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One World with Zain Asher
Lebanon Ceasefire in Effect as Trump Says Iran Deal is Close; France, UK Welcome Iran's Announcement on Strait of Hormuz; Britain, France Host Virtual Meeting on Strait of Hormuz; Soccer Fans Driven to Reseller Sites Ahead of World Cup; Crude Oil Prices Fall on Strait of Hormuz Announcement; Hunters Find New Target as England Set to Ban Trial Hunting. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired April 17, 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".
Well, all eyes are on the Strait of Hormuz after Iran declared just hours ago that the critical waterway is now completely open.
The announcement came in a social media post from the Iranian Foreign Minister who says all commercial vessels can pass for the remainder of the
ceasefire, seemingly referring to the 10-day truce in Lebanon. Now President Trump also took to social media to say the naval blockade of
Iranian ports will remain in place.
Here's a live look at oil prices, which fell dramatically following Iran's announcement. There you see Brett crude down 12 percent, WTI also down 12
percent as well. U.S. markets surging in response to these developments. Anna Cooban is standing by for us in London.
But first, let's get straight to Eleni Giokos in Dubai and Eleni, obviously welcome news here, if in fact, the strait is open, but we've been in
similar situations where there hasn't been much consensus on what this means longer term. How are those voices and officials you are speaking with
responding?
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're saying we should take it with a pinch of salt, and we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves. And that's
sort of a reality check, because the one analyst said, you know, the markets are not stupid. They've been lied to before, and when Iran says the
strait is open, there's usually caveats.
And this is the issue that we could be seeing potentially gray area. Now, Iran says it is fully open to commercial vessels, but also saying that a
specific route that has been agreed upon. So, what is that route? Is that route the Iranian route that goes pass Larak Island? Does it go towards
Iranian territorial waters that could cause an issue, a compliance issue, for a lot of these vessels.
So, they're waiting to hear more on that front, but also, Bianna, really important to note here that Iran has been charging mostly a toll for a lot
of these vessels that have been transiting through the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the war, and they have really been, you know, de facto
controlling the transit.
Now this U.S. naval blockade that is in the Gulf of Oman has, of course, changed things quite significantly. It's tightened the screws on Iran being
able to sell its oil on international markets. And frankly, if you look at tanker traffic that has dominated since the start of the war.
It's mostly Iranian link vessels carrying Iranian oil that has been heading to Asian markets. President Trump says the naval blockade is not going
anywhere. So that's another factor, another expert that I spoke to saying it is a sign of good news, but again, waiting to see if it comes, you know,
to fruition.
What is the reality going to be? And it's going to be sort of, who moves first, who is going to transit first. Then there's the insurance issue, and
then, of course, don't expect multiple tankers to move through or vessels to move through in one day, where you normally see about 130.
You've also, I mean, you can just see the congestion in the Persian Gulf right now. To clear that up, one analyst told me that it could take up to
six months to do that. So, for insurers, right now, they're looking very closely at what this means. Remember, we were talking about potential mines
that have been placed in strategic areas in the straits.
Has that been cleared up? Is that still a threat? And of course, the big concern about, you know, whether Iran is going to hold to its word and not
target any vessels that are going to be embarking on the strait. So, for now, there's cautious optimism. It's really reflected in what we're seeing
in the oil markets.
But these are the futures markets, Bianna, if you look at the physical market, there's still major issues there, and we have not seen a movement
on the Brent crude price on the physical side of things, because this is the largest energy shock in the history of global markets, and it is going
to take months to unwind.
So even if we do see movement coming through, you're looking at sort of the caveat of until the ceasefire comes to an end. Now hopefully it will be
extended, or some agreement will be made. But this is really interesting sign in terms of Iran coming to the table and seeing how the United States
is going to ultimately respond in terms of trying to opening it up.
Now that the Europeans are saying they want to create a coalition, a multilateral effort to also create some sort of, you know, opening of the
straits in whatever form that would come in.
[11:05:00]
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, and you're right to point out that the oil is sold on the futures market. So, what does this short term drop now mean for all of
those longer-term purchases that have already been made and priced in? Let's go to Anna Cooban for this. I mean, Anna, all of this news is based
on what we're hearing from both Iranian officials and President Trump on social media.
Nothing has been signed. Nothing is official. So how are we to interpret this drop in oil prices today?
ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS & ECONOMICS REPORTER: Well, you're right. This is all about hope and optimism and feelings, and that's great because, you
know, we are seeing that drop in the price of Brent today and WTI. This is what we want to see.
