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The Brief with Jim Sciutto
CNN International: Trump Criticizes NATO Allies for Not Helping with Iran; Top U.S. Counterterrorism Official Quits Over Iran War; Joe Kent Says "Iran Posed Imminent Threat" to the U.S.; Iranian Security Chief Ali Larijani Killed in Strike; Trump Postpones Beijing Summit with Xi; Israel Says It Will Find and "Neutralize" New Supreme Leader; Israel Expands Ground Operations in Lebanon; Trump Muses Over "Taking Cuba". Aired 6-7p ET
Aired March 17, 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]
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR, "THE BRIEF": Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington, and
you're watching "The Brief."
Just ahead this hour, President Trump lashing out at NATO allies, now saying the U.S. no longer needs their help with Iran. A top U.S.
counterterrorism official submitted his resignation saying that Iran posed no immediate threat to the U.S. And as Cuba tries to recover from a
nationwide blackout, the U.S. Secretary of State says the island needs, quote, "new people in charge."
President Trump piling on criticism of NATO allies and others for refusing to help secure the Strait of Hormuz. He writes, quote, "I'm not surprised
by their action, however, because I always considered NATO, where we spend hundreds of billions of dollars per year protecting these same countries,
to be a one-way street." The president also said this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I think NATO is making a very foolish mistake. And I've long said that, you know, I wonder whether or not NATO
would ever be there for us. So, this was a great test, because we don't need them, but they should have been there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Earlier today, a senior U.S. intelligence official resigned. The director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent, who was
appointed by President Trump, justified his decision in a blistering letter of resignation, writing, quote, "Iran posed no immediate threat to our
nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby." The president called his
resignation a good thing.
Joining me now is Stephen Collinson. And first, on this official, clearly this official had some internal enemies inside the administration, based on
their public comments afterwards. But it's quite a shot across the bow, is it not? Because there have been questions, and not just from folks inside
or outside the administration, but even some of the intelligence assessments as to whether there was an imminent threat from Iran.
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Yes, that question that he raises about why exactly the United States went to war is hugely
important. And it doesn't really matter who it's coming from. That question has not been defined by the president.
It's still, I think, contributing to some of the strategic drift that we're now seeing in this conflict. And it's exacerbated by the fact that the
president hasn't been able to lay down a clear path to the exit from this war, which it seems is becoming more and more of a conflict in which the
United States is getting bogged down and has lost for all the success of the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign. And we're not going to know how
successful that was until the end, but it looks like it was a very successful operation.
Trump is losing the ability to define how this war ends, and that's a very dangerous historical place for an American president to be in.
SCIUTTO: In your latest analysis, you say there is no public sign of the regime's grip loosening. And that, of course, is consistent with U.S.
intelligence that has found that as well. What's the path forward there, particularly given that Israel is now taking out virtually every
replacement for every previously assassinated leader?
COLLINSON: I think this raises some real deep strategic questions for the president. This war cannot end as a success for the United States if the
Strait of Hormuz is still closed. If Iran still has that stock of highly enriched uranium that would allow it to restart at some point in the future
its nuclear program.
So, how does the president deal with that and with the regime being adamant that it's not going to compromise, that it's going to continue to fight?
That raises the question of more intense American military action, perhaps ground troops somewhere like Hague Island or ground troops being put on the
coast along the Strait of Hormuz to try to end the threat to shipping going through there. That is a very big and a very risky escalation for the
president, at the same time as the official who resigned today is showing the winnowing support among Trump's most faithful supporters in the MAGA
movement, for exactly what he's doing.
[18:05:00]
So, the president really has a need, I think, to get a grip, not just on the strategy, but on the rhetoric and the public messaging of this war.
SCIUTTO: And it is still early days, but it does have parallels if you think of the early days of the Afghanistan or Iraq wars where the military
had great success early on, but it was what would follow that, of course, of course, caused, well, many, many years of problems. Stephen Collins,
thanks so much.
For more now, I'm joined by Democratic Congressman John Garamendi. He's a member of the House Armed Services Committee. Congressman, thanks so much
for taking the time.
REP. JOHN GARAMENDI (D-CA): Good to be with you on a very confused situation.
