some sort of effort to keep the strait open and to preserve some sort of uneasy settlement.
But ultimately, I don't think Japan feels it has a part to play in fighting things, to a salute -- you know, to a conclusion at this point, and then
keeping the strait open. I don't think that Japan sees that as an effective use of its strength and its talents.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, though, the president hasn't been subtle in terms of his expectations, noting time and time again how many troops are stationed in
the region, there U.S. troops, and thus expecting that when the United States asks or needs help, that specific country, and in this case, Japan,
would comply. Tobias Harris will be watching this meeting closely. Thank you so much for your perspective.
HARRIS: Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: And we'll bring you that bilateral meeting between the President -- the Prime Minister of Japan, and the President of the United States once
it begins. Well, the last 24 hours have seen energy infrastructure across the Middle East come under attack.
Israel's overnight strike on Iran's largest gas field is triggering an escalation many Gulf nations hope to avoid. Iran retaliated by striking an
energy complex in Qatar and moments ago, the Qatari Prime Minister warned that the strikes will have significant repercussions on global natural gas
supplies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMMED BIN ABDULRAHMAN AL-THANI, QATARI PRIME MINISTER: Everyone is working in order to estimate the damages. However, this attack will have
huge repercussions on oil or energy supplies around the world. Such attack does not bring any benefit to any country. However, it brings harms and
damage to the nations and impact them and affect them directly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Now, as the prime minister said, this is already fueling further surges in oil and natural gas prices. Saudi Arabia says that it reserves
the right to take military action against Tehran.
[11:15:00]
Japan and some European countries say they are ready to, quote, contribute to appropriate efforts to get vessels through the vital Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, the death toll is rising in both Iran and Lebanon. Nearly 1000 people reported killed in Lebanon since the start of the war.
CNN's Nic Robertson joins us now from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia, Nic has been on the receiving end of strikes to their energy facilities as
well from Iran, and has responded quite aggressively in both condemning Iran and also saying that they too reserve the right to respond. What are
you hearing on the ground?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, it was a collective response last night. Actually, the Qatari Prime Minister was
here with the regional foreign ministers having their first face-to-face meeting since the war began. Literally, we were standing in the lobby of
the hotel as the foreign ministers.
Qatari Prime Minister was arriving, and there were intercepts going off in Riyadh, bringing down ballistic missiles, a couple of which hit oil
facilities on the outskirts of Riyadh. So that was a very powerful message to the gathered diplomats there, and something the Saudi foreign minister
said wasn't a coincidence.
That he took it quite clearly as a message from Iran that they're not interested in diplomacy, and he too was using very, very strong language.
In fact, he really indicated, and others have indicated, that because Iran was targeting why that meeting was going on, it really enabled them to find
greater and quicker and easier and stronger unity.
And he said Iran has to understand that there will be consequences. Escalation will be met with escalation. And he talked about the sort of
right of self-defense, the right of a military response. When he was asked about when that response might come, or what would trigger that response,
he was very, very careful in his words, but very clear is he doesn't think Iran is getting the message. This is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRINCE FAISAL BIN FARHAN AL-SAUD, SAUDI FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER: The patience that is being exhibited is not unlimited. Do they have a day two a
week? Does it? I'm not going to telegraph that. I would hope that they understand the message of the meeting today and recalculate quickly and
stop attacking their neighbors.
But I am doubtful that they have that wisdom. I think the fact that, as I said, I think that they have attacked us is something that cannot be
justified.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: Until now, the Gulf States have really practiced strategic patience. They didn't want this war. They say they don't want to get
dragged into it right now. But when you have the escalation, the strike on Qatar's LNG facility, with its significant global consequences, perhaps
lasting months, maybe longer, even into years, the calculation, the calculus, begins to change.