But Eleni, is right when she talks about the fact that there are some sticky questions or sticky issues to be resolved, questions to be answered
about the nature of this ceasefire and the complete reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. And also, we're seeing a relief rally in the equity market. I
think you would imagine that the S&P 500, the NASDAQ, would actually be up by more after this news.
They've up around over a 1 percent each. But actually, they had kind of baked this in. We've seen equity markets rise steadily in the U.S. over the
past couple of weeks, hitting record highs both the S&P and the NASDAQ in the past couple of days, because they were optimistic about the progress of
these talks.
But again, want to reiterate what Eleni was saying, which is about the kind of longer-term impact of this, the IEA said today that actually it's going
to take about two years to get oil production back to where it was prewar. It's going to take weeks, if not months, to truly see a normalization of
traffic through the strait.
And I also want to highlight a phenomenon that we've seen at times over the past few years, which is that when prices in the sort of real economy or
people are paying for gasoline in their car, for example, in the United States, if we just take that one area, they tend to sort of stay high,
because you do not want to be the first mover as a gas station and lowering the prices.
And this is something that's caused controversy. It's something politicians have tried to fix. But that is also something we might see here. We might
see prices staying sticky and not coming down as fast as the base price of the price of crude, for example. So really, yes, a lot of optimism.
We want to see these falls in the price of energy. We want to see these rises in equity markets. But, you know, we really need to see the devil is
in the detail and what's happening on the ground before we can truly rejoice.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, Anna Cooban and Eleni Giokos. Thank you so much. The president making a statement on truth social that Iran agrees to never
close the Strait of Hormuz again. The question is, has there been a lesson learned from Iran in terms of the leverage that they have gained over this
closure?
Meantime, as noted, the president has been quite active on social media the past few hours. This is just one of his many posts. Just a moment ago, he
wrote that the U.S. will get all of Iran's nuclear dust, a seeming reference to Iran's enriched uranium stockpile.
He went on to say the U.S. will separately work with Lebanon and deal with the Hezbollah situation in an appropriate manner. Israel, he writes, will
not be bombing Lebanon any longer. They are prohibited from doing so by the USA, enough is enough. Well, my next guest is a Lecturer on Middle East
Affairs at Reichman University, Nadav Pollak joins me now from Toronto.
And hearing the president there stating that Israel will not be bombing into Lebanon. Enough is enough. Really reminds me of another statement he
made last summer, using an expletive telling Israel to turn their fighter jets around. There was an F word in there. This during the 12-day war, so
the president putting his foot down, saying, enough is enough.
You have been in favor of this ceasefire, but the majority of Israelis are not aligned with you on this front. They were hoping that Israel would
further degrade Hezbollah before there would be any ceasefire in place. Now that the president has said what he did on social media, does this not give
Hezbollah more leverage here?
NADAV POLLAK, LECTURER ON MIDDLE EAST AFFAIRS AT REICHMAN UNIVERSITY: Yeah, as you noted, Bianna, really, most Israelis, and I think there was a survey
published this morning, don't support the ceasefire. I think that the main reason why because I think, to be honest, I think Israel officials did not
really tell the truth and were not honest with the Israeli public.
In order to disarm Hezbollah completely, Israel will basically need to conquer the whole of Lebanon and to go after Hezbollah everywhere in
Lebanon, which that's not something that will happen, and what they did up until now, the ground operation deals with some type of the threat, some
anti tech missile, some short range rockets, but it will not deal with the issue of Hezbollah altogether.
By the way, Hezbollah fired most of the rockets actually northern of the Litani River, which it's not something the ground operation would go after.
So, I think it was a problem of Israeli officials not being honest with the Israeli public, and you saw some of them yesterday, there were a bunch of
interviews in Israeli media angry at Prime Minister Netanyahu saying that he promised to remove the threat, and he didn't.
[11:10:00]
And that will be a problem for Prime Minister Netanyahu going forward.
GOLODRYGA: So, the president stating that, per his command, Israel will no longer be bombing into Lebanon this coming as this ceasefire announcement
was made while the security cabinet was meeting to vote on this ceasefire yesterday. The president making clear that his announcement Trumps even
that from the Prime Minister of Israel.
How is this all playing for Prime Minister Netanyahu at home? Because he's already dealing with a weary public who had been at war for weeks now with
Iran. And like Lebanon, he made the same pledges to completely eliminate the threat from Iran and claim total victory.
