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One World with Zain Asher
Reports: Key Saudi Oil Pipeline Attacked; Trump: Israeli Strikes on Lebanon "Not Included" in Ceasefire; Trump to Meet with NATO Chief Rutte at White House Today; Iranian Media: Iran Halts Oil Tanker Traffic Through Hormuz; Oil Prices Drop, Stocks Rally on Ceasefire Announcement; Astronaut Reflects on New Perspective of Earth after Moon Flyby. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired April 08, 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 ASHER, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: And I'm Zain Asher, you are watching "One World". Major breaking news this hour that Iranian State News is reporting
that Tehran has now halted all oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz following continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon. Obviously, this
comes just hours, literally just hours after a ceasefire was announced by the U.S. and Iran just last night.
GOLODRYGA: Israeli strikes have been escalating since across Lebanon. The Israeli military, saying that it carried out the largest coordinated
strikes there since the start of the conflict. That's despite a ceasefire being agreed with Iran. CNN's Stephen Collinson is standing by for us in
Washington. But first to Nic Robertson, who joins us from Tel Aviv.
And Nic, there are still so many unknowns as to what exactly was agreed to for this ceasefire. And one of the big ones, obviously, was whether Israel
would cease its strikes in Southern Lebanon against Hezbollah. We just heard from the Pakistani Ambassador to the United States in the last hour,
telling our Becky Anderson that that was part of the deal.
We haven't heard the U.S. side here, Israel does not agree to that portion of the ceasefire, and now we're seeing the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Just talk about how the escalation after the ceasefire last night has only increased.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, there are multiple sensitivities here. There are multiple narratives. Not least what
we've heard from Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense, not least what we've heard from a whole variety of Iranian officials who both sides
claiming victory.
So, you have that, and it's not clear what precisely has been agreed. The Pakistan's Ambassador to the U.N. said that Pakistan's Prime Minister had
sent a -- he didn't describe it as a text on agreement, but an understanding to both the U.S. and Iran who had agreed to it. He didn't say
precisely what was in it.
He said that was bounded by secrecy to let the sides work out what are clearly very big differences at the moment. And he spoke about the
Pakistan's Prime Minister in his statement, having primacy in this situation, because it had been accepted by both Iran and the United States.
And as you say, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu very clear that he doesn't see Lebanon as part of that ceasefire agreement, which is a
difference with the Pakistani Prime Minister. Indeed, Israel launching its heaviest by its own statement a few hours ago, its heaviest strike on
Hezbollah targets inside of Lebanon, some of them deep inside of Beirut, a coordinated against 100 targets.
So, has that led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz? It's very hard to say, but it is certainly one of the many threads and strands of the lack of
clarity, of the lack of certainty where everyone stands, of the multi sided, multi sided nature of what's been happening.
Iran has, it appears, sent missiles and drones against a variety of targets in the Gulf today, long after the ceasefire. Secretary of Defense Pete
Hegseth, said it would take some time, as he said, for the carrier pigeon to get out to some of the remoter Iranian military units, who he says, have
been cut off from communications.
But I think when we look at the state of play on Iranian state media, the declarations of victory, the popular support coming out in the street for
the regime in Iran, it's hard to imagine that even in the farthest one corners of Iran, military commanders haven't got the instruction yet to
cease and desist.
All of this is going to feed into that sort of uncertainty that can unravel what J.D. Vance called his precise words were sort of an unstable
ceasefire. A fragile was his precise word, ceasefire. I think all of that plays into it and trying to get at which strand specifically is pulled that
unravels the next one, very hard to say.
ASHER: And Nic we're also learning that the East West oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia was also struck just hours ago as well.
[11:05:00]
This is important, because this essentially bypasses the Strait of Hormuz, and it is Saudi Arabia's pretty much only outlet for exporting crude oil
out of the country. So yes, a clear violation of this ceasefire, but also clearly going to exacerbate the world's energy crisis right now?
ROBERTSON: 100 percent, for Saudi Arabia, they will see that as an absolutely massive escalation. When Israel targeted the South Pars natural
gas field, Iran's natural gas field in the Gulf about three weeks ago, Iran's escalation tactics were number to hit oil facilities here in Israel.
But also, to target the end of that East West pipeline at the western end on the Red Sea Yambo, a ballistic missile and a drone. The ballistic
missile in the center, the drone caused damage to one of the refineries there. So, this is absolutely been a pipeline lifeline for oil to redirect
oil from normal export through the Strait of Hormuz to get it out to the Red Sea, to get it on tankers.