SCIUTTO: So, let's begin with the Iran war. You have called this a war of choice, saying that there was no imminent threat from Iran. Now, we're
hearing the same from a senior official inside the Trump administration. What does that say to the American people about the decision-making leading
into this war?
GARAMENDI: Well, isn't it interesting at the very start of this nation, some 240 years ago with the Constitution, the wisdom of the men that put
that Constitution together understood that the issue of war cannot be made by a single individual. In this case, that individual being President
Trump.
If the Constitution had been followed, if Trump had come to the Congress to explain why it was necessary to go to war and what it would take to do
that, then all of this confusion and chaos and ever-changing justification for the war would not be out in the public. And Trump wouldn't be looking
like a fool that he is right now. This is a very, very serious problem by an unserious president.
Unfortunately, the Congress of the United States simply sat back and let him do what he wanted to do. The Republicans have to understand that they
are implicit in this craziness that's going on. And interestingly, our allies who have stood with us through all of the years of the Cold War, all
of the years of NATO are saying, well, wait a minute. We don't think this is a wise thing to be doing in the Middle East. And they're standing back.
We're going to have to go it alone, or maybe tomorrow morning, Trump will wake up and declare victory and stop this craziness.
SCIUTTO: I want to get to Trump's attacks on allies. But before I do, can you describe your best sense of what would be required to reliably open up
the Strait of Hormuz? What kind of assets, both naval and perhaps even ground troops, would be necessary? What kind of commitment are we talking
about?
GARAMENDI: Well, isn't it strange that we've not heard from the president? We've not heard from the Department of Defense the answer to your question.
It is a fundamental question. And apparently, our allies are saying, well, wait a minute. You want us to send our naval vessels into an
extraordinarily dangerous situation where Iran and their weapons of many different kinds, including mines that are in the ocean. That's what you
want us to do? You want us to be, what, 10 miles away from Iran with our assets? They're going, I don't think so.
So, the reality here is that as long as Iran wants to close the Strait, they will be able to do so because they have the potential of threatening
any ship, military, you name it, a destroyer or, let's say, a tanker. They can threaten that from the shore, let alone whatever mines they may want to
deploy in the water.
Bottom line of Iran has the upper hand in closing this. And by the way, did anybody at the Department of Defense, let's say the Department of War,
think about the consequences of war? Did anybody think about, gee, is it possible that Iran might just close access to the Persian Gulf? No.
Apparently, they didn't think it through.
This entire thing is a gross distortion of military thinking. This is entirely the responsibility of the president that decided for reasons that
are now becoming public to go to war. If the Constitution had been followed, if he had come to Congress and laid out, both in classified and
public statements, what he wanted to accomplish, all of this, much of this, much of this foolishness would not occur. And we would not see a situation
where there are probably eight different countries involved in a regional war at this moment.
[18:10:00]
SCIUTTO: I want to talk about President Trump's attacks on allies. He said today, as he was attacking NATO and questioning its usefulness, that he
could leave NATO and would not require congressional help to do so. Now, you know as well as me that the House passed the NDA in 2024, which does
require an act of Congress. But do you fear that this president, who often has ignored statutes and provisions and even court orders, might try to
take the U.S. out of NATO anyway?
GARAMENDI: Well, you've said it so very, very well. The president's attitude is he'll do anything he damn well pleases to do. He said that on
day one of his administration, he'd be a dictator. And he's acting that way. And his basic attitude is, I'm going to do what I want to do. Stop me
if you can. And the good news is the courts are stopping him in most every illegal, unconstitutional thing that he's attempted to do. And this is but
one more.
Will he be able to leave NATO? Well, he's done his best in his first term in office and his second term of office is to all but destroy NATO. Now,
let's understand what NATO is all about. NATO is about Western Europe and the United States standing together to deal with the Russian threat. Now,
did Russia disappear somehow? Is it gone? Is the threat of Russia gone? No, it's not. We're seeing it immediately. And for the last four years in
Ukraine and Russia has been very, very clear. Putin wants to weaken NATO. Trump is his ally in doing just that.
The result of that is the ability of the Western democracies to withstand pressure from Russia is significantly diminished as a result of Trump's
actions in the first administration. And once again, now, as he's threatening to leave NATO. The bottom line thus far has been the European
Union and the NATO countries have said, no, no, we're going to stand together because we believe that there is a very serious Russian threat.