POLLAK: Yeah. The last 24 hours have been really unprecedented, as you noted, from announcing the ceasefire before Israel has even heard about it
from their prime ministers. Then this tweet this morning that Israel is prohibited from bombing Lebanon, which is truly unprecedented.
And I think right now, the public in Israel, and especially those that voted for Prime Minister Netanyahu and still support him, will demand
answers for what happened now, since yesterday, Prime Minister Netanyahu has tried to frame it as we still achieved what we aimed for, and we still
are in Lebanon, in the South of Lebanon, sort of making sure that Hezbollah were not come back.
But all of this is to tell you the truth is, it's not being honest with the public. Israel didn't achieve what Netanyahu has promised in Lebanon. It
didn't achieve what he promised in Iran. And when we're talking about the fact that we're going to have Israel elections in next October, Prime
Minister Netanyahu, right now, is in a problem.
He promised many things he didn't deliver. And for many as well as you know, the security is probably the one priority consideration when they
decide who to vote. And when the prime minister doesn't deliver, that creates issues for him. And I'm sure right now, he's trying to frame it in
a whole different manner to show victory.
But you see already, even the media people that are close to Netanyahu, one of their closest, tweeted yesterday that Trump surrendered to Iran. And I'm
sure that the public voice against Netanyahu will continue to increase if he's not going to show some achievements from all of this.
You need to remember Israel have spent in the last month and a half in shelters the northern communities as well. And you know, they were promised
security, and Netanyahu didn't deliver.
GOLODRYGA: And he's completely made his investment aligning with President Trump and the Republican Party, I would argue, for the last few decades
here, which has created a situation for Israel, where, for the first time and in decades, there is not a bipartisan support for the country.
You're saying poll after poll and demographic after demographic continue to show declining support for Israel, and especially in the Democratic Party,
an unprecedented 40 out of 47 Democrats, Senate Democrats voted this week to withhold funding for Israel's weapons both this specifically was on
bulldozers and dumb bombs.
But there are even those that are saying defensive weapons is not something that they are willing to support anymore, that would have been unheard of
just a few years ago. How are Israelis responding to this? Are they aware of the dire situation that support for their country really faces here in
the U.S.?
POLLAK: I think they're not aware enough. I think I agree with you completely, and this will be part of Netanyahu's legacy. The rifts in New
York in U.S. support of Israel in the U.S. is basically a strategic failure for Israel and a strategic failure for our prime minister. And one of the
key pillars of Israel National Security was a bipartisan support in the U.S.
And as you just mentioned, the recent polls show that this has been eroded. In a Republican Party, we still see stronger support for Israel, but in the
Democratic Party, it's declining rapidly. And I think, as you mentioned, many Israels are not aware enough. I think that you know, some of them are
still after October 7th and everything that happened, they can, sometimes they can't even believe that, like the support is declined so much, and why
many Americans are not with us.
And I think that for that, Prime Minister Netanyahu did not do a good job and sort of bring in the entire U.S. public and sort of explain our case in
the war against Iran, in the war against Hezbollah. And I think that in this point he felt completely and to tell the truth, it's also a
personality issue.
I think that Netanyahu, since, you know, since the President Obama term and others, he sort of align himself more and more with the Republican Party.
Even went against President Biden after he finished this term, sort of talking about how he stopped the security with Israel, which, to me, was a
mistake.
[11:15:00]
And right now, we sort of is reaping what he sold, and that will be a big pump for his role going forward.
GOLODRYGA: Right, because prior to Prime Minister Netanyahu, who's the longest serving prime minister in Israel, whatever disagreements had been
created, and we know there had been a number between various administrations, typically, all of that was kept behind closed doors.
This was out in the public. This is something the prime minister campaigned on, and I can't help but think what David Ben-Gurion, the founding leader
there of Israel, had always said, and that was always keep America close. And this has to be a bit of a shock and concern for Israelis when they see
these poll numbers.
I agree with you, mostly among Democrats, we're seeing that decline also amongst Republicans as well. Nadav Pollak, thank you so much. Really
appreciate you joining us.
POLLAK: Thank you for having me.
GOLODRYGA: Well as the Strait of Hormuz is declared open by Iran, while a Lebanon-Israel ceasefire holds. Britain and France have welcomed the
announcement, but warn that more needs to be done.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEIR STARMER, UK PRIME MINISTER: We welcome the announcement that was made during our meeting, but we need to make sure that that is both lasting and
a workable proposal, and if anything, it reinforces the need for the work that we've been doing this afternoon, because we're very clear that the
mission that we're putting together is a defensive mission, and that comes after a ceasefire.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: The announcement broke as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron co-hosted dozens of world leaders on
the situation in the Strait of Hormuz. CNN's Melissa Bell is outside the Elysee Palace in Paris for more.
