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The Brief with Jim Sciutto
CNN International: Trump Urges Allies to Send Warships to Strait of Hormuz; UAE: Drone Attack Causes Fire at Major Oil and Gas Field; Italy- U.S. Base in Kuwait Targeted in Drone Attack Sunday; Iran FM Says Strait of Hormuz "Only Closed to Our Enemies"; China Allows Videos and Memes Mocking Trump; Israel's Ground Operations in Lebanon; Cuba's Power Grip Collapses. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired March 16, 2026 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:00]
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the U.S. and all around the world. I'm Lynda Kinkade in Atlanta.
Jim is off today. You're watching "The Brief."
Just ahead this hour, Donald Trump criticizes allies who turned down his call to help him reopen the Hormuz Strait. Cuba's power grid collapses
after weeks of an oil blockade by the US. And "One Battle After Another" takes best picture at an Oscars that included some historic firsts. We're
going to break it all down for you.
But first, mounting pressure from Donald Trump at the U.S. president criticizing allies in Europe and Asia who rejected his demands to send
warships to the Strait of Hormuz.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Some of the countries that we've helped for many, many years. We've protected them from horrible outside sources. And
they weren't that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm matters to me. Well, we want to know, do you have any minesweepers? Well, we'd rather not
get involved, sir. I said, for you mean for 40 years, we're protecting you and you don't want to get involved in something that is very minor?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Very minor. Mr. Trump is wanting NATO members that the alliance faces a very bad future if it fails to assist in securing that key
waterway. E.U. foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says this is in NATO's area is -- this is out of NATO's area of action. A German government
spokesperson says this war has nothing to do with NATO. It is not NATO's war. France, on the other hand, says it is willing to help escort vessels
through that strait when the, quote, "most intense phase of the war ends."
Mr. Trump just a short time ago claimed the U.S. doesn't need help after all.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We don't need anybody. We're the strongest nation in the world. We have the strongest military by far in the world. We don't need them. But
it's interesting. I'm almost doing it in some cases, not because we need them, but because I want to find out how they react.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Alayna Treene is following the developments live for us from the White House and joins us now. Good to have you with us. So, the Trump
administration launched this war three weeks ago with oil prices soaring. Donald Trump is saying he wants allies to help on the one hand, but also
says we don't need them. So, which is it?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Lynda, I'm so sorry. I actually -- I think I lost sound here. So, I might need to -- I think we've
--
KINKADE: Can you hear me, Alayna? I think we're having some communication issues trying to connect to the White House. Well, I do want to continue on
this story because it's not just a few tankers that are leaving the Gulf. Less oil is being produced right now.
Iran is firing drones and missiles on a daily basis, often targeting energy infrastructure. Just hours ago, a drone strike caused a fire at an oil and
gas field in Abu Dhabi, one of the world's largest. President Trump said Iran's willingness to strike its neighbors took him by surprise.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: All of those missiles. And I heard they were sending missiles to UAE. I said, that's strange. You know, UAE is like the banker for Iran.
They're like the banker. Qatar, their neighbors, they got along OK. Saudi Arabia. All of a sudden Kuwait, Kuwait is getting hit. Bahrain is getting -
- all these countries are getting hit. There was no expert that would say that was going to happen.
It's not a question of like, gee, should you have known? And if we did know, big deal. I mean, we have to do what we have to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Big deal. Aaron David Miller is a former U.S. State Department Middle East negotiator. He's now a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment
for International Peace, and he joins us live from Washington, D.C. Great to have you with us, Aaron.
AARON DAVID MILLER, FORMER MIDDLE EAST NEGOTIATOR, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT AND SENIOR FELLOW, CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE: Thanks for
having me, Lynda.
KINKADE: So, you write that this war in Iran, Operation Epic Fury could be a win for the U.S. and Israel, but long-term change in the region is
unlikely. Can you can you just explain for us why, even if there was a military victory, why they wouldn't -- that it wouldn't transform into or
translate into a lasting political transformation there?
MILLER: Yes. I mean, I spent 27 years in the Department of State working for Abedin and secretary of state, there are no transformations here. Bush
'41 pushed Saddam out of Kuwait, wisely didn't follow up to chase him to Baghdad. But it was it was a military success. Saudis were protected and
the oil was secured in.
[18:05:00]
And Bush '41 upheld the international order by cornering Saddam's effort to aggrandize power. Then I was a part of Bush '43 right up until we invaded
Iraq. Two longest wars in American history. Standard for victory. Not could we win, but when will we leave and what do we leave behind? No change in
the region. Transformation there.