SCIUTTO: Right. And as you know, listen, the battle over Greenland already sapped a lot of confidence in the U.S. commitment to NATO. Even though the
NDAA is written as it is and that it would require an act of Congress, could Trump kill the alliance in effect without formally leaving it? I
mean, he's the commander-in-chief. It would be up to him to order U.S. forces to abide by the treaty. Could he take the U.S. out in spirit as
opposed to the letter of the law?
GARAMENDI: Well, you only need to look at what Trump has done in his, what, 14 months in office. And that is to ignore every law, to ignore the
Constitution, to ignore the laws and basically do whatever he wants to do and look to someone, the courts basically, certainly not looking to
Congress. The Republicans are totally, absolutely ineffective in carrying out our responsibility of maintaining our position and our dominance in the
constitutional sharing of power between the three branches of government.
Bottom line is Trump does what he wants to do and he basically looks to the courts or at some point for the Congress to stop him and to hold him
accountable, both to the law and to proper policy.
This is a major concern, a major concern of our founding fathers more than two centuries ago, two and a half centuries ago, where they said we cannot
have a single person making the decision on war. And therefore, the Congress of the United States is the only branch of government that can
declare war or have the authorization to use military force. Trump has totally ignored that.
SCIUTTO: And yet we find -- yes. We find ourselves in another one.
GARAMENDI: The result of which is we're caught up in a profoundly dangerous situation in the Middle East that is rapidly spinning out of
control.
SCIUTTO: Congressman John Garamendi, we appreciate you joining us.
GARAMENDI: Thank you.
SCIUTTO: Well, the number of Iranian leaders the U.S. might eventually negotiate with is dwindling fast. Israel says it has now killed Iran's de
facto leader following the deaths of others, Ali Larijani.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ISRAEL KATZ, ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER (through translator): I was just updated by the chief of staff that the secretary of the National Security
Council, Larijani, and the head of the Basij, the central repression body of Iran, Soleimani, were eliminated last night and joined the head of
annihilation program, Khamenei. and all the eliminated members of the Axis of Evil in the depths of hell.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[18:15:00]
SCIUTTO: The depths of hell. Israel Katz using quite strong language there. Iran has since confirmed Larijani's death. Larijani had been a
powerful voice in Iran for decades, was a central figure in putting down the mass protests that rocked the country in January, leading to an
estimated tens of thousands of deaths of protesters. Nada Bashir has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was just last week that Ali Larijani, Iran's top security official, was seen in public at a rally
in Tehran, defying threats against him by Israel and the United States. Ali Larijani spent decades at the center of power in Iran, a conservative
strategist who helped shape the Islamic Republic from within.
On Tuesday, Israel's defense minister claimed Larijani was killed in an Israeli airstrike. His death would remove a veteran operator from the inner
circle of power. And it comes as Israel intensifies its strikes on Iran, targeting not just military infrastructure, but senior figures tied to
Iran's leadership.
His death could further harden Iran's response and push both sides deeper into a widening regional conflict. And it would remove a skilled negotiator
who could potentially help end the war, who replaces him as the top security official could also signal a hardening of the regime.
Born into one of Iran's most influential political families, dubbed the Iranian Kennedys by Time magazine, Larijani was also a mathematician and
philosopher who wrote books on the Enlightenment thinker Immanuel Kant.
He rose quickly after the 1979 revolution, becoming a trusted figure in the system. He served as speaker of parliament for 12 years, overseeing key
legislation during some of the country's most turbulent periods. Before that, he held a series of high-profile roles, head of state broadcasting,
Iran's top nuclear negotiator, and later, a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
In that advisory role, Larijani helped shape Iran's approach to nuclear diplomacy, including during high-stakes standoffs with the United States.
Often described as a pragmatic conservative, he was seen as a bridge between factions, navigating the space between hardliners and more moderate
voices, while remaining firmly loyal to the system. But his record was also marked by controversy.
The United States sanctioned Larijani earlier this year, accusing him of playing a role in the violent suppression of nationwide protests and of
calling for force against demonstrators. Despite shifting political winds, Larijani remained a key figure in Iran's strategic decision-making,
particularly on national security and foreign policy. Israel's targeting of Larijani raises new questions about whether this conflict is entering a
more dangerous phase.