And Melissa, I'm serious when I ask this question, what is the point of this meeting for European officials when they don't have a stake in any of
the decision making here, as has been seen given the announcement from President Trump of potentially a deal looming, and also that the strait as
for now is open.
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This was a meeting that was initially proposed by the British and the French, but that also
attracted in presence. They were actually here in Paris, the Italian leader and the German leader, but there were some 50 participants in it, many
remotely.
They were global organizations, but some 30 heads of state or government. And that's important, because it wasn't just Europeans. What we're talking
about are the leaders of -- from Latin America through the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific, those parts of the world that were not belligerent, in
this case, that are not directly involved in the war, but have been on the front line of its effects, of its impacts.
And so, they came together to try and put together, and they've been talking about this for some weeks, this coalition to ensure that navigation
can stay open in the Strait of Hormuz. The idea is that they want no blockade. They want no tolls, and they want the end of fighting a
ceasefire, allowing them to mount this mission with the help of the ships of France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy, in order to carry out
mine sweeping operations.
Now, crucially, only once, a ceasefire has been struck, then this announcement of the lifting on the Iranian side of the blockade and all the
hope that it has brought. But what the French President wanted to keep front and center was the need for prudence, because we'd seen so many times
before, at moments of a glimmer of hope disappointment then of the face with the maxim is demands of the United States, the intransigence of the
Iranians and the continued frustration of the rest of the world.
Faced with this, the idea here was to try and do something about it, without being those involved directly in the war. This is what the French
President had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT: We demand a total reopening immediately, unconditionally by all parties of the Strait of Hormuz. We demand a
restoration of the conditions of free navigation that were in place before the war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BELL: So, they're feeling prudent about their prospects of peace, because, of course, the complexity of the negotiations ahead leaves no doubt to
leaders who gather here in Europe in Paris today, but they are also simply actually looking for a return to the situation before this war began,
Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: All right, Melissa Bell in Paris for us. Thank you. And still to come on "One World", it's the hottest ticket in the world. We'll show you
what fans in Miami will do, will go to, will do to go to the World Cup, tongue twister there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:20:00]
GOLODRYGA: We are less than two months to the start of the World Cup, and if you're planning to go, also plan to bring extra cash. Train fare from
New York's Penn Station to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey is usually around $13 but for World Cup games, train fare will top $100 that is, according to
Reuters, citing the athletic.
The train from Boston to the stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts could cost $80 and bus fare could jump to $95. New Jersey's Governor has asked
FIFA to help subsidize costs. Meantime, many die-hard fans are turning to ticket resellers to get coveted seats to games. CNN's Carolina Peguero
reports from Miami.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAROLINA PEGUERO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not everyone has been lucky enough to secure tickets to the World Cup, a process that usually relies on
lotteries. But that hasn't stopped fans from continuing their quest for these coveted tickets.
ERICK SOLMS, SOCCER FAN: I apply for the lottery. I did not get them, so I had to go through third party reseller tickets.
PEGUERO (voice-over): Erick, an Ecuadorian fan from Florida, is crystal clear on one thing, he cannot let this opportunity slip away.
SOLMS: Just looking for the right moment, the right time and look at the supply and demand.
PEGUERO (voice-over): But how much does it cost to watch your national team at the World Cup?
SOLMS: One game, $400 the second game was going to be like around $800 and the third game, which is against Germany, which has the most demand, it's
going to be about $1,200.
PEGUERO (voice-over): And that's not counting the other expenses, like flights, food and hotels. Miami is preparing to welcome millions of
visitors in areas like Wynwood, where streets murals and urban art are beginning to reflect pure football.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are ready to host some we have a variety of different activations. We have a lot of our members from the Wynwood
Chamber of Commerce hosting fan zones here locally.
PEGUERO (voice-over): Something that small businesses also appreciate. Those anticipating a significant increase in customers and sales.
SEBASTIAN GALLEGOS, MARKETING MANAGER OF CLASSIC FOOTBALL SHIRTS: Even on any given day nowadays, we could already see something like 350 people walk
into a store on a random Tuesday. So, imagine, with all of the other supporters from like, for example, you know, the Netherlands, Scotland, all
these people that come in extreme waves.