And according to Saudi officials, over the past couple of weeks, they have seen about a 1/3 increase in X and tanker traffic, cargo traffic,
principally coming out of Yanbo in the Red Sea. So, it's been hugely important. So, this will be seen as an escalation, and Saudi Arabia sort of
sees it itself as sort of at the apex of Iran's options for escalation when they want to put maximum pressure on the Gulf States.
They can achieve that by signature strikes like this against Saudi Arabia. So again, is it the final licks getting into a ceasefire? It seems to be
potentially the licks that could unravel the ceasefire.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah. And again, this all coming as the president just a few hours ago, posting on "Truth Social" that perhaps both the United States
and Iran could work together in collecting some sort of fee as far as transit through the Strait. It's hard to wrap your head around just where
this ceasefire stands right now. Nic Robertson, thank you so much.
ASHER: And while we work with sources to see how these two latest incidents affects the ceasefire, let's take the view from Washington in his latest
piece for CNN, Stephen Collins and writes a day on the brink with Iran ended with a taco aka Trump always checking its chickens out and grave
constitutional questions.
He joins us live now from Washington to discuss. So just in terms of this latest news. I mean, obviously the ceasefire has only been alive for less
than 24 hours, and the fact that Iran can still close the Strait of Hormuz and just a whim is going to strengthen the U.S.'s resolve to ensure that it
does not control, or remain retain, sort of sole control of the Strait going forward.
And obviously when it comes to if the ceasefire is still ongoing, when it comes to ensuring a permanent deal, both sides are going to be very far
apart on that particular issue, Stephen.
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Yeah, that's exactly right. The White House spent last night and this morning on a victory lap
declaring that President Donald Trump had pulled off a masterstroke by reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
That was somewhat of an absurd claim, because the Strait of Hormuz, of course, was open before he launched this war that was opposed by much of
the world. But this new apparent closure will undercut the not only the White House, claim that Trump has pulled off a massive victory here, and
that the Strait of Hormuz issue is not even going to be something that's going to be contentious going forward.
I think it shows why a lot of people are arguing that despite all the propaganda coming out of Washington, the United States has absorbed a
strategic defeat here, because it shows that going forward, at any moment, even a few hours into a ceasefire, Iran has the capacity to close that
Strait and create again, that choke hold on the global economy.
So, I think it's going to be very irksome to the White House. The question is, how will they respond? Will they try to pretend this isn't happening,
that it's just a teething problem, or at some point, will President Trump's credibility and prestige and red lines again come into play in such a way
as he has to take some military action, and then we're back where we were before?
GOLODRYGA: Stephen in terms of the score board here, there is no denying that Iran has faced a setback and has been militarily degraded, as we have
heard from officials, their navy has been decimated, and their ballistic missiles and their launchers, while still intact, have also been degraded.
But on the other hand, if you look at what the United States can say they have achieved over the last five weeks, something that wasn't an issue
prior to this war was the Strait of Hormuz and Iran having control over it.
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That's now the outcome here. So, what are the longer-term consequences, not only for world economic markets and energy markets, but for the president
politically?
COLLINSON: They seem grave right now. I think we need to work out over a course of days and weeks how exactly this plays out. A lot of people in
Washington these days are willing to rush to condemnation or adulation when it comes to Trump. We don't know, for example, whether this assault by the
U.S. and the Israelis did anything to loosen the political control of the regime.
It doesn't look like that, but we can't be sure. But clearly, a lot of people are thinking that what the outcome of this conflict will be is a
tactical success for United States in terms of, as you saying, severely degrading the threat that Iran can pose to the outside world. It has
probably made Israel safer for a period of time, if not forever.
And in that sense, you could argue that this is a military success, but the issue of the Strait of Hormuz, the absolutely enormous economic
reverberations of this that have gone all around the world, that have strained the United States relations with its allies in Asia and in Europe,
none of that is going to be solved.
I don't think it's necessarily something that President Donald Trump particularly cares about personally. But these are going to be forces that
have been unleashed in the politics of the world and the United States, that even if everything goes great in those peace talks in Islamabad, we
get a piece, it's going to take a long time to repair the damage.
Just look at the economy in the oil markets, for example, that's going to be months before the world gets back that lost production, that's going to
have a lot of reverberations. And if we're at a point as you say, where Iran is now managing what can go through the Strait of Hormuz, the world
and the United States, and pretty much everyone, apart from Iran, will end this war in a lot worse off position.