And you begin to get a feeling that if Iran is operating to a playbook, the playbook is continuing with the escalation of strikes, you get into an
escalating scenario without an off ramp. And that diplomatic off ramp doesn't really seem to be there. And the message from the Iranians last
night to the diplomatic meeting here, not engaging, not interested.
GOLODRYGA: Nic Robertson reporting live in Riyadh for us. Thank you. Well, U.S. Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth said that the U.S. has so far
struck more than 7000 targets in Iran, the largest strike package yet will be coming today. And the U.S. is taking counter measures against Iran's
internet blackout.
Hegseth also said the U.S. remains on plan for its objectives, but did not give a definitive timeline of when the war would end.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE HEGSETH, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: The president has given us every capability we need to accomplish that. We've got the best in the world in
uniform, executing it on the ground. They believe in and are invested in this mission. And it will be at the President's choosing, ultimately, where
we say, hey, we've achieved what we need to on behalf of the American people to ensure our security. So, no time set on that, but we're very much
on track.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: More now from our Senior National Security Reporter, Zachary Cohen.
ZACHARY COHEN, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Dan Caine, provided another
update on the war against Iran. Once again, reiterating that today would be the biggest day of strikes against Iran of the war so far.
And also stressing Pete Hegseth that the U.S. is winning the conflict. Now at the same time, both Hegseth and General Caine acknowledging as well that
Iran maintains some capability to hit back at U.S. and Israeli forces, which are inflicting significant damage on their missile and naval
capabilities.
[11:20:00]
We've heard from Dan Caine maybe some of the first details about how the U.S. military is beginning to go about trying to clear the Strait of
Hormuz, that key waterway that really is critical to the world's energy markets. Iran has effectively shut down that waterway.
But Dan Caine said today that the military is employing an aircraft known as the A10 Warthog, a close air support aircraft, to start targeting
Iranian fast attack boats that still pose a threat to not only oil tankers and other cargo ships, but potentially U.S. Navy ships, if they are called
upon to escort those other vessels through that key waterway.
But at the end of the day, this press conference, like many of the ones before, was a little lacking on details, including when Pete Hegseth was
pressed on what the timeline for ending the conflict is, Hegseth would not put a specific time frame on ending the war.
But did ultimately say that it would be up to President Donald Trump when he decided that both the military and political objectives had been
accomplished at that point the fighting would end. Zachary Cohen, CNN, Washington.
GOLODRYGA: And this breaking news just into CNN, a U.S. fighter jet had to make an emergency landing after it was hit by what's believed to be Iranian
fire while on a combat mission over Iran. A U.S. military spokesperson told CNN that the F35 jet landed at a U.S. Air Base in the Middle East. The
pilot is in stable condition. We're working to get more information on this developing story.
Meantime, still to come for us, testing their relationship. President Trump is meeting the Japanese Prime Minister at the White House. We'll talk about
why the tone of this meeting has shifted dramatically in recent days. Plus, oil and gas prices surge amid attacks on energy production hubs across the
Middle East.
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GOLODRYGA: All right, let's take a look at U.S. markets now. Red arrows across the board, the DOW down three quarters of a percentage point there,
the S&P 500 down a little over half a percentage point. The NASDAQ down about seven tenths of a percentage point.
This as oil and gas prices rose sharply after Israel hit Iranian gas facilities and Iran retaliated against one of the world's most important
liquefied natural gas facilities in Qatar. Let's take a look at the price of Brent Crude, the international benchmark, there you see up $110 up 3
percent.
[11:25:00]
This, of course, amid concerns that the Trump Administration officials will meet with executives from some of the world's biggest oil and gas companies
this week to see what they can do and what information they can provide them on ways to mitigate the continued rise in oil and gas.
Our Business and Economics Reporter Anna Cooban joins me from London. And Anna speaking with economists, it really does come to a matter of time how
much longer this war will go on clearly is going to be the decisive factor in triggering perhaps a global recession from these continued spikes in
energy prices.
ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS & ECONOMICS REPORTER: Yeah. I mean, in the past 24 hours, Bianna, we've seen an enormous escalation in this conflict.
Remember, just a few days ago, there was an attack on Kharg Island, which is a major Island owned by Iran that gets a lot of its oil out to the
global market.
But crucially, what was avoided was attacking its energy infrastructure, its military infrastructure was targeted, not its energy infrastructure,
but it looks like we see a massive escalation now in the willingness to target this type of infrastructure.
Yesterday, you know, we saw this attack on a Qatari LNG facility, the largest in the world, already with the Strait of Hormuz blocked, we're not
getting around a fifth of the world's LNG supply coming through that. And that attack was in response for an Israeli attack on that in a part of a
gas field owned by Iran, which accounts for a huge amount of its domestic energy supply.
And of course, we're seeing prices react to that across Asia and Europe since the war began, prices are now up between 60 and 70 percent. Oil
prices as well, yesterday, settling at $107 a barrel. Now, up again today, the global benchmark. And you know, this is the highest we've seen since
the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
And I will say that Asia is going to bear the brunt of this. Gets a lot of its LNG, around 90 percent of its LNG, from the Middle East. But also, that
will have a knock-on impact on Europe, who is then now competing for this reduced supply of LNG cargos, sending prices higher.
And that's difficult, a difficult spot for Europe, because we've just had a particularly cold winter. We are now in the refilling season with prices
higher, and we're seeing that the response to that with prices.
GOLODRYGA: Anna Cooban in London for us. Thank you. Still to come for us, how will the Iran war impact America's relationship with Japan? We'll have
the latest on today's high stakes meeting at the White House. That's next.
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[11:30:00]
GOLODRYGA: All right. Welcome back to "One World". I'm Bianna Golodryga in New York. Here's some headlines we're watching today. Oil and natural gas
prices are climbing again after Israel attacked Iran's energy facilities and Tehran's retaliated across the Gulf.
Saudi Arabia says that it would take military action against Iran if necessary. Iran's also struck Qatar's Ras Laffan, the world's largest
liquefied natural gas terminal. Qatar's Prime Minister calls it a dangerous escalation. All of this triggered by an Israeli strike on the world's
largest natural gas field on Wednesday.
President Trump is threatening to blow up the South Par's gas field if Tehran continues its attack on Qatar. He also said the U.S. knew nothing
about Israel's plan to strike South Par, but sources who've spoken to CNN contradict that claim.
The Secretary of Defense says that the U.S. will carry out its largest strike package yet on Iran today. But during a news conference earlier,
Pete Hegseth wouldn't give any timeline on when the war would end? And while he didn't confirm how much additional funding the Pentagon is asking
for, he did say it takes money to kill bad guys.
Well, all eyes are on the White House this hour, as President Trump is welcoming Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. This comes after a spring
of American allies have declined Trump's request to send warships to help transport oil through the Strait of Hormuz.
For the latest on this high-stakes meeting, let's bring in our Senior White House Reporter Kevin Liptak. And Kevin it appears that the president and
the prime minister are running a bit behind now. We know that they don't know each other. They haven't known each other for a very long time, but
they did develop quite an early bond when they met last year.
Obviously, they shared the same political ideology and had a warm relationship with Shinzo Abe as really their connected glue between these
two countries and administrations. Just talk about the position that the president and the prime minister find themselves in now, given that this
meeting was scheduled prior to the start of this war.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah. And I think she intended to come into this meeting to talk about China, certainly, that was
a key topic that they had discussed when they met back in the fall. At one point this was about to be on the eve of the president's trip to Beijing.
Of course, that's been canceled, and this entire meeting has been overshadowed in a lot of ways by what's going on in Iran.
You know, that warm relationship that they developed, I think, will help her, in some ways, come into this meeting with the wind at her back,
because it is going to be a difficult meeting. And she herself has acknowledged that the question of whether Japan will send resources to the
Strait of Hormuz to try and reopen that waterway, to try and get the tankers flowing, is something that she fully expects to come up when she
sits down there with President Trump.