PEGUERO: So, you're going to come to the any of the experiences that they have, the fan base experience?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Love to it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The cost of an arm and a leg.
PEGUERO (voice-over): Begs the question, is it worth it?
SOLMS: Is it financially worth it? I don't know, but is it worth it? Is it like, a personal goal of mine? Take it off my bucket list? Absolutely.
PEGUERO (voice-over): Carolina Peguero, CNN, Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: And still ahead for us, Iran says the Strait of Hormuz is completely open to commercial vessels. We'll have a live report on what
this means, ahead. And crude oil prices are down sharply. But when will we see prices drop at the pump?
[11:25:00]
We'll have that for you, after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: Welcome back to "One World". I'm Bianna Golodryga in New York. Here are some headlines we're watching today. A short time ago, Iran
declared that the Strait of Hormuz was completely open. The Iranian Foreign Minister says all commercial vessels can pass for the remainder of the
ceasefire.
Crude oil prices plunged after news of the Strait of Hormuz reopening at last check. Both the U.S. and global benchmarks were under $90 a barrel.
The Lebanese army has accused Israel of violating a ceasefire agreement just hours after it came into effect. A 10-day Israel Lebanon truce began
at midnight local time.
Still, Prime Minister Netanyahu says the IDF will not withdraw from its positions in Southern Lebanon. Pope Leo is set to meet with the students of
the Catholic University of Central Africa in Cameroon shortly. He's drawn massive crowds across the country as he continues his historic Africa tour.
Let's go back to our top story. Iran says the Strait of Hormuz is now open to all commercial vessels as a 10-day truce between Israel and Lebanon
appears to be holding. Nic Robertson joins us now from Islamabad, Pakistan, where he has been monitoring the diplomatic push for peace.
Nic, you can interpret how the Foreign Minister of Iran made this announcement linking the opening of the Strait of Hormuz to the ceasefire
in Lebanon, there have been others that have suggested that's just to save face publicly and instead, this is Iran capitulating, given the economic
cost that the closing of the strait has been on them.
How are you hearing this development impacting potential talks that could be imminent?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: So right now, you have the top tier of Pakistan mediators, the Field Marshal Asim Munir, the Army
Chief, who is the most powerful man in the country, along with the interior minister in well over three days of talks in Tehran.
[11:30:00]
And yesterday those talk as part of those talks, that's when the Lebanon's ceasefire was agreed. And it was significant and strategic that it was
agreed while the Pakistan delegation was in Tehran. The Iranians thank the Pakistan is for helping deliver that. It was a very public positioning of
President Trump, making it happen.
The Iranians have always said, and the Pakistan is had as well, that that was their understanding, that the beginning of the ceasefire, that a
Lebanon, Hezbollah, Israel ceasefire was conditional, and part of the U.S.- Iran, Israel ceasefire. So, the Iranians are now saying that because of that.
And when we talk about diplomacy, we talk about trust, building trust, and the ways to sort of build that trust through sequencing of moves. And that
appears to be what we're seeing here. And that's certainly what I understand from my sources, very clear sequencing the Iranians wanted this.
They got it. The United States wanted the Straits of Hormuz open. They got it. There's the conditionality on it that the Iranian's Foreign Minister
has put. Number one, that its time limited to the duration of the ceasefire. Number two, that the shipping uses the Iranian designated
routes, which, as best we know, are those that are on the north of the Strait of Hormuz, close to the Iranian coast.
But pursuant to that, it has created an atmosphere, it appears, for the Pakistani mediators in Tehran to move and have some momentum in the talks.
The Iranians have been asking for significant funds. They asked that for them at the negotiations last week, they wanted sanctions lifting.
They wanted war reparations and damage payments, and they wanted assets unfrozen, billions of dollars. And now CNN has its own reporting from the
White House that indeed $20 billion has appears to be allocated as part of this program. So, I think what we're actually witnessing here is diplomacy
in action, through building of trust, through sequencing.
However, the caveat is the final hurdle, the final yards are the hardest, and that does appear to be the nuclear enrichment issue. Iran's aspirations
for a nuclear bomb. President Trump says he's got a commitment. Says he's got a commitment to get what he describes as a nuclear dust that highly
enriched uranium bombed under mountains last summer.
Some of the key questions for the Iranians will be part of the optics and semantics around that. Who goes in and gets that nuclear dust. Who goes in
and demolishes those enrichment facilities and which ones and where does that nuclear dust end up? Which country does it go to?