Arab Spring 2011. Arab authoritarians overthrown Tunisia, Yemen. Libya. And guess what? Reassertion of power by authoritarians and Praetorian states.
The Middle East grinds up transformers. It's a place where U.S. ideas more often than not participate in a lot of peace negotiations. Most of them
failed. A place where American ideas on war making and peacemaking, sadly and fortunately, go to die.
So, do I think that hollowing out Iran's capacity to project its power abroad is an accomplishment? You bet it is. Maybe their support for their
proxies, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, who've been remarkably silent through all this. Maybe that'll weaken. But unless you change the regime,
which we do not have the capacity to do, this is going to be just a sort of mowing the grass to look at it the way the Israelis have.
The grass will grow back because the regime is going to be embittered and angry. And over time, they'll find ways to rebuild and recoup. So, I don't
buy transformations.
KINKADE: So, just explain the current situation we're in right now, because you write that the current administration lacks sustained vision
for peace or democracy in the region. Three weeks into this war, Donald Trump is coming out saying we need our allies to help and it's in your best
interest to secure the Strait of Hormuz to get that oil flowing again. How surprising is it that he's having a hard time now wrangling allies?
MILLER: It's not surprising at all. When you go to war, ask, you can't ask H.W. Bush anymore, but ask James Baker. We spent four months before we
deployed military power to push Saddam out of Kuwait, building a coalition, launching an Operation Tin Cup to pay for the war, getting political
support from our key partners in the region, and the Europeans. And we had a strong international consensus against Saddam. It's not what you have
here. You don't consult your allies and partners after you start shooting. You build your coalition before you start shooting.
And Donald Trump now finds himself in a significant predicament with not many good options. He can hope at some point to declare victory, which it
will be a military success, and hope that the Iranians stop firing and claim their victory, or he could escalate in an effort to de-escalate.
We could seize Kharg Island. He could say to the Iranians, hey, look, you opened the Straits, we'll withdraw from Kharg so you can start exporting
oil. And then let's sit down and talk about what kind of relationship we could have on the nuclear issue. So, their options, none of them are great,
and they're all risky.
KINKADE: And just quickly, Aaron, how quickly is this becoming an economic war? And how might those global economic factors, when it comes to oil
prices and trade dependencies and rising inflation, influence the political calculations?
MILLER: Here, look, my view is tomorrow Donald Trump could get on CNN and basically say we won, and identify all the reasons that we have succeeded
militarily, and then basically stop. Because there is no constituency in this country that he cares about that wouldn't breathe a collective sigh of
relief if this war is finished. Mortgage rates are going up in Kansas, fertilizer shortages, inflation, gas is at what, 360, 370? And it's going
to end up going higher. So, he's got to make some decisions.
Right now, we're drifting. It looks bad, it's bad for the world, the Russians love it, but our partners and our allies, not so much.
KINKADE: Yes. Aaron, David Miller of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, always great to get your analysis. Thank you.
MILLER: Thank you so much.
[18:10:00]
KINKADE: Well, Alayna Treene is live at the White House. I think we do have comms now established.
TREENE: Yes.
KINKADE: Good to have you with us. Alayna, I was trying to ask you about what the Trump administration exactly wants here. Because we heard from
Donald Trump earlier today, on the one hand, pleading with allies to come and help, but on the other hand, saying we don't need you. So, which is it?
TREENE: I think it's the former, Lynda, just to be clear. And I've been talking with White House officials and Trump administration officials about
this. And they continue to insist that despite some of the caution, we've actually heard from a number of U.S. allies from the U.K., from Germany, to
even Japan, who I should say their prime minister will be here at the White House meeting with the president later this week. All of them so far
unwilling to kind of heed the president's calls.
However, the administration does believe that at some point later this week, they will be able to announce some countries to join what they are
trying to form this, you know, international coalition to help aid in the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
And I think part of the reason we've heard these two kinds of different sides from the president on one saying that he does need their help, that
he wants their help, but then also saying, you know, he doesn't actually need it. He believes he just wants to see how they would respond. This kind
of goes back to how the president actually views not only U.S. alliances with many other countries, but specifically the U.S. alliance with NATO
members, you know, and he continuously was trying to push this idea.
We heard him say it today. He also said it over the weekend, this idea that, you know, the United States always helps other countries. They
haven't come to the U.S. -- the United States aid here.
I would remind you, though, especially when we talk about NATO. I mean, the only time we know that Article 5 of the alliance had been invoked was in
the immediate aftermath of 9/11 after the U.S. was attacked.