ASHER: All right Stephen Collinson, live for us. Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: OK, let's dig deeper with Christopher Hill. He's a five-time U.S. Ambassador, including to Iraq and South Korea, and a Former U.S.
Assistant Secretary of State. He's also the Author of the book "Outpost: A diplomat at work". Thank you so much, Mr. Ambassador. It's great to have
you back on the program.
So, as we are now trying to figure out whether or not this ceasefire is actually still in place and holds, I want to get you to respond to what was
the most urgent call for the president for this war, and both in his first and second term, and that was that Iran cannot have the capability of
putting together and having a nuclear weapon.
The question still remains about the 440 kilograms of highly enriched uranium. If you look at Iran's 10-point proposal, it differs vastly with
the United States 15-point plan here. They are miles apart, specifically as it relates to that uranium in this two-week period. How realistic is it
that you think that issue will be resolved?
CHRISTOPHER HILL, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO SOUTH KOREA AND IRAQ: Yeah, I don't think that issue. I don't think many issues are going to be actually
resolved through this. But what I do believe is that this war has been a disaster. It's been a disaster for Iran. It's frankly been a disaster for
the world economy, and we've had to stop this.
I mean, this war has got to -- has got to stop. And I think the ceasefire, albeit for only two weeks, and with some challenging times during those two
weeks was absolutely necessary to get going on real diplomacy. Its very clear President Trump wants this over. I hope he takes a hard look at his
decision making leading up to it.
I hope he takes a hard look at some of the -- of his team of people who didn't seem to be prepared for much of anything, whether it was evacuating
American citizens or dealing with the close of Hormuz Strait. So, he needs to take a lot look at things.
Iran is kind of devastated at this point, and so I think there's an understanding that they need this war to end. What this means about Israel
continuing to attack Southern Lebanon, that also needs to, you know, we need some restraint from the Israelis on this.
And of course, albeit the Iranian command and control is not very effective, so maybe that's what's going on with their continued attacks,
including on the East West oil pipeline, maybe that suggests just command and control issues.
[11:15:00]
I think Pete Hegseth was right, an expression I rarely used to suggest that if there could be just problems getting to -- getting to local commanders.
But I think the real issue is, do the parties agree that there's some basis for a longer-term settlement, because if they don't, the ceasefire isn't
going to isn't going to last.
And my sense is they do feel they can manage the issue with the nuclear side. I mean, Iran's capabilities are diminished, but I don't think they're
going to be able to diminish them to zero, which is what the implication of taking that not highly enriched, but that enriched uranium, and taking it
out of Iran? That is a tall order.
ASHER: Ambassador, this ceasefire is about 16 hours old, and obviously it came together quite hastily, yesterday. And the question of Lebanon is
obviously a contentious one, because both sides do not seem to be singing from the same hymn sheet here.
You've got Pakistan coming out and saying that they thought that Lebanon was part of this deal. The Israelis are saying, no, no everyone knows that
Pakistan -- Lebanon, excuse me, was not part of this deal. Trump also told PBS that Lebanon was definitely not part of this deal.
Now the Iranians are, again, as you know, closing the Strait of Hormuz because of ongoing fighting in Lebanon. So, if you are President Trump, and
you have just scored this win, this sort of perceived victory, that you have now reopened the Strait of Hormuz, and now, less than 24 hours later,
the Strait is closed again.
What are your options here? Do you simply call Netanyahu and tell him that Lebanon now needs to be included? What do you do?
HILL: Well, first of all, I think you get a little grace period of a few hours, and maybe we're still within that grace period of saying that the
Strait will be open. But we're still working on arrangements, so he'll take some grace period on that.
Presumably he knows the telephone number of Prime Minister Netanyahu, and I think that's a fairly urgent discussion, because apparently the Israelis
did agree to the overall ceasefire, but there seems to be some disagreement of whether the ceasefire included Southern Lebanon and I think the two
presidents, the two leaders that is Netanyahu and Trump, have to have a serious discussion about this.
Because otherwise they're leading the they're leaving the mediator that is Pakistan, kind of not sure how to proceed on that point. By the way, I have
to give Pakistan some credit for getting through this. They've done a good job, and I think it would it behooves us all to try to support the job
they've done.
So, the Lebanon issue is potentially fatal, as is the -- if they try to continue to hold the Hormuz closed. One other point about Hormuz, I think
Iran has shown that in wartime they can shut it down. But the issue is, by international law, they have no right to control the Strait of Hormuz.