And from my understanding, from sources, these have been the stumbling points along the way. It's not clear to us what all the difficult issues
are that may or may not remain, but that does seem to be the big central one, notwithstanding the demands that previous demands that Iran get rid of
its proxies, that like Hezbollah, like Hamas, like the Houthis.
That it also get rid of its ballistic missile program, to those missiles that they fired at one time thousands of kilometers towards Diego Garcia
and the Indian Ocean, that they fired regularly into Israel and the region. It's not clear where you -- original U.S. demands and that remain at this
stage.
GOLODRYGA: Right. And also unknown is whether or not Iran would agree to the number of years the Trump Administration has announced that they would
be prevented from enriching uranium as well. One side was it 20 years. I believe Iran was at five years at last check.
Nic Robertson, as we say, the devil is in the details. Thank you. Well, oil prices have plummeted on the announcement that the Strait of Hormuz has
been reopened. Have a look at the global benchmark. Brent in the U.S. benchmark, WTI, all down, not at their lows, but down 10 percent just
earlier this hour, they were down 12 percent.
Joining us now is Robin Brooks. He's a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institutions, and Robin, I have been following all of your very thoughtful
Substack posts and your posts on X as well. I suggest our viewers do and trying to get an understanding of what this blockade was about.
And perhaps the opening that it has led to for negotiations. You have been a proponent of this blockade for some time. Now, we're hearing the
president and the Iranian Foreign Minister say the strait is open. How are you interpreting the news over the last few hours?
ROBIN BROOKS, SENIOR FELLOW AT THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: That's great to be with you, Bianna, and thanks for having me on.
[11:35:00]
You know, big picture. I think this is such a contrast with our response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine four years ago, back then, our response really
was kind of appeasement and being afraid of a spike in global oil prices, and Ukrainians pay the price every day, right? We've had terrible attacks
by Russia across Ukraine this week.
And so, I think big picture the first lesson to take from all of this. And of course, the ink isn't dry on anything here, but the lesson is, I think a
more muscular approach to oil exporters like Iran and Russia is the way to go. And I think the speed with which Iran folded here after the
announcement and implementation of the blockade is vindication of that approach. So, kudos to the White House for adopting this strategy.
GOLODRYGA: The president has said that the blockade still holds, however, and that Iran has agreed to never close the Hormuz Strait again. I don't
know how credible Iran is with these types of pledges, though. So given that they've understood that this is a leverage point for them going
forward.
I don't know if it's sustainable for us to have three carrier strike groups in the region just to jump in, in case they don't keep that promise. How do
you maintain the opening of the strait?
BROOKS: So, Iran's key pressure point, as you say, Bianna, is pushing up global oil prices. That's their leverage, right? They want U.S. gasoline
prices to head to $5 at the pump and maybe more, and threaten this administration and the Republicans with electoral losses in November at the
midterms.
And so, I actually think what the U.S. Administration is doing in aggregate is very, very smart. They are putting a lid on oil prices. They've done
that by dangling a peace agreement in front of markets, and markets have responded by pushing down futures prices. That's great.
At the same time, the U.S. Administration this week announced, for example, possible secondary sanctions on Chinese banks. That's hugely important,
because Iran saw this blockade coming and stored lots of oil, on oil tankers that are floating around global oceans.
And so basically what the U.S. Administration is doing, on the one hand, it's talking down and pushing down global oil prices. That reduces Iran's
leverage, and at the same time, it's applying pressure and basically taking all this floating storage off the market and telling China don't buy this
stuff. So, I think it's overall pretty smart and well done.
GOLODRYGA: So, going forward, what would you like to see? Because it seems the president is eager for some sort of deal to be announced. This is not a
popular war here at home. So, to maintain the upper hand, what needs to hold?
BROOKS: So, we need, as you know, the Strait of Hormuz is a huge choke point for global oil markets. It is the source of 20 million barrels of oil
per day for global markets, so 20 percent of global supply. We need to ramp back up to that. If you factor in the various pipelines that exist and some
oil tanker traffic that is happening now, we are maybe at half that capacity.
So, we need to allow shipping traffic to normalize as quickly as possible. We need some of the gaps in inventories across Asia to be filled, and that
will then help global oil markets normalize. That includes allowing Iran to go back to exporting its oil. So that means lifting the blockade. I think
the administration is waiting for all the ink to dry before doing that.