But all to say, this also comes back to how the president views the Strait itself, you know, from one White House official I was just catching up with
before I came on air with you, Lynda. They were saying how he's like, OK, fine. You don't want to get involved, perhaps militarily in this war, but
you should get involved in the Strait because in the president's mind, you know, the United States is not as reliant as many of these other countries
on the Strait of Hormuz for its oil. You know, a lot of these other countries have a higher dependency than the U.S. does on it.
All to say, though, there is still a broad concern in that building behind me about its continued closure and Iran's ability to keep it closed,
despite what we've heard from this administration and the Pentagon about, you know, wiping out Iran's naval capabilities, their air capabilities.
They still have a major problem on their hands that Iran is able to continue firing these projectiles at ships trying to pass through.
And each day this continues, we're going to continue to see volatility with oil prices. We're seeing gas prices here in the U.S. tick up to levels we
have not seen in some time. And so, that continues to be a huge problem. They are definitely, though, hoping that U.S. allies will actually come and
join this fight and try to help the U.S. in protecting some of these ships that pass through.
KINKADE: Yes. And certainly, three weeks in, no clarity on when this could end. But we did hear from the White House that Donald Trump's trip to China
might be delayed by a month. So, certainly indicating that this war may drag on for many more weeks. Alayna Treene, for us outside the White House,
great to have you. Thank you.
TREENE: Thank you, Lynda.
KINKADE: Well, I want to go to Nic Robertson now, who joins us from Kuwait City. Good to have you with us, Nic. So, you know, as we were just
discussing, the U.S. president certainly trying to put pressure on NATO allies to help alleve (ph) the pressure in the Strait of Hormuz right now.
Just give us a sense of the reaction you're seeing around the world from both NATO allies and even countries like China, who Donald Trump has said
should be helping him.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes. I think the starting position for most countries has been this is a war of choice by
President Trump. It was a war of choice where he didn't inform allies, partners, even sort of adversaries, if you will, or at least competitors
like China. So, there's -- these countries don't feel that they have a stake per se in the sort of direct war. They absolutely feel that they have
a stake in making sure oil gets through.
But also, they feel that President Trump has begun something and barely begun it, asked for help. And that's not sitting necessarily well with
their publics, because President Trump has been critical of their countries, critical of the way Britain was slow to, in his opinion, slow to
offer naval assistance. Then also been critical over the past months about NATO countries' sacrifices, questioning NATO when they committed to
supporting the United States after the September 11th attacks 2001 in the United States, that going and supporting the United States in Afghanistan
and the heavy casualties there and President Trump talking about it as if they hadn't had losses.
[18:15:00]
So, all of that doesn't sit well with the public in these countries. And it's the public support of leadership figures in Europe, who it's Prime
Minister Keir Starmer, if it's Chancellor Merz in Germany, that gives them the political space to make perhaps unpalatable decisions, to understand
that the oil is important to their countries, and they need to sort of help the United States.
But if the public support isn't there, that's very costly. I mean, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, for example, will remember very, very clearly
what happened to British Prime Minister Tony Blair back in 2003, when he did support the United States president and did go to war in Iraq, when a
much clearer path, a legal plan, an end state plan, if you will, was put forward. He was punished and essentially, you know, was essentially lost
support in the country.
So, the political price of following U.S. presidents into war is very clear. And what Keir Starmer said today was, you know, he needs to see a
legal justification and a clear plan. And the German chancellor said, we're not going to commit troops until or commit support for opening the Strait
of Hormuz until the war is over.
There's just an incredible amount of political caution because of how they see President Trump acting, but also because of the lack of popularity for
President Trump in their countries. So, all of that at this time, I think, contributes. But at the end of the day, they all recognize that they need
to help find a solution. But that solution also doesn't happen at the flick of a switch. Navies have to be moved. Assets have to be moved. Ships have
to be readied to be put in the sea and deployed. So, all of that complicates it.
You know, again, to go back to what I said at the beginning, the perception is it was a war of choice by President Trump without informing allies, they
couldn't be ready because they didn't know it was going to happen. And now, they're struggling to sort of keep up with where President Trump lands his
messaging. It makes it very difficult for them. They're not used to this, frankly.
KINKADE: Yes. And, Nic, just to remind our viewers, about one-fifth of the world's oil normally flows through the Strait of Hormuz. We have heard from
some U.S. officials like the Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who said, you know, they discussed the possibility of escorting tankers through the
Strait. Where are those discussions at? And how severe is the impact on that Strait right now?