You know, Japan is one of the five countries that the president singled out is needing to do more to try and reopen the strait. Japan receives almost
all of its oil from the Middle East. But the thing that's constraining Sanae Takaichi is Japan's constitution. It's a pacifist constitution.
It doesn't allow for the Japanese armed forces to be deployed unless it's an act of self-defense, or unless Japan is facing an existential threat.
And it's not clear that all of those conditions have been met. She has sort of struck a balance here. She has not come out in public one way or the
other, for or against the war.
She says she's studying the legalities, but I think it's pretty clear that, one, the public support is not there at all in Japan for doing that. And
two, it seems evident that this would at least pose a legal challenge for her if she decides to do that. And so, it was clear to her, I think,
heading into this meeting, that that would be a critical point of discussion.
You know, the president, for his part, these personal relationships do go quite a long way in these meetings, I think, for him, having someone who
knew Shinzo Abe, who was his good friend, you'll remember that when he visited Tokyo back in the fall, she presented him with a golf putter that
Shinzo Abe had once owned.
She seems to have known all of the right levers to pull to get in Trump's good graces. And she is a charismatic personality. You know, she is wildly
popular in Japan, which is something too that I think the president recognizes and wants to seize upon.
[11:35:00]
And so, this meeting, I think, will be important. They did at one point have a working lunch on the schedule, but they've gotten rid of that to
extend time for the bilateral meeting, and then she'll be back here at the White House this evening for a dinner, which is not something the president
always offers up.
And so, a lot of time for these two leaders to sit down and talk. But when it comes to what they will be talking about, it is the issue of Iran and
the Strait of Hormuz that I think will dominate, even as this question of China obviously still looms very large in the backdrop, but it has faded
somewhat from the agenda.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, that had been policy number one in terms of her priorities coming into this meeting when it was initially scheduled. Obviously, all of
that has changed. And as popular as she may be at home, which she definitely is, this war is not I believe the latest polling shows that it
has about a 9 percent approval rating back at home. Kevin Liptak, thank you. You'll be covering this for us.
Let's get some analysis now from CNN's Stephen Collinson and his latest piece for cnn.com he looks at how Israel killing leaders in Iran could
complicate Trump's search for an end game. And Stephen joins me now from Washington, DC.
Stephen, we'll get to your piece in just a second. But in terms of expectations going into this meeting between President Trump and the Prime
Minister Takaichi, there you had the president really lashing out at U.S. allies for what he said, you know, not coming to the United States aid in
support after what he claims was the U.S. consistently being there for its allies, and noting the number of troops stationed in both Europe and in
Asia.
But at the same time, he said that he doesn't need their help, that the U.S. can handle this on its own. So, what do you think that the Japanese
Prime Minister needs to do to placate the president, both publicly and, of course, behind the scenes?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Yeah, I think she is the latest allied leader to be asked to help Donald Trump get out of the war he
started, which they didn't want and which you pointed out they have very limited political bandwidth to be able to support, given how much it is
opposed in their individual countries, in Europe and in Japan.
I think you can see a scenario whereby this meeting goes quite well, and the prime minister offers to send some unspecified help to this. But at the
end of the day, allied nations are not going to send their ships into the Gulf of Hormuz when the United States Navy is not sending its ships into
the Gulf of Hormuz.
And that is the big conundrum here. And the big question is, how does the United States get that open? There is an increasing talk in Washington
about whether ground troops will need to go in around the fringes there of the Strait of Hormuz, on the Iranian side, to try to lessen the threat to
shipping before it can be opened up.