GOLODRYGA: All right. We shall see what happens in the hours and days to come. The ceasefire is set to expire on Tuesday. I believe a lot can happen
between then and now. Robin Brooks, thank you for joining us.
BROOKS: Thanks for having me.
GOLODRYGA: And still to come on "One World", President Trump is taking to social media a lot today. It's almost in a frenzied manner. We'll tell you
what he said, just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:40:00]
GOLODRYGA: Well, as soon as Iran announced the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. President began a social media blitz from his hotel in Las
Vegas with posts about shipping the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon and of course, going after his critics and praising his allies.
Brian Stelter joins us with the latest details. And Brian, typically, we're able to follow most of them before we make air, and can sort of digest what
he's been saying and analyze it. This is happening so fast and in real time, what do you make of it?
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: Yeah. He's still going while you're on the air, Bianna, one of the complaints he's making, of course, is about
CNN. He says the media is not giving enough credit. I think what the president is doing on true social is trying to speak to a domestic audience
that is very war weary.
You mentioned during the last block how unpopular the Iran action has been in the United States. That has remained true as the weeks have progressed.
His messaging, Pete Hegseth's messaging has not made a dent in the American public's opinion about the war. So, he is trying, in this series, frenzied
series of Truth Social posts, to tell the American people that all is well, that all is over, that he's moving on.
I think he's also watching the stock market closely, as he often does, and trying to propel the markets even higher. The amount of damage caused in
the last six months, sorry, last six weeks is going to take a long time to account for. That includes economic damage, as well as military and other
matters.
But Trump wants to move on, and this is part of a broader pattern we've seen with the President. Trump's approach to power, it's like a series of
fireworks in the night sky, right? Imagine bright, dramatic bursts that fizzle out really quickly. That's how he approaches the American attention
span.
It's how he flips on quickly to another topic. Some people sometimes say he's trying to distract the public from certain stories. It's not always
about distraction. It's about his own attention span. He gets bored. He gets tired. He wants to move on to another topic.
So even on a subject as serious as the war, I think he's trying to say on Truth Social that he's moving on, that he's done this is over, of course,
Bianna, as your analyst here on air, is saying it's a lot more complicated than that.
GOLODRYGA: And how do we decipher from the policy news that he in real time, is announcing and updates on the war with his own personal vendettas.
STELTER: Right. He's saying, for example, quote, Iran has agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again. It will no longer be used as a weapon
against the world. That is a bold and very hopeful assessment, but the idea that he can look into the future and make that kind of promise, it is, of
course, unrealistic and untethered to reality.
He has also said that Iran has removed, or is removing, all sea mines. Thank you, he says one of his posts has thank you in all caps.
[11:45:00]
So, he has a domestic audience. He also has a global audience where he is sending messages to Iran through his social media feed, but again, acting
very much as if he can just wipe his hands of the matter when it is more complicated. And certainly, what he's not posting about is the reporting
from CNN and other outlets that the U.S. might unfreeze $20 billion worth of Iran assets.
Something that, of course, he was incredibly critical of Barack Obama for doing at a much smaller scale, 10 years ago.
GOLODRYGA: I believe he said, no money will exchange hands again. These are just reports and proposals thus far. Nothing has been agreed to. But also,
notable that he makes other countries policies through his announcements as well, like yesterday, by stating that there is a ceasefire between Israel
and Lebanon before the Israeli government has actually been able to vote on that ceasefire.
STELTER: I think it speaks to his belief that he can shape everything, be invincible, and shape all the actions of the world through his words. He
said, for example, today, now that the Hormuz Strait situation is over. Right, so as if, through his declaration, all is well, it's over.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah.
STELTER: And we've seen that many times from the U.S. President, where he believes his words can result in change. I think you know, the rest of us
just have to be skeptical that his power, although it is very real, can actually extend to what's going to happen in a faraway body of water
thousands of miles from his office.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah. I think he may also be trying to dispel the narrative that he was somehow dragged into this war and that it wasn't his choice.
Initially, he's making it clear that he's controlling all of it. Brian Stelter, thank you. Well, fox hunting was banned two decades ago in
England.
And now the government is ready to ban even more of the British hunting tradition. We'll have details ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: The British tradition of hunting with hounds has undergone significant changes in recent years. 20 years ago, England and Wales banned
fox hunting. This year, the government is set to ban trail hunting -- have already found a replacement. CNN's Christina Macfarlane joins the chase.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The great British hunt, known for its pageantry, aristocracy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- this is an elitist --
MACFARLANE (voice-over): And controversy too.