Nada Bashir, CNN, in London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Coming up, a planned summit between the U.S. president and Chinese leader has now been postponed due to the expanding Iran war, how
the ongoing conflict might affect U.S.-Chinese relations going forward.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:20:00]
SCIUTTO: Welcome back. In today's Business Breakout, modest gains for U.S. stocks on Tuesday, even as oil prices moved higher. Both Brent and U.S.
crude rose by more than 2.5 percent. Brent up more than 3 percent. Brent now trading above $100 a barrel. Investors rattled by a new Iranian attack
on a key UAE port just outside the Strait of Hormuz. Officials say a tanker about 20 nautical miles east of the port was also struck. You see it there
on the map.
All this in the new fears that Iran might soon target shipping also in the Red Sea. Iran is calling U.S. naval interests in the Red Sea, quote,
"potential targets." Saudi Aramco has been rerouting millions of barrels of crude through the Red Sea due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
President Trump is postponing his long-anticipated trip to China because of the ongoing war with Iran. He was due to visit Beijing later this month for
talks with the Chinese leader Xi Jinping. He is now looking to delay the meeting, he says, by about a month or so. High on the agenda was expected
to be trade, with the U.S. hoping to win Chinese commitments to buy more U.S. farm products. While the U.S.-China trade truce remains in place,
Beijing has criticized Trump's new global tariff announced after his Supreme Court defeat.
Joining us now, Wendy Cutler, vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute, former acting deputy U.S. trade representative. Wendy, good to
have you back.
WENDY CUTLER, FORMER ACTING DEPUTY U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE: Thank you.
SCIUTTO: To be frank, this would have been a difficult summit to have in the midst of an expanding war in the Middle East. Do you think that there's
some relief on both sides to have a little breather here before they come together?
CUTLER: Well, absolutely. I think the war would have taken a lot of oxygen out of the room, number one. But also, the two sides just haven't had
enough time to prepare. When I compare the number of meetings that have taken place between the U.S. and China in the lead-up to this meeting,
they've been quite few compared to previous administrations. And there's a lot of work to do to prepare for these meetings, including producing
concrete deliverables that can be announced when the leaders meet.
SCIUTTO: Yes. Xi Jinping does not like surprises in his meetings. He wants to have the things worked out. How does China view this war --
CUTLER: It's scripted and orchestrated.
SCIUTTO: Exactly. Which is, frankly, the way summits usually are done, right? You know, you get the things worked out, then you meet. Iran, of
course, supplies about a million and a half barrels of oil per day to China. But it seems a lot of that oil is still getting through. I mean, is
the war impacting China significantly?
CUTLER: Well, look, it's impacting China like it is impacting many countries in Asia and around the world, including higher prices. But
China's a bit more prepared for this than other countries in the Asian region, including by building huge stockpiles of oil and also moving to,
you know, they've been on the forefront of moving towards a green transition. So, they're hurting, but not as much as others.
SCIUTTO: Does the U.S. enter these talks, this summit, if and when it happens, let's say it's a month down the road, in a weaker or a stronger
position, given the progress of the war with Iran?
CUTLER: It's hard to say. I think the U.S. will be, at least try to exude confidence, going into the meeting. But I think China, which already
thought, even before this war, it was in a much stronger position, will even feel stronger and probably make more demands and make the U.S. pay for
more, you know, in terms of what it's willing to give.
SCIUTTO: Given we are, and by the time they meet, we'll be a year out from Liberation Day, what did the trade war gain the U.S., as it relates to
China?
CUTLER: Well, look, as it relates to China, we basically have -- we're in an era of truce and stabilization.
[18:25:00]
But indeed, Chinese imports into the United States have reduced dramatically, and also our trade deficit with China has gone down. But this
is a bit misleading, because we're importing a lot more from other countries in the region, in Southeast Asia, and also in the Middle East,
and so the consensus seems to be that China is using third countries as an indirect route to get their products into the U.S. with lower tariffs.
SCIUTTO: Wendy Cutler, thanks so much for joining, as always.
CUTLER: Thank you.
SCIUTTO: Checking some of today's other business headlines, a senior White House official says the U.S. may soon be forced to shut down smaller
airports due to the partial government shutdown relating to DHS. The funding battle has forced airport security workers to go without paychecks.