They using the leverage of having a war. They did control it, but I think in peace time, it needs to be pretty clear that no they have no right to
control that, Strait.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, and just to quote what President Trump just moments ago said in an interview with PBS NewsHour, he said that Hezbollah was not
included in this two-week ceasefire deal. He said they were not included in the deal because of Hezbollah. They were not included. They'll get that
taken care of too. It is all right.
So that is the president weighing in now, but it could also speak to your point, if Israel knows that it has a limited window to continue its strikes
on Hezbollah in Lebanon, perhaps why. That's why they just unleash their largest bombardment and attack thus far in the past five weeks against
Hezbollah. Christopher Hill, Ambassador, thank you so much for the time.
ASHER: Thank you so much, Ambassador. All right, speaking of Lebanon, Lebanon's Health Minister says that hundreds of people have been killed or
wounded in Israeli strikes, which are continuing despite the ceasefire with Iran.
Live pictures here from Beirut, the Israeli military says that these were the largest strikes, as Bianna was just mentioning, across Lebanon since
the start of the war, targeting what the IDF claims are more than 100 Hezbollah command centers and military sites.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, as we just mentioned President Trump spoke to a news outlet in the U.S. says Lebanon was not part of that ceasefire deal, and
now we know that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is convening his security cabinet to meet in a few hours.
ASHER: All right, CNN's Nada Bashir joins us live now from Beirut. So, this ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is obviously extremely fragile. As we
just mentioned, the Strait of Oreo moves is currently, we believe, closed again.
[11:20:00]
As you were just talking about, as well. Lebanon apparently not part of this, or clearly not part of this, because Israel just unleashed its
largest wave of air attacks since the start of this war. Over 100 Hezbollah command centers attacked, apparently.
I mean, just walk us through this dynamic Nada. Because if Lebanon is holding up this ceasefire, it might indeed put pressure on President Trump
to ask Netanyahu to pause fighting in Lebanon as well.
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, this is certainly the largest wave of attacks we've seen on Lebanon since the beginning of the war,
carried out by the Israeli military. And we can hear above us now the Israeli military drone still above Beirut. There is concern, of course,
about potential follow up attacks here in the city.
And this was certainly the most powerful wave of attacks we've seen on the capital here in Beirut since we've seen over the last few days. In fact,
we're talking about areas that weren't necessarily under evacuation orders by the Israeli military. We're talking about parts of Central Beirut where
we wouldn't have necessarily expected to see this level of attack by the Israeli military.
And of course, it's not just Beirut, as you mentioned. It is the whole country. The Israeli military saying that they have targeted what they
described as 100 Hezbollah targets in the space of just 10 minutes. But of course, in Beirut in particular, these are densely populated civilian
areas.
We've actually been reporting throughout the day from the aftermath of one of those strike locations, seeing firsthand the impact of that attack. And
we're talking about areas that are filled with residential buildings, apartment block, shops, cafes and bakeries. This is a busy roadside, the
area that we were at where there would have likely been many civilians present at the time, as is the case in many of those locations targeted
here in Beirut and across Lebanon.
And of course, there is real concern now that this could continue to expand beyond those Hezbollah targets that we've seen in the past in Dahia and
into these densely populated civilian areas, as we've seen today. The Lebanese health ministry has said it believes hundreds of people have been
killed or wounded as a result of today's attack.
And of course, for many here, they would have awoken to the news of that ceasefire with hope that it had extended to Lebanon, and that was certainly
the indication from Pakistan's Prime Minister who, of course, played a key role in brokering that two-week cessation of hostilities.
Clearly, that is not the case. As you've mentioned we've heard from the U.S. President Donald Trump. We had heard earlier from the Israeli Prime
Minister's office saying that Lebanon and was not included in that ceasefire agreement, despite assertions from the Pakistani Prime Minister.
As well as hearing from a Hezbollah spokesperson who said, according to Hezbollah, that Iran had also insisted that Lebanon be part of that peace
plan. But again, there are questions as to what the next steps could look like with regards to potentially expanding that ceasefire to Lebanon.
Whether that will happen, or whether perhaps we do see yet a further escalation? We've heard from security source speaking to state media Iran,
indicating that the Iranian regime is considering its potential options when it comes to a possible response in targeting Israel in response to
this attack in Lebanon.
And of course, it remains to be seen how Hezbollah responds to this latest attack as well. But of course, it really is important to underscore that
while this has been the largest wave of attacks that we have seen, according to the Israeli military targeting what they have described as
Hezbollah targets.