So, while she may be supportive of some efforts to help, it's probably not be that concrete, but it is a very pressing issue, not just for Japan, but
also Europe. But Japan gets almost all of its supplies of oil through the Gulf. So, this prime minister with a big new mandate is suddenly going to
face a domestic political crisis because of decisions that were made thousands of miles away in Washington by President Trump.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah. And now Japan will be put in a position of competing for natural gas with Europe, given that the attacks we've seen specifically
against Qatar in the last 24 hours. Now Stephen, while it makes sense that these countries may not be willing or looking to enter this war at this
point, they weren't.
They weren't briefed on this, it appears, ahead of time or consulted, and obviously, they have their own constituents at home, and as is the case
with Japan, legal constraints. They all stand to benefit, perhaps even more than the United States from passage being cleared through the Strait of
Hormuz as well.
We've seen European Leaders now say that they are working on a plan that would do just that. Would it not benefit the alliance and Western countries
and allies to at least come together to publicly say that they support and will do whatever necessary to open or reopen the Strait of Hormuz so that
this does not set a precedent for Iran going forward?
COLLINSON: Yeah, I think that's a very good point. And add to that the fact that the Europeans are still greatly dependent for their defense on the
United States. So, a position of perennial opposition to this, I think, is not one that is sustainable. There is also the question, when you talk to
Naval experts about the capability here as well.
[11:40:00]
For example, the British used to have a squadron of mine sweepers stationed in the Gulf. Those have been de commissioned. The French do have an
aircraft carrier group in the Mediterranean that they sent out for defensive purposes with a bunch of frigates that represents quite a large
proportion of the Iranian navy.
So, there is the question of whether the allied nations in Europe, at least, do have the European naval resources to go and take an offensive
role. This is not like the 1990s when there were perennial escorts of tankers through the Gulf during another period of instability in the Middle
East with the volume of tank as there are in the Gulf, it would take a great deal of power, naval power, to be able to escort them through the
Straits of Hormuz.
And we're talking not just about a one-time thing. If the Iranian regime does not fall and this war drags on for weeks or months, this is going to
be a pretty much endless commitment you're asking allied and American naval forces to satisfy.
So, this is exceedingly complex, and I think it shows that the lack of forethought, perhaps in the White House about the consequences of this war.
It doesn't seem that there was much planning beforehand, or even a realization, which seems strange to say, given that everybody knew what
Iran would probably do, of how this could play out and the economic consequences.
At this point, it seems that the United States may well be winning the military side of this war, if you think about what's being destroyed in
Iran, but it appears that Iran is winning the economic side of it because of its leverage over global oil supplies.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah. And Karim Sadjadpour on our air earlier this morning, said that this war can be basically summed up in three Ps, and that is petroleum
politics and projectiles. So, from a military perspective, obviously the United States with Israel have far surpassed what expectations would have
been if you talked to military experts in what they've been able to achieve, as far as striking at ballistic missiles, at their launchers, and
taking out drone facilities, all of that.
But the politics of this is a question that you raise in your latest piece, and that again, raises the question of there are tactics which have been
rather successful. And then there's long term strategy, and by Israel specifically taking out leaders in Iran, from the Supreme Leader to IRGC
big wigs as well, Larijani being the latest, there is concern, perhaps in some circles, about what the end game ultimately will be.
COLLINSON: Yeah. And you can see the logic of this from the Israeli point of view. They argue that they are taking out leaders who have built this
regional threat, who are combatants, not just civilian leaders, who pose an existential threat to Israel's survival. That has been a clear war aim.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has never made any secret of that for years. It's not just the few weeks around this war. The question
becomes, however, how many layers of Iranian leadership do you have to take out before you get to a level whereby there are people who are perhaps
willing to compromise and take a less threatening posture towards Israel, the United States and the rest of the world?
And if that action further radicalizes the people beneath in a culture and an Islamic Republic where martyrdom is prized, do you ever get to a level
where you may get more people that you are willing to talk to or willing to talk to you and try to find a diplomatic way to end this war.