ROBERTSON: It's not clear where those discussions are. They have historical precedent. Back in 1987-88, there was the tanker war where
Kuwaiti tankers were re-flagged with the U.S. flag, given an escort by U.S. naval ships, helicopters flying with them. It can be done. One of the
difficulties that didn't exist in exactly that way back in the late '80s was, there are now drones. Iran has more missiles along the edge of the
Strait of Hormuz.
But even if you remove those from the equation, and Iran's navy, as President Trump has said, it's ineffective, it's at the bottom of the
ocean, the Iranians have sort of asymmetric warfare. They will put militia members, if you will, in small fishing boats who have got mines that are
magnetic mines that can just easily be stuck to the side of tankers as they're waiting to go through or they're on their way through.
And we saw that in 2019. You know, I went out to a ship -- I was taken out to a ship close to the Strait of Hormuz where these mines had been attached
to it and holes had been blown in it. It is relatively easy to disable a tanker and put pressure on that waterway.
So, it's going to be a complicated job. It's going to require a lot of assets being brought into the region that aren't here already. And then it
will require sort of organizing ships to move through. And there's also the very real risk and fear that you lose a naval vessel or you lose an oil
tanker or two. The costs behind it are hugely high. And to lose service personnel in the pursuit of that, in this current political uncertainty of
how the United States wants to land this war, all of that, you know, adds to the logistical complications, the military complications, layer on the
political complications and ramifications.
KINKADE: All right. Certainly, a lot to cover. Very complicated. Nic Robertson for us in Kuwait, thanks very much.
Well, as I mentioned earlier, Mr. Trump says he could delay his upcoming trip to China by a month or so and told the Financial Times Beijing should
help secure the Strait of Hormuz because, quote, China gets 90 percent of its oil from the Straits.
Well, in China, censors refused to ban social media criticizing President Trump over the war with Iran, as our Will Ripley reports.
[18:20:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have no issue with civilians.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why did you attack the Minab school?
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This A.I. video from Iran's embassy in China is going viral.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lies. Lies. Lies.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Beijing's heavy-handed government sensors are allowing videos like this to spread. Magnifying the narrative that
President Donald Trump is evil and dishonest.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We didn't hit them Minab school. American doesn't Tomahawk missiles at all.
RIPLEY (voice-over): A preliminary U.S. military investigation found the strike was likely American. China is seizing on the moment, condemning the
war, claiming the moral high ground.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me keep everyone safe.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sounds great.
RIPLEY (voice-over): This state media video shows the U.S. putting other countries in a cage.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Relax. Sometimes security comes with a little control.
RIPLEY (voice-over): As the war escalates, so does the trolling. President Trump's White House prayer circle with religious leaders flooding Chinese
social media. Censors are allowing a tidal wave of viral videos and memes, mocking that moment in the Oval Office. The caption on this political
cartoon reads, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who devours kids. Other cartoons in Chinese state media ridicule the rising price of oil. They say President
Trump is adding fuel to the fire in the Strait of Hormuz by asking countries, including China, to send warships.
Chinese state media is reporting Trump's threat to postpone his meeting with President Xi Jinping later this month. China's foreign ministry is
urging all sides to de-escalate, saying Beijing and Washington remain in communication about Trump's visit to China.
An opinion piece in Communist Party mouthpiece Global Times says, Washington is asking who will send warships. Beijing is asking how to stop
the war. Users are flooding state media with comments like these. Seems like Trump knows he won't be able to come to China, so he's lining up an
excuse for an off-ramp. Let me translate that, I'm out of options. Somebody help. The U.S. originally wanted to use Venezuela and Iran, two major oil-
producing countries, as bargaining chips for a deal. Now, the U.S. crippled their own strength. All of those anti-U.S. comments, too many to count,
spreading freely across China.
Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Our thanks to Will. Still ahead, global airlines experiencing financial turbulence as the war in Iran drives on. We'll hear from the CEO
of AirAsia's holding company next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:25:00]
KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade. In today's Business Breakout, U.S. stocks kicked off the trading week with across-the-board gains. Stocks
rose as oil prices pulled back a bit. U.S. crude fell below $100 a barrel in hopes of more oil tankers sailing through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent
crude fell almost 3 percent. It settled at just above $100 a barrel.