Many are now refusing to work, leading to long lines like that at some airports. Democrats refuse to fund homeland security until Republicans
agree to reform immigration enforcement.
Shares of major U.S. airlines rallied after executives told investors that business remains strong despite many economic headwinds. Delta, Southwest,
and American Airlines say that higher fares and strong ticket demand are helping to offset the surging price of jet fuel. Delta's CEO says fuel
prices have almost doubled since the start of the war with Iran. Double. He says carriers could reduce flights if those energy costs keep rising.
The U.S. Federal Reserve kicked off its two-day policy meeting in Washington today. The U.S. Central Bank is widely expected to hold interest
rates steady when it releases its policy statement on Wednesday. The outlook for the Fed has been complicated by the war with Iran, which is
widely expected to add to inflation due to rising oil costs. The U.K., European, and Japanese central banks will also announce their interest rate
decisions this week.
Israel's military under orders now to hunt the leaders of Iran and to, quote, "sever the head of the octopus and not let it grow." After the
break, Israel's ambassador to the U.N. will join me to discuss.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:30:00]
SCIUTTO: Welcome back to "The Brief. I'm Jim Sciutto. And here are the international headlines we're watching today.
Afghan's Taliban government blames a Pakistani airstrike for the deaths of more than 400 people at a drug rehabilitation center. Taliban says 256
people or 265 people were wounded. Pakistan says the airstrike targeted a military installation and terrorist sites. The attack comes hours after
China urged both sides to return to negotiations.
President Donald Trump is attacking allies once again in Europe and Asia for not helping in the war with Iran and in securing the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump insists, though, that the U.S. doesn't really need them.
It was a stunning rebuke of the war today from one of President Trump's top intelligence officials. Joe Kent, the director of the National
Counterterrorism Center, abruptly resigned saying the war was a terrible mistake. He claims that Iran posed no imminent danger to the U.S. when the
president ordered it and blamed Israel for pressuring the U.S. into the conflict.
Israel says it will pursue, find, and quote, "neutralize" Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. A spokesman for the Israeli military says
his country will continue to target anyone posing a threat to Israel.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIG. GEN. EFFIE DEFRIN, IDF SPOKESMAN (through translator): Mojtaba Khamenei's fate is unknown. We neither see nor hear from him. But I can say
one thing, we will continue, as we have proven. We will continue to pursue anyone who poses a threat to the State of Israel. And anyone who raises a
hand against us is not immune from us. We will pursue him, find him, and neutralize him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Iran has now confirmed that two of its senior officials were killed in Israeli airstrikes. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin
Netanyahu, claims the ongoing military operation is undermining the Iranian regime so that the Iranian people can remove that regime. In Lebanon,
Israel says it is continuing to strike Hezbollah targets, including weapons storage facilities and launchers.
Joining me now is Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon. Ambassador, thanks so much for taking the time.
DANNY DANON, ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: Thank you for having me, Jim.
SCIUTTO: You heard me just note there that the Prime Minister Netanyahu said that Israel is undermining the regime to give people a chance to then
remove it. You have said yourself the time is coming very soon for Iranians to rise up. But as you know, U.S. intelligence seems to indicate that the
regime is not currently in danger of falling. So, I wonder, is that still a realistic goal for the Iranian people to retake their country?
DANON: Absolutely. You know, for 47 years they were oppressed by this regime. They suffered so much. And now, we are weakening the regime. Every
day we target the leadership. You know, we target the IRGC and other security forces that they have there. And I think the time is coming for
the Iranian people to decide about their future, to rise up and to make sure that they take control of their future.
You know, they waited for this opportunity for so long. Now, the time is coming. We know it's not easy for them, especially after what happened in
January when tens of thousands were massacred by this same regime. But today, there is a new reality. And I hope that they will have the courage
to seize the moment and use this opportunity.
SCIUTTO: Well, you know what a great risk it is for them. They, by some estimates, tens of thousands of them were killed when they protested this
regime in January. So, in effect, the U.S. and Israel are asking the Iranian people to risk their lives once again. I wonder if that's a
reasonable, realistic thing to ask them to do.
DANON: Well, it's absolutely up to them to decide what to do. We can create the conditions. We can support, encourage. But at the end of the
day, it's their decision. You know, we think they have to seize the opportunity. You know, for years they were waiting for us to do something,
and they called for help.