So, the question is, do you create -- do you by wiping out the top leaders do you create a more pliable situation, or do you make it long term, even
worse? It appears that Israel is quite ready to fight a war what it sees for its survival for years and decades. I don't think that the political
standing under President Trump will allow that to be the case for the United States.
And so, you get to the question there of are there growing diversions between the war aims, between Israel and the United States? In fact, that
was something that the Director of National Intelligence who was testifying today on Capitol Hill, Tulsi Gabbard, she did admit there were differing
war aims between the United States and Israel.
And I think that is going to be an increasing issue as we watch this Israeli assassination campaign and the bombing campaign continue.
GOLODRYGA: Stephen Collinson, thank you so much for the time and perspective. Always appreciate it. We'll be right back with more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:45:00]
GOLODRYGA: All right, breaking news into CNN. Sources tell CNN that in the last few minutes, Iran has hit oil refineries in Northern Israel. Jeremy
Diamond has the latest from Tel Aviv. We're specifically talking about refineries in Haifa. Jeremy, what more are we learning?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, that's exactly right Bianna. We've just learned, according to three Israeli sources, that in the
last hour, an Iranian missile struck the Haifa oil refinery complex. This is an oil refinery operated by the Bazan Group, which is one of the largest
energy companies in Israel.
And this, of course, comes as we are watching these strikes on energy infrastructure throughout the Middle East are rapidly escalating and
getting to new levels. This all is part of a chain of events that really began yesterday morning when we learned that the Israeli military had
carried out strikes on two separate Iranian oil and natural gas facilities, including the South Par.
GOLODRYGA: I'm so sorry. I'm going to have to interrupt you. Jeremy, I'm sorry. We have to go to the White House now for the president is meeting
with the Japanese Prime Minister.
TRUMP: I thought she was really good. She did a fantastic job. I respect her a lot, so I gave her an endorsement. And she had the most successful
election, in my opinion, in the history of Japan, won by the most ever. So, we have a very popular, powerful woman, and she's a great woman. We have a
very fine relationship, and we're going to be talking about trade and many other things. And it's an honor to have you. Thank you very much.
SANAE TAKAICHI, JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
TRUMP: Thank you.
TAKAICHI: Thank you, Donald Trump for inviting me to the White House today.
TRUMP: Thank you.
TAKAICHI: My visit this time to give the current situation.
TRUMP: Oh, please yes. You gave a very good --
[11:50:00]
TAKAICHI: Right now, situations in the Middle East and also the entire world, we are actually experiencing a very severe security environment. And
also, the global economy is now about to experience a huge hit because of this development. But even against that backdrop, I firmly believe that it
is only you, Donald, who can achieve peace across the world.
And to do so, I am ready to reach out to many of the partners in the international community to achieve our objective together. So today I came
here at the White House to directly convey this message to you. And speaking of the situation in Iran, Iran's development of nuclear weapons
must never be allowed, and that is why we Japan, have been urging them and also reaching out to other partners in the world.
In addition, Japan condemns Iran's actions such as attacking the neighboring region and also the de facto or effective closure of the Strait
of Hormuz. As a matter of fact, my fellow Minister, Minister Motegi, Foreign Minister Motegi also had the direct exchange with the Iranian
Foreign Minister and urged Iran to stop such activities.
And also, the security environment in the Indo-Pacific region is also becoming increasingly severe. Donald, you have shown deep trust in Japan
and also the unwavering commitment to the Japan U.S. alliance once again. Thank you very much for that.
And today, I look forward to having a discussion on how we can cooperate to make our two nations, both Japan and the United States, stronger and more
prosperous. And I also brought specific proposals to calm down the global energy market.
So today, I really look forward to having our discussion, particularly focusing on our collaboration in economic security in the important areas
such as energy and rare earth minerals. And also, I look forward to discussing with you how we can make our two economies stronger moving
forward. Thank you very much.