I cannot emphasize enough what we're seeing on the ground, the impact that this is having on civilian areas, on civilian lives. And we've been
speaking to people on the ground who are telling us that they want an immediate end to this war, a peaceful end to this war. But the fear is that
we will only continue to see an escalation, unless there is a serious intervention.
ASHER: I mean, my heart really does go out to the Lebanese people, because obviously they did not want this war. They have no part in it, and yet they
are completely powerless at this point to stop it. So, let's hope that changes.
Obviously, you mentioned that so many Lebanese people woke up hoping that the ceasefire would have extended to them, and clearly, at least for now,
it has not. Nada Bashir thank you so much. All right, still to come, the Pentagon declares war with Iran, a victory. We take a closer look at gains
and losses across the region.
GOLODRYGA: Plus, after Trump calls NATO a paper tiger, NATO's Chief is in Washington to meet him, we'll have a live report what to expect.
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[11:25:00]
ASHER: Let's update you on our breaking news. Iranian state news reporting that Tehran has halted all tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz
following continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon. This comes just hours after a ceasefire was agreed to by both the U.S. and Iran.
GOLODRYGA: President Trump now says Lebanon was not part of the ceasefire deal, and Israel has struck multiple Hezbollah targets across Lebanon in
the last few hours. The Israeli Prime Minister is due to convene his security cabinet in about three hours' time.
Now, amid tensions between the U.S. and members of the NATO alliance over the war with Iran, NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte has today met with
U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, at the White House.
ASHER: Rutte is also expected to meet with the U.S. President in just a few hours from now, a NATO official says that they will, quote, discuss current
security dynamics, including the context of Iran. Both Trump and Rubio have in the past week questioned whether U.S. should actually remain in the
alliance at all.
GOLODRYGA: Joining us now is CNN's Clare Sebastian. So, Clare, on the one hand, we know out of all NATO members and leaders, President Trump has a
very close relationship with Mark Rutte at the same time, that doesn't necessarily indicate President Trump view on the alliance as a whole. So
how is Mark Rutte approaching this meeting today?
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, as always, Bianna, the sort of the official line from NATO has been to maintain a very calm sort of
tone on this. And frankly, to play down expectations, they simply said, as you noted, that they would be discussing security issues and building they
said on the success of the NATO meeting last summer in the Hague, when NATO members, of course, signed up to a 5 percent spending pledge on the urging
of President Trump.
I think all of that, of course, is a signal that we will likely continue will likely continue to see the charm offensive that we've seen from Rutte
over the last year, and a bit that he's been dealing with Trump in his second term, and which has, you know, on occasion, led to a lessening of
tensions within the block.
He's managed to bring Trump round on various occasions where the -- where his rhetoric towards NATO has escalated in the past. But I think obviously
we're at the point now where it seems that there isn't a permanent cure to Trump's skepticism, so we may simply see Rutte's efforts to de-escalate
them again.
I think obviously a ceasefire in the Iran war, if it holds, will be a positive thing. It has led to significant tension within this block,
perhaps the highest water mark that we've seen, and especially now that we see Marco Rubio last week, also questioning the value of the alliance for
the United States.
Marco Rubio, who has, up until this point, been a very strong proponent of NATO. And perhaps the fact that we've seen eight NATO members come out
today and say that our governments will contribute and a quote to ensuring the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Obviously, they have
said in the past that that will happen when hostility stop, perhaps that will lead to a lessening of tensions.
[11:30:00]
It remains to be seen. But I think there is still a will within NATO to do this, to keep the dialog open, certainly from Mark Ritte's perspective,
because there is no escaping, of course, the cold, hard fact that the U.S. represents 60 percent of overall NATO defense spending.
GOLODRYGA: All right, Clare Sebastian, thank you so much. That meeting set to take place during the president and Mark Rutte in the coming hours.
Still to come for us, is the ceasefire in Iran in jeopardy. Just ahead, we speak with Retired Army Lieutenant General Karen Gibson about fast changing
developments on the ground.
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ASHER: Welcome back to "One World". I'm Zain Asher.
GOLODDRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. Here are some of the headlines we're watching today. Iranian news media is reporting that Tehran has just halted
oil tanker traffic through the vital Strait of Hormuz after continuing Israeli attacks on Lebanon. Earlier, at least two vessels safely passed
through the Strait.
ASHER: Yeah, it's unclear how the new developments will impact the two-week ceasefire agreement between Washington and Tehran. For now, this deal means
an end to the relentless U.S. and Israeli strikes that have killed hundreds of Iranians.