That said, economist Mohamed El-Erian says the risk of long-term structural damage to the global oil market is rising. He warned the economic ripple
effects of the Iran war drags on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMED EL-ERIAN, CHIEF ECONOMIC ADVISER, ALLIANZ: The increase in the oil price is going to persist for a while. And that is going to mean not only
higher interest rates, Christiane, but it's going to also mean lower growth, higher unemployment, and a greater risk of financial instability.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, the challenging backdrop for the Federal Reserve, which kicks off a two-day policy meeting this Tuesday, the Fed is widely expected
to hold interest rates steady given the uncertain picture on inflation.
Well, airlines are beginning to raise their fares in response to the rising cost of fuel. One of the airlines exposed to the Persian Gulf region is
AirAsia, which is in the process of building a strategic hub in Bahrain. Unlike some carriers, it chose not to hedge against the possibility of
higher fuel prices.
Tony Fernandes, the CEO of AirAsia's holding company, spoke to our Richard Quest about that business decision.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TONY FERNANDES, CEO, CAPITAL A: No one expected what we're seeing. And I still stand by that it's better to use revenue and efficiencies in cost
than hedging. Over my 23 years, hedging has generally cost the airline more than benefited it. Of course, in the short-term, it might look attractive,
but I still think demand is very strong and we'd rather play around with airfares and cost.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS EDITOR-AT-LARGE AND CNN ANCHOR, QUEST MEANS BUSINESS: The decision to open the Bahrain -- I mean, you've really is a
double whammy for you, isn't it? The Bahrain hub between Europe and Asia, the Middle East, you're sort of building your own, in a sense, hub in
Bahrain, perfect position, et cetera. The difficulty is not to let something that might be relatively short, relative, my word, deflect or
turn over long-term strategic planning. That's the tricky part.
FERNANDES: I think in the long-term, while people are predicting the doom of Dubai and Doha and all these hubs, they're fantastic airlines, Qatar and
Emirates, and they'll bounce back. There is some -- you know, obviously, people will be looking at different hubs. But, I mean, I think Dubai and
Doha will come back strongly.
We're creating a low-cost hub, which has never been done. We're going to have a few. Obviously, Malaysia will be a big hub, and Thailand, and those
will be regional hubs which exist. The long-term strategic view of using Bahrain as a hub into Africa and Europe still stands. So, no, we don't feel
any major change in the short-term. Sales are incredibly encouraging.
QUEST: What's your number -- besides staying in business and staying flying, in the next 12 months, what is the priority? Is it to build out and
to get the Bahrain hub up and running, because that's sort of the massive growth area? Is it to move into -- to deepen penetration into the countries
where you are with greater frequencies?
FERNANDES: It's the latter. Bahrain is a long-term project. The immediate thing is to increase our frequency and our reach in Asia. We have many,
many secondary and tertiary points. We are in the process of finalizing a very large order with either Airbus or Embraer.
And so, you know, we're in a great part of the world, and geopolitics is obviously going to play a little bit to our advantage. But there is a huge
amount of latent travel pent up. So, that's our focus. We're using A.I. We're accelerating that tremendously.
QUEST: How? Can I just interrupt you there? How do you actually use -- everybody tells me they're using A.I., and I want to know how? What do you
do with it?
FERNANDES: Three areas. Let's take the easiest one, is enterprise. A lot of accounts, a lot of legal work, a lot of HR work is being taken over by
A.I.
[18:30:00]
The exciting part for me that it's real is operational. We're already very heavily using it for predictive maintenance. We're using it tremendously
for fuel saving. We will probably this year stay 3 percent to 4 percent on tail assignment. And, well, picking the right plane for the right route.
I mean, we have 300 planes. Some are older, some are newer. Shorter routes need newer planes because that's when you burn most fuel. But it's a
project that can't be done by humans because there's so many variables.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, still ahead, Europe is sounding the alarm as Israel expands ground operations in Lebanon. We'll have the latest on the region's growing
humanitarian crisis next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back to "The Brief." I'm Lynda Kinkade. Here are the international headlines we're watching right now.
President Trump demanding that American allies in Europe and Asia send warships to the Strait of Hormuz, after he warned that NATO faces a, quote,
"very bad" future if it fails to assist in securing that key waterway. No countries have committed to sending ships there. The E.U.'s foreign policy
chief says, quote, "this is out of NATO's area of action."
White House chief of staff, Susie Wiles, diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. President Trump says she has an excellent prognosis and will
continue working nearly full-time while she receives treatment. Wiles led his 2024 campaign and became the first woman to hold the White House chief
of staff position.
Airport delays are getting worse here in the U.S. TSA workers across the country missed their first full paycheck over the weekend, where the
partial government shut down at the Department of Homeland Security, in effect. Hundreds have already quit. Airline CEOs are now urging Congress to
restore DHS funding.