Today when they actually look up in the skies, they can see the Israeli Air Force, the U.S. Air Force, and they see the weakness of the regime. You
know, many defections, many people left their positions in the police and the military. But they know it. They feel it.
[18:35:00]
And I hope that they will be courageous to take the chances and to create a new reality, a better reality for their children and grandchildren in Iran.
SCIUTTO: As you know, Iran has now confirmed that Ali Larijani was killed by an Israeli airstrike, the latest in a series of Iranian leaders that
have been killed. I wonder what that means for any path if we get there, to a negotiation. Are there Israeli leaders -- sorry, Iranian leaders that
Israel would be willing to open a negotiation with at any stage, or is every Iranian leader a fair target at this point in Israel's view?
DANON: Jim, I want to bring you back to last summer after the 12-day war. We actually waited for something new to happen, that the regime leadership
will recalculate the course they are taking and maybe will understand that it's not time to play games. It's time to have a dialogue, to use
diplomacy. It did not happen. So, it depends which direction it goes.
You know, as long as you want to have those leaders that will continue with promoting hate and radical ideas and trying to achieve nuclear weapons that
will threaten the stability of the region, there will be no room for negotiations. But if there will be an opening and we will see someone who
is actually willing to change course, you know, we believe in diplomacy and we understand that the next stage after we target this regime will be using
diplomacy and peaceful measures.
SCIUTTO: Have you -- has Israel identified any potential Iranian leader that would be open to a negotiation or that Israel would see as open to
negotiation or even President Trump would?
DANON: Well, even if we did, I don't think it's a good idea to expose it now at this stage. But I will tell you that the Iranian people are very
reasonable. And we saw that. So, yes, there are potential leaders in Iran today who can lead the nation in the right direction, use their resources
for prosperity, for infrastructure in order to send ballistic missiles to all its neighbors and block the threat of Hormuz. So, yes, we believe and
we know that you have other options in Iran.
SCIUTTO: There's now something of a public debate in this country about the possibility at least of ground forces to accomplish well, more than one
goal of the president's now, whether that be to secure the Strait of Hormuz, would that require a ground component, but also to retrieve the
enriched uranium deeply buried underground. Is Israel open to the possibility of a ground deployment to accomplish any of those goals?
DANON: Well, first, every ground involvement is very complicated. You know, you look at the map, you know, to fly from Israel to Iran, it's
almost three hours. And usually, you know, the challenge is not the first few days, you know, when you capture territory, you know, the question is
what you do after that, how you protect the forces on the ground. You know, if we will feel that we have to, we have the means to deploy forces. But
for now, we focus on the airstrikes, and we are very, very efficient with that.
SCIUTTO: As you know, Iran, even though its military capabilities have been deeply depleted by U.S. and Israeli airstrikes, perhaps 90 percent of
its missile capabilities, you know the statistics here, it is still maintaining ability, an ability to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed, or
largely closed. Is it still America's and Israel's choice as to when this war ends, or does Iran now have some power to determine that?
DANON: You know, we all understand that they are desperate. They panic, you know, the very fact that they started to target neighboring cities and
countries, it shows desperation, and exactly what they're doing now with the Strait of Hormuz.
So, you're right, Jim, they still have capabilities to terrorize the region, but in terms of like real military capabilities, we were able to
degrade them. Every day that passes, we are achieving more and more. So, I cannot guarantee 100 percent, but they know that they are getting weaker
and weaker.
SCIUTTO: Ambassador Danny Danon, we appreciate you joining the program.
DANON: Thank you very much, Jim.
SCIUTTO: Well, just ahead, Israel expands its ground operation in southern Lebanon. We're going to speak of the military goals there and the toll that
it's taking on civilians right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:40:00]
SCIUTTO: We turn now to Lebanon, another front of this war where residents of the City of Tyre are fleeing as the Israeli military issued an
evacuation order. Earlier, the Lebanese Armed Forces say three soldiers were killed by an Israeli strike in the southern part of the country. The
Israeli military says it is reviewing the incident as it continues to expand its ground operations inside Lebanon against Hezbollah.
The war has had a devastating consequence for the country's civilians. According to Lebanese health ministry, more than 900 people have been
killed, 100 of them children.