GOLODRYGA: Pakistan is emerging as a key mediator between the U.S. and Iran, with the Prime Minister representing the ceasefire plan, which
presenting the ceasefire plan, which both countries have now agreed to. Pakistan has invited delegations from both sides for talks in Islamabad on
Friday.
ASHER: Israel's military completed a wide scale wave of strikes targeting what it says were Hezbollah command centers and military sites in Lebanon.
Lebanon's Health Ministry says that hundreds were killed or wounded in today's attacks. It comes after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office
said the ceasefire deal does not include Lebanon. In the past few minutes, Donald Trump described conflict in Lebanon as a quote, separate skirmish.
[11:35:00]
GOLODRYGA: As we mentioned earlier, the Pentagon is calling the war with Iran a win. U.S. Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth said Operation Epic
Fury decimated Iran's military and rendered it combat ineffective for years to come.
ASHER: While also acknowledging Iran may still shoot here and there. The Joint Chiefs Chairman says U.S. forces remain ready to jump back into
combat at a moment's notice.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GENERAL DAN CAINE, CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF, AIR FORCE: We welcome the ongoing ceasefire, and as the Secretary said, we hope that Iran
chooses a lasting peace. But as Secretary Hegseth said, let us be clear, a ceasefire is a pause, and the joint force remains ready if ordered or
called upon to resume combat operations with the same speed and precision as we've demonstrated over the last 38 days. And we hope that that is not
the case.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Let's bring in Retired Lieutenant General Karen Gibson. She's also a Senior Associate of the Intelligence, National Security and Technology
Program for the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Thank you so much for being with us.
Obviously, we don't necessarily know if the ceasefire is technically still holding. We'll get to all of that in just a moment. But first, when this
war is said and done, I think the biggest takeaway that's going to come for this administration is this idea that if you are going to go to war with a
particular country, you have to have a clear exit strategy.
That's one of the things that caught President Trump off guard, especially in how Iran sort of held up traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. The problem is
the lesson that Iran has learned is a very different one and one that actually really concerns, I think myself and a lot of people.
This idea that by closing the Strait of Hormuz, they can and will continue to hold the entire world hostage, and that's what we're seeing play out
right now. Give us your take on that.
LT. GEN. KAREN GIBSON (RET.), SENIOR ASSOCIATE, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: Yeah, so I think both those statements are very
true. The U.S. military's operations have been characterized by tremendous professionalism, lethality, precision and bravery. But success on the
battlefield does not always translate, particularly immediately into strategic victory.
And it's even more the case if the objectives shift or change, if the exit criteria are not clearly defined, or if our strategic goals are somewhat
ambiguous, and perhaps that's a bit of what we're seeing. And certainly, Iran's military may be tremendously decimated. But as long as they have
that ability to choke off or control both commerce and maritime navigation in and around the Gulf, they have tremendous leverage.
And they're not going to be willing to give that up, I think, as part of these negotiations, because when they give that up, or if they gave that
up, then they would lose all leverage going forward. It really is their strength, and it's an increasingly asymmetric ability based on very
reliable, cheap, inexpensive capacity.
GOLODRYGA: General, both you and General Caine have noted that if these negotiations fail, that the U.S. would likely resume and can resume its
military operations in the region. You also think and say that the U.S. assets and troop build-up will remain where they are, assuming that things
still because the two sides couldn't be further apart at this point.
If things aren't resolved over the next two weeks, is the president in a position then to have to in order to save face or reopen the Strait of
Hormuz, continue some of his military operations, and if so, what would they look like?
GIBSON: So, I think this temporary ceasefire is a really important de escalatory measure, as each step, kind of each side sort of steps back from
their kinetic activity. But they both retain escalation options and for good reason, because that's exactly the leverage that they have going into
the negotiations.
And for Iran, as we've just mentioned, it's an ability to control the Strait. And for the U.S., their chief leverage is an ability to impose
truly punishing strikes on Iran. And so, I think the U.S. will continue to keep all of the military forces that it has in the region there for a
variety of reasons.
One, the Iranian threat is still real and may require rapid response. And two, the president is going to want to retain every strike option in the
event that he gets frustrated with the pace of the diplomatic efforts or an inability to reach a more enduring ceasefire.
They could be employed securing maritime con boys and the ground forces that have been deployed to the region, some amphibious elements, units from
the 82nd Airborne division and some parts of our elite special forces' elements could be employed for a variety of contingencies, to include
potentially seizing something like Kharg Island.
Some of the islands in the Strait or littoral areas, but I think really probably the most likely escalation we would see on the part of the United
States would be that resumption of punishing air strikes.