[18:35:00]
The Israeli military is expanding its ground operations in southern Lebanon with its ongoing fight with Iranian proxy Hezbollah. Israeli army vehicles
were seen carrying out operations in southern Lebanon on Monday. The military says the new operations are, quote, "limited and targeted."
Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the U.K. have released a joint statement warning against a large-scale Israeli ground offensive, citing the
worsening humanitarian crisis in Lebanon.
Israel has also been carrying out deadly strikes in parts of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, as it targets Hezbollah officials. Lebanese officials say
at least 850 people, including more than 100 children, have lost their lives since the Israeli operations began. More than one million Lebanese
citizens are estimated to have been displaced so far.
Jeremy Diamond joins us now from Tel Aviv. Good to have you with us, Jeremy. So, I just want to start, firstly, on that ground operation by
Israel in Lebanon. Talk to us about the scope and how Israel is framing the objectives here.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, listen, Israeli forces have already been on the ground in southern Lebanon since even
before this current war with Iran that then came to involve Hezbollah about a week ago. Israel has maintained five positions in southern Lebanon since
its ceasefire with Lebanon over a year ago. They haven't left those positions.
But since Hezbollah began firing rockets on Israel and Israel quickly retaliated with airstrikes, we've also seen Israeli troops going somewhat
deeper into southern Lebanese territory. And today, the Israeli military took its next step in that kind of advancement of those troop positions
inside southern Lebanon. But they're still focused on the kind of immediate areas along the Israel-Lebanon border within Lebanese territory.
One official today described it to me as whereas before you might have seen troops some several hundred meters into Lebanese territory, now you might
be talking about a couple of kilometers. But it's certainly not the kind of broader ground offensive inside southern Lebanon that we know the Israeli
prime minister has not only been considering, but which the Israeli military is very much preparing for. That has yet to be announced. And we
don't yet know whether that's the direction things are going in.
But we do know that tens of thousands of Israeli troops have been called up for reserve duty. Many of those have been sent up to that Lebanese border
right now to prepare for the possibility of a larger scale ground operation.
For now, the Israeli military is continuing to pummel southern Lebanon with airstrikes and artillery fire. The Lebanese capital of Beirut has been
struck almost every single day by the Israeli military, as Hezbollah has been firing more than 100 rockets per day, according to an Israeli military
official, towards northern and central Israel. Today, we continue to see that Hezbollah rocket fire aimed at northern Israel, as well as drones
being targeted there as well.
What we have seen in Lebanon, though, is the mass displacement of people. More than a million people have been internally displaced in that country.
And of course, it risks getting worse should the Israeli military move forward with that broader ground operation.
Today, we heard from Israel's defense minister, Israel Katz. He threatens that those hundreds of thousands of Lebanese people, mostly Shiites, living
in southern Lebanon would not be allowed to return to their homes until the residents of northern Israel are safe, until Israel has dealt the
devastating blow to Hezbollah that it has vowed to deliver.
We know that there are negotiations ongoing, or at least discussions about negotiations to try and bring about an end to this conflict between Israel
and Hezbollah, to find a way to disarm Hezbollah. But for now, nothing concrete yet. Those discussions don't seem to be gaining much traction at
this moment. Lynda.
KINKADE: Yes. Certainly, a tough position for the nearly one million Lebanese citizens now displaced. Jeremy Diamond for us in Tel Aviv, thanks
very much.
Well, I want to go to Cuba now, where the country's power operator says the electrical grid is suffering a total collapse. This is the first nationwide
blackout since the U.S. effectively shut off the flow of oil to the island nation. Our Patrick Oppmann is in Havana.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Cuba is once again in an island-wide blackout, something that has happened frequently enough over the years.
This time feels different because it is the first time since an oil embargo placed by the Trump administration has led or contributed to this kind of
island-wide blackout, affecting 10 million people at the moment.
The Cuban government says they are working to restore power. The question is, can they? Because according to their own admission, no oil has come in
for three months now. We have seen longer and longer blackouts as this crisis has developed. You know, where I live, sometimes it gets up to 20
hours in the last several days.
We have seen people going out at night to protest, banging pots and pans. In one small town in the east of Cuba, people actually attacked the
Communist Party headquarters over the weekend, tried to burn down the headquarters before police came in and firing shots in the air, broke up
that protest.
[18:40:00]
But people are on edge here. People are wondering if the government can hold on. Certainly, the Trump administration has said they believe that the
government here is in its final hours and that they should make a deal with the U.S. to allow some of that flow of oil. But the Trump administration is
calling on the government here to make major concessions, no sign that that would take place and whether or not they could do it in time.
Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Havana.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, still to come here on "The Brief," severe weather hits a huge part of the United States. We're going to get the latest from the U.S.
National Weather Storm Prediction Center, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Millions of people along the U.S. East Coast are at risk from severe storms. And while weather officials
have lowered the threat somewhat, there's still possibilities of tornadoes, flash floods and freezing rain. And this covers a large area from the
southern states of Florida and Alabama, all the way up to the coast of Pennsylvania and New York. Along the way, the sprawling storm knocked out
power and disrupted thousands of flights.
Well, David Roth is the lead meteorologist at the U.S. National Weather Service's Prediction Center. And he joins us now live. Good to have you
with us, David.
DAVID ROTH, U.S. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND LEAD METEOROLOGIST, U.S. WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER: Thanks for having me.
KINKADE: More than 250 million Americans are expected to see some form of hazardous weather. This morning, school was canceled here in Atlanta
because of the tornado warnings in place. What can we expect over the next 24 hours?
ROTH: Well, a lot of the severe weather threat for the southeast and even for some portions in the mid-Atlantic states has lowered, as you had
mentioned. And a lot of the instability we had earlier has eroded. But with the large storm system that's moving into southeast Canada, from Michigan
and Lake Huron, there's a large area of winds in the 30s and 40s miles an hour across the upper Midwest, Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, the northeast, the
mid-Atlantic states.
We actually have a frontal wave that's across portions of southwest Virginia right now. And to the south of that, you see the severe
thunderstorm warnings along its front. That part of the front is moving very quickly to the east and has a narrow band of showers and thunderstorms
with it.
[18:45:00]
So, I would expect to the south of the low as it moves across the mid- Atlantic states into this evening, there's still, that's where your higher risk of severe weather is.
On the backside of the system, of course, we've had local amounts of two to three feet of snow across portions of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan. And
while the main low-pressure system has passed, they still have cold cyclonic flow on the backside of it. So, there's going to be a half foot to
a foot of lake effect snow over the next 24 hours or so near the Great Lakes.
So, it's very possible some parts of the upper peninsula of Michigan could end up with up to four feet of snow once the snow ends.
KINKADE: Wow. I mean, that's just incredible. Of course, we've seen dramatic swings in weather lately in the last few weeks from the historic
winter storms in the northeast to that record winter warmth in South Texas. What's driving these extremes and how unusual is this sort of a pattern in
March?
ROTH: It's very interesting. We actually have our larger temperature swings right in the middle of winter when you can get really, really cold.
And then when it gets mild, it's still relatively cold. And then a good part of the country can still be below freezing. So, you basically, even
when there's large temperature swings in the winter up north, it just stays snow, down south, it's more or less rain. But this time of the year, you
actually get the warmer air come northward. We're warming up as we get into the spring.
So, now, we're dealing with changing precipitation types and we're dealing with blooming foliage. In the wake of the cold front that's coming through
the east and southeast, there's a large area that could get a hard freeze. That's a real problem for blooming fruit trees across the southeast.
And as you see on the radar image that's on your screen right now, behind that cold front, we're going from places that have had the frontal passage
are going from 70 degrees Fahrenheit to 40 degrees Fahrenheit within a matter of two hours.
KINKADE: Wow.
ROTH: So, places that could get severe weather in the form of thunderstorms with high winds could very well be seeing snow flurries two
or three hours later. You see zoomed in across portions of the mid-Atlantic and West Virginia, you can see the snow crossing West Virginia. By
midnight, there could be snow flurries across Washington, D.C. and later in the night, maybe even New York City.
So, it's a large temperature change, but you notice it more in the fall and the spring because it gets accompanied by a precipitation change. And you
worry about blooming trees.
KINKADE: Yes. Worry about the trees and also the travel for many people impacted by these weather systems right now. Meteorologist David Roth,
appreciate your time. Thank you.
ROTH: Thank you.
KINKADE: Well, still to come, Hollywood's big night, all the best moments from the Academy Awards, a recap of the Oscars when we return.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:50:00]
KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Hollywood celebrated the biggest night in film at the Academy Awards. And for the biggest prize of all, the
Oscar goes to --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "One Battle After Another."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: "One Battle After Another" took home six awards, including Best Picture. "Sinners" was the other big winner, earning four awards from its
record-breaking 16 nominations, including Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan.
Entertainment journalist Segun Oduolowu joins us now. Great to have you with us.