TRUMP: Thank you very much. And you're doing a great job again. Congratulations on the biggest win in the history of Japan. That's not bad.
That's a pretty long history. That's a large nation with a law, really, with a great -- a great reputation, but it's a tremendous victory.
Congratulations to everybody. Very, very proud of you. Very proud of you.
[11:55:00]
We become friends that are very proud of the job you've done. It's not easy. Any questions, please.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President, are you fully satisfied with the level of support that you're getting from Japan, on Iran, including around mine-
sweepers?
TRUMP: Well, we're going to be speaking about it today. Go ahead. You can go.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
TRUMP: We're doing we're doing. We're going to be speaking about it today. We've had tremendous support and relationship with Japan on everything. And
I believe that, based on statements that were given to us yesterday, the day before yesterday, having to do with Japan, they are really stepping up
to the plate. Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
TRUMP: Unlike NATO.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
TRUMP: Please.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President, do you intend to lift sanctions on Iranian oil, and do you intend to potentially put U.S. troops or more
troops in the region?
TRUMP: No, I'm not putting troops anywhere. If I were, I certainly wouldn't tell you, but I'm not putting troops. And we will do whatever is necessary
to keep the price as well. I actually thought when I did this, the DOW just hit 50,000 couple of weeks ago. They said that couldn't happen for four
years.
It wouldn't happen in my term, but such an outrageous thing, because I said it would happen. I didn't know it was going to happen that fast, but just
hit 50,000. And we did that in one year, not four. S&P had just hit 7000 they said that was even more impossible than the DOW hitting 50, and we did
that in one year. So, it was all done.
Everything was going great. The economy is great. Oil prices were very low. Gasoline was dropping too. I mean, we had $1 $99 $85 we had great
everything. And I saw what was happening in Iran, and I said, I hate to make this excursion, but we're going to have to do it.
And I actually thought the numbers would be worse. I thought that it would go up more than it did, but we're doing this excursion, and when it's
completed, we're going to have a much safer world. And the prime minister agrees with me on this. She considers it to be terrible. What around it?
I think every country does, just about every country does. Iran is a serious threat to the world, to the Middle East and to the world. And
everybody agrees with me. I think virtually every country agrees with me on that. So, I wanted to put out that fire. And I said, you know, we do that.
Oil prices will go up. The economy will go down a little bit.
I thought it would be worse, much worse. Actually, I thought there was a chance it could be much worse. It's not bad, and it's going to be over with
pretty soon. We've obliterated their navy. We've obliterated their -- just about everything there is to obliterate, including leadership. Their Navy's
gone. Their Air Force is gone. Their anti-aircraft equipment is gone.
We're flying wherever we want. Pete, we have no, nobody even shooting at us. They have, I mean, and as you know, their leadership is gone. Their
leaders are gone. They pick new leaders. They're gone. They pick new leaders, they're gone. And now they're looking for new leaders again.
We can take out the island anytime we want. I call it the little oil island that sits there. So totally unprotected. We've taken out everything but the
pipes. We left the pipes because to rebuild the pipes would take years for, you know, for them to do. But we are -- I would say we are substantially
ahead of schedule. And I had to do this. I call it an excursion.
I had to take this little excursion and do something that no other president had the courage to do, and everybody wanted to do it, but they
never had the courage to do. And I don't blame them. I'm not blaming them. It was left to me, and we've done a great job. Our military is incredible.
We have an incredible military. We have the strongest military in the world by far. We have the greatest equipment in the world by far. In fact, Japan
buys our equipment, buys a lot of it, and we're honored by that. And that's one of the things we'll be talking they want to buy a lot of the military
equipment.
So, it's just an honor to have the prime minister. We've had a tremendous relationship. OK. I think she's going to have to go first before you. Is
that OK? Do you understand? Just very good. I mean, it's so nice that we don't have this. No, it's very good. I haven't picked up your language. The
next time you come, I'll have your language. All right, go ahead.
END