[11:40:00]
ASHER: Just in terms of, as Bianna mentioned, both sides obviously are extremely far apart as it pertains to a lasting peace, a lasting ceasefire
deal, one of the most important things I think, that Iran is going to want where it's not really going to budge on is ensuring that there cannot be
any more renewed attacks on their country.
The only way right now that I sort of see that happening is, of course, if they retain control of the Strait of Hormuz. And also, I think this idea of
nuclear hedge in where you sort of stay just below weaponization, but you already just in case.
Beyond that, you know, obviously those two things are really going to be off the table for the Americans. But beyond that, how does Iran get any
kind of guarantees that the U.S. is not going to pull this off again?
GIBSON: Yeah, I think Iran would only get those kinds of guarantees, and in particular, because we're really talking about two nations here, right? Not
just the United States, but Israel, which is always capable of conducting independent action regardless of what the United States agrees to.
And the only way that Iran is probably going to get anything that looks like that kind of commitment against future strikes is if they agreed to
things like removing the highly enriched uranium, ending their enrichment program, curbing ballistic missiles, and ending support for their regional
partners like Lebanese Hezbollah or the Houthis.
Those were core aims of both the United States and Israel that are noticeably absent from the 10-point plan that's been provided by Iran, and
it's really difficult for me to imagine the U.S. and Israel coming to any kind of agreement without those sorts of commitments on the part of Iran.
GOLODRYGA: What leverage specifically do you think China has imposed upon the ceasefire right now? We know that they were part of these negotiations,
they rely almost solely on oil from Iran, which they have been able to bypass sanctions for and evade for years now.
If they come out in a situation where they were ultimately the player that convinced Iran to sign off on this, and you still have Russia as well
willing to aid Iran with some of their intelligence assessments and even weapons. How concerned are you about the position that puts both countries,
but specifically China, in globally?
GIBSON: So, I don't think Russia particularly benefits, other than some short-term economic gain from the crisis, as it is right now. Increasing
the price of oil certainly benefits them, puts a little more money in their coffers, as well as potentially the closure of the Strait creates some
additional market for their fertilizer or their wheat.
But long term, really, this is yet another Russian ally, I would point out Venezuela and then the Bashar Al Assad government in Syria, that is in a
very difficult place. So, I don't think Russia comes out ahead, other than some potential short term economic gain.
China, along with really, all the rest of the world, would benefit tremendously from the reopening of the Straits. I'm not sure that they
actually have a lot of leverage in this case. I think that Iran is largely motivated at this point to at least enter negotiations because of the air
strikes, the punishing air strikes that the United States has been levying against them.
But I think the Islamic Republic has demonstrated an ability to not only absorb these kinds of strikes, but to do so while imposing costs on the
rest of the world. And I'm not sure that's something that China is really going to alter that calculus in some way.
It's in their benefits. China's benefits, in many ways, to get this situation eased, and it helps them and raises their posture diplomatically
makes them look like a reliable mediator and a more reliable partner. But I'm not sure that they have tremendous leverage in those areas that are key
and most critical to the Islamic Republic.
ASHER: Karen Gibson, Lieutenant Colonel General, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it.
GIBSON: Thank you.
ASHER: All right, still to come, oil prices plunged after the temporary ceasefire deal, but experts say it will be a while before things return to
normal in the oil market, details on that ahead as well.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:45:00]
GOLODRYGA: Well, as we mentioned, Iran State News is reporting that Tehran has halted all oil tanker traffic through the vital Strait of Hormuz,
citing continuing Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
ASHER: Earlier, oil prices plunged and stocks surged after news of a cease fire. Let's take a look at where oil prices are trading this hour. Let's
take a look first and see Brent Crude. Brent Crude is both WTI and Brent Crude both down, both trading around $95 a barrel.
GOLODRYGA: CNN's Matt Egan joins us now from New York. Matt, so a huge drop in oil prices a relief, no doubt. But there's still so much uncertainty
about not only the ceasefire, but even, even if the ceasefire holds and there is a deal at the end of the day, the disruption that this war has
caused to the energy markets will take months to recover from. Just walk us through the reality facing consumers ahead.
MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, Zain and Bianna, I think the message from the market right now is relief, right? Extreme relief that it appears
as though both sides have stepped back from the brink, and we are hopefully moving out of the most dangerous part of this crisis, at least for now,
right?
That's why we've seen U.S. stocks and stock markets around the world surge today. Look at this. You're seeing the DOW up by 1100 almost 1200 points
today along the NASDAQ, 3 percent almost higher on the day. And you mentioned oil prices, they're crashing, right?