SEGUN ODUOLOWU, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: Thanks for having me, Lynda. It is great to be here, sitting in for Jim. I love it. Let's take over the
show.
KINKADE: Let's take over. What's left of it, that is. So, the 2026 Oscars were historic for a number of reasons. Of course, it was the first time we
saw an honor, an award for those who cast films. And we saw a woman that took on that and also took home, for the first time ever, Best
Cinematography. What does that signal about the evolving role of women in Hollywood?
ODUOLOWU: Well, we have to remember that Hollywood was where the MeToo movement kind of started with the reporting of how women in the arts were
being treated. And we understand that from in front of the camera. But really, as the industry opens itself up for women behind the camera, that's
where we're going to start seeing real progress.
You mentioned a woman winning for the first time ever in cinematography, a woman winning for the first time ever in casting. You saw women being
honored with Amy Madigan and her -- and, you know, body of work as she was the best supporting actress. We saw the first Irish woman to win for Best
Actress, Jessie Buckley for "Hamnet."
Like we're seeing more and more that women are gracing that stage, not just as actors and actresses, but really in positions of power in production, in
design, in costume, in cinematography. All of that matters because it opens the door for a better run industry and more people being involved.
KINKADE: Yes, exactly. And Michael B. Jordan became only the sixth Black man ever to win Best Actor, and he honored those who came before him. I
just want to play some of his award-winning speech.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL B. JORDAN, ACTOR, "SINNERS": I stand here because of the people that came before me. Sydney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Jamie
Foxx, Forest Whitaker, Will Smith. And to be amongst those giants, amongst those greats, amongst my ancestors, amongst my guys. Thank you, everybody
in this room and everybody at home for supporting me over my career.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: How does this moment, this milestone reflect progress, and especially amid the ongoing challenges for diversity in Hollywood?
ODUOLOWU: 98 Oscars and only six black men have ever won for Best Actor. That kind of says it and encapsulates it as -- you know, as unfortunate as
it can be. I love what Michael B. Jordan said. You know , you have the Denzels, the Jamie Foxx, the Forest Whitakers, but all of those six Black
men that have won the Best Actor award, won it in ways that are very unique. Forest Whitaker playing, you know, a Ugandan despot. You know,
Denzel Washington in "Training Day," a crooked cop. Will Smith playing, you know, the father of the Williams sisters, of Venus and Serena, the Williams
sisters. So, you have -- Jamie Foxx being Ray Charles, there's so much diversity.
And here you have Michael B. Jordan playing a set of vampires, you know, twins and then a vampire. There's this robust deep well of talent that the
Academy needs to start dipping its ladle into, and that is the women we mentioned before. It is the people of color. It's not just black, it's
Hispanic.
I know John Leguizamo has been talking for as much as people will listen that people from Latin descent are not getting the same type of
credibility. It was great to see Wagner Moura from Brazil being one of the nominees for Best Actor. We need more of that.
This industry is universal. It is global. It has to represent that when that stage and the welcome to the Oscars comes on your TV screen.
KINKADE: Exactly. And Korean culture and music also honored. I don't know about you, but "KPop Demon Hunters" has been on repeat in my household for
the past year amongst my girls who are five, seven and nine. It dominated with the Best Animated Film and the Best Original Song, which of course is
"Golden." What does this all say about global influence and the changing tastes in film and music?
[18:55:00]
ODUOLOWU: It hammers home my point, Lynda. I have a six-year-old. I've been listening to "Golden" so much I think -- I learned to love it. At
first, you were like, who can hit that high note? But it shows that this industry, film and entertainment, it touches everyone from all of these
places.
You know, "KPop Demon Hunters" not only won for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song, it was the most streamed movie in 2025. So, now, we
start to see that this industry is coming from everywhere. It's being influenced from different countries, different backgrounds, and it should
be rewarded at the award show, especially the Oscars, which is the highest honor in film. That's where we need to see this diversity.
I loved it in the categories as different people of color and backgrounds were being nominated, but they have to win. We have to see them win so that
when they speak and talk about their influences, we, the audience, benefit as well.
KINKADE: Yes. Such a wonderful 2026 Oscars. Also, a special moment when Barbra Streisand sang in honor of Robert Redford. I would love to keep
talking with you. I have to leave it there for now, but I really appreciate your time. Segun Oduolowu, thanks so much.
ODUOLOWU: Until next time, that's the way we were, Lynda. That's the way we were.
KINKADE: That's the way we were, indeed. And thanks for your company. I'm Lynda Kinkade. You have been watching "The Brief." Do stay with CNN. Much
more news ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:00:00]
END