[11:50:00]
For centuries, pack dogs have chased and killed foxes and other wild animals. But since that was banned decades ago, hunts have needed another
prey.
MACFARLANE: I'm here in the Suffolk countryside, chased by a pack of horses and hounds something called a clean boot hunt. Traditionally, this hunt
would have chased an animal scent like foxes, but now as humans or runners, and today, that means me -- little bit nervous.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): James Chadwick is the Master and Huntsman of The Hamilton Bloodhounds. He's been rearing these bloodhounds from birth to
track human scent.
MACFARLANE: Am I going to get torn to pieces?
JAMES CHADWICK, MASTER AND HUNTSMAN OF THE HAMILTON BLOODHOUNDS: Not at all. You might get licked to death, but no, you'll find out in a minute.
They're so friendly. They love people. Watch your head.
MACFARLANE: Oh my Gosh.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): We enter a tiny cage so the dogs can sniff our scent.
MACFARLANE: Do you know all their names --
MACFARLANE (voice-over): With our dignity just about intact. We're given a 15-minute head start as the riders assemble.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Fudge, just behave yourself.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As you know, I'm your field master. Please stay behind me.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): And then the hunt begins.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stand still. On you get.
MACFARLANE: There goes the horn.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): If hunting is to continue in the UK, this could soon be the only way to do it, with the government proposing a ban on all
forms of hunting involving animal scent in England and Wales. Dogs have been used to track foxes and other wild animals in Britain since the 16th
century.
It only became popular as a sport a century later. After animal hunting was banned in 2004, hunts were permitted to chase a pre laid scent without any
killing. But some think that's been used as a smoke screen to continue illegal hunting, which is why clean boot hunting is taking off.
MACFARLANE: I can hear them.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): As the runners make good progress, excitement is mounting at the back of the pack.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Fudge just be sensible.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): On this occasion, we finish the trail before being caught and lie in wait.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good ol' boys, good ol' girls. Well-done.
MACFARLANE: It's strangely exhilarating. Lot more fun than a park run.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): There's a round of port for everyone who completes the course --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- cheers.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): Including the runners.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good boy, Fudgy.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): And time for a catch up.
REESE PLUM, RIDER: People think you're crazy, but I love it. I love it, and to keep it going, is it's necessary, because it keeps the community
together, because you have all walks of life that come here.
MACFARLANE: What do you say to people who think this isn't a real hunt?
LYDIA FREEMAN, SENIOR FIELD MASTER OF THE HAMILTON BLOODHOUNDS: I would say that this is the most brilliant compromise, because no one gets hurt.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): And no one is more relief than me.
MACFARLANE: Thank God. It's only biscuits they want.
FREEMAN: Three cheers for the runners. Hip, hip --
MACFARLANE: Thank you. We survive.
MACFARLANE (voice-over): Christina Macfarlane, CNN, Suffolk, England.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: I love watching Christina out in the field. What a great story. All right, well, Hollywood often depicts war, but sometimes the War
Department takes a page from Hollywood. Well, that's what Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth did earlier this week when he said he quoted from the
Bible at a prayer service, but it was actually that he was quoting from the movie "Pulp Fiction".
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE HEGSETH, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to capture and destroy
my brother.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers.
HEGSETH: And you will know my call sign is Sandy One when I lay my vengeance upon thee.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: I think we can all agree that Samuel L. Jackson sold that moment a bit better. OK, well, the crew of the Artemis II mission has given their
first news conference and interviews since returning to Earth. Fresh off their historic sling shot around the Moon's far side, the astronauts
reflected on how the mission united people during a time of increase division.
[11:55:00]
Speaking to CNN's Erin Burnett, NASA Astronaut Christina Koch, explained how seeing the Earth from space gave her a new appreciation for our planet.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINA KOCH, ARTEMIS II MISSION SPECIALIST: I think the thing I see the most out the window is planet Earth. We saw it in so many different phases.
We saw it in different sizes. We were close in proximity. We used its gravity to propel ourselves, along with our trans lunar injection burn to
the Moon.
We saw it as a crescent as it set behind the Moon and Rose behind the Moon. And the idea that every human experience that we've invented, that we've
gone through that means something to us as people, everything that keeps us alive, that's the same, is all in that small orb that's hanging like a
lifeboat in so much blackness, and the unifying power of that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: How beautiful -- their mission featured views of the Moon never before seen by humans, and a new record for traveling the farthest into
space. All right, do stay with CNN. I'll have more "One World" after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