I mean, look at U.S. oil prices WTI down almost 16 percent on the day. On track for its biggest one-day decline since COVID in 2020 back when oil was
trading in the single digits. But I do think we got to put all this into context, right?
This is basically where the war started, and you can see that U.S. oil prices remain significantly higher, not just relative to the start of the
year, but relative to the start of the conflict, right? I mean, this only brings oil prices back to about where they were trading three weeks ago.
And so, it is important to be honest here that it's not like things are just going to go back to normal right away, right? This is not like
flipping a light switch or restarting your smartphone. We're talking about massive energy supply disruption, the biggest on record.
And yes, it's going to take time here. Even the Energy Department's own statistical arm cautioned that it's not just going to take days or weeks,
but months to restore all of the oil that has been disrupted out of the Middle East. And yes, all eyes are on the Strait of Hormuz.
And this news from Iranian state media about Iran shutting down the flow of vessels through this critical waterway. That just speaks to the fragile
nature of this ceasefire and a lot of the questions here about what this is going to look like going forward.
Because while U.S. officials say the Strait has reopened, analysts don't see it that way. I just talked to Matt Smith from Kepler, and he says at
this point, very few vessels have resumed going through the Strait, and he says that confidence has been shaken, and it's going to take some time to
restore that.
[11:50:00]
And another thing that gets lost in the conversation is it's not only about reopening the Strait of Hormuz, it's the fact that Saudi Arabia and the UAE
and other nations in the Gulf, they have been forced to shut in some of their production because they ran out of places to store all of that oil
because the Strait was shut down.
And not just that, but it's not like the energy infrastructure in the region emerged from this crisis unscathed. It did not right. There's real
damage to some of the oil and energy facilities in the region. It's going to take time and money to fix all of that. And a lot of people are
wondering, what does it mean for inflation? What does it mean for gas prices?
And look gas prices, they move with a lag to oil. So, it's not shocking to see that the national average went back up today for gasoline for 16 a
gallon. This is the highest level in nearly four years. I think the good news is, analyst do think that in the coming days, prices will start to
come down.
A Gas Buddy thinks that the national average could fall back below $4 a gallon in the next week or two, but Zain and Bianna analysts say that we're
not going to go anywhere back near this pre-war level of just under $3 a gallon anytime soon, right? That could take months, and that would, of
course, hinge on this ceasefire lasting, and the Strait of Hormuz actually reopening. Back to you guys.
GOLODRYGA: And don't forget, we have the busy summer season coming up, especially Memorial Day driving weekend as well. Matt Egan, thank you.
ASHER: Thanks, Matt.
EGAN: Thanks guys.
ASHER: All right. Still to come, we are following NASA's Artemis II crew as they head back home to Earth after their record setting trip around the
Moon.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: The Artemis II astronauts are now awake as they make their way back home to Earth, where they are expected to splash down in the Pacific on
Friday. Astronaut Christina Koch reflects on new perspective of after the Moon Flyby.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINA KOCH, ARTEMIS II MISSION SPECIALIST: The exist phase for me looking back at Earth was that I found myself noticing not only the beauty
of the Earth, but how much blackness there was around it. And how it just made it even more special. It truly emphasized how alike we are, how the
same thing. Keep every single person on planet Earth alive. The specialness and preciousness of that really is emphasized when you notice how much else
there is around it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[11:55:00]
GOLODRYGA: Well, overnight, NASA released these new images taken by the astronauts of our Galaxy, the Milky Way, one of the nearly 10,000
incredible new photos we're getting to see from their swing around the moon.
Well, you could be the owner of an original piece of Paris's Iconic Eiffel Tower, a spiral staircase that once connected the second and third floors,
is going up for auction next month. It's expected to fetch between 120,000 150,000 euros.
ASHER: Now, while the seller has not been identified, the Auction House says that the staircase has been in the same private collection for more
than 40 years, since it was removed during an overhaul in 1993. And before we go --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's not what you're wearing to the dinner.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Two devils in Prada coming together, sharing the cover of Vogue.
GOLODRYGA: I cannot wait for the sequel after 30 years behind the scenes, Anna Wintour is now a Vogue Cover Star. She was joined by Meryl Streep, who
plays a fictionalized version of Wintour and the Devil Wears Prada. The sequel comes out in May. You know what I'll be doing that weekend?
ASHER: What a great shot? That is a great.
GOLODRYGA: Amazing two icons. All right, stay with us. We'll have more "One World" after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