Joining me now, Makram Rabah, assistant professor of history at the American University of Beirut. He joins us from there. Thanks so much for
taking the time.
MAKRAM RABAH, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF HISTORY, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT: Good evening, Jim. Thank you for having me.
SCIUTTO: The Norwegian Refugee Council estimates some half a million people are likely displaced by this latest war in Lebanon. Is this becoming
a long-term humanitarian crisis and do you see echoes of the war in Gaza here?
RABAH: Well, certainly, I don't think that there's a Gaza scenario because simply Lebanon's geography is much different. However, the long-term
implications of the displacement of over one million refugees and these people will not go home anytime soon. We
have a big problem that the Lebanese establishment doesn't have the guts to actually face its people and tell them that your destroyed houses and
villages will become a buffer zone. This is exactly what the Israelis have been communicating for the last 15 months when they have warned the
Lebanese state and its army that you need to do it yourself and disarm Hezbollah. And if you don't do that, we will come for Hezbollah. We might
destroy it or we might destroy Lebanon.
And the Israelis don't really care. They just care about protecting their own northern villages and towns. Whereas the Lebanese in general believe,
and I do believe that they suffer from the Stockholm syndrome in a way, they believe that these people who are part and parcel of Iran will be
basically patriotic enough to put down their arms. I don't think that wagering on such a criminal enterprise bodes well for Lebanon.
SCIUTTO: Has the war, not just this round of the war, but the previous round and the many strikes on Hezbollah leadership, the pager bombs, et
cetera, has that weakened Hezbollah's position in Lebanon, both its public support, but also its ability to wield power, or is it holding on?
RABAH: Well, it's actually very hard to measure the power of Hezbollah because simply Hezbollah takes advantage of Lebanon's sectarian system.
They float the idea around that we are protecting the Shiites of Lebanon and we are protecting Lebanon in general.
[18:45:00]
I think the whole myth of Hezbollah was shattered with the killing of its former Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah and its main leadership.
However, Jim, the unfortunate fact that at the moment, yes, we do have Hezbollah fighters who have Lebanese nationality fighting, but the people
who are running the operations are Iranian nationals, which have been targeted over and over again.
So, basically everyone was betting that Hezbollah will stay on the sidelines. However, at the end of the day, Hezbollah was founded in 1985 as
a faction of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and it's actually doing what it does best, hold Lebanon hostage. And the problem is, like all of the
Iranian axis, they are very proficient in holding people as human shields. And this is exactly what's happening at the moment.
SCIUTTO: Well, that description you've given, not just of how Hezbollah operates, but of Israel's military goals here, that doesn't seem to create
the conditions for a negotiated end to this. I mean, that sounds almost like perpetual conflict.
RABAH: Actually, no, despite everything that's happening, there's actually a ray of hope here, because many people within the Israeli political
establishment and even people on the opposition, particularly Lieberman, for example, tweeted that while we shouldn't stop fighting up until we
destroy Hezbollah, it's actually very positive that the Lebanese state have considered having direct negotiations over peace. And this is actually a
very good way forward, because this is the first time since 1983 that the Lebanese government actually engages in direct political talks.
And I think the best way out of this is to turn this military confrontation into a political one, where actually Lebanon will be on the same level as
Israel. Because at the end of the day, Netanyahu cannot say that I will take the military option when he has a political option on the table.
SCIUTTO: Yes. But let me ask you, if it's the Lebanese government negotiating with Israel directly, does Hezbollah abide by anything they
agreed to?
RABAH: Well, I don't think that Hezbollah at the end of the day will honor any of its commitments, because simply they promised to stay out of the war
originally after October 7. However, the only way to debunk the narrative of Hezbollah is to actually neutralize Israel as an, quote/unquote, "enemy
on our southern border."
And by achieving peace and by deploying the Lebanese army across the southern border as well as our border with Syria, Hezbollah's presence or
the reason for its existence is no longer valid. And this is extremely important, especially that cleaning up after the war will require a very
good post-war political settlement that will not allow Hezbollah to live on.
SCIUTTO: Yes. Makram Rabah, thanks for giving us the view from Beirut. We appreciate it.
RABAH: Thank you, Jim. Thanks for having me.
SCIUTTO: Well, the ongoing disruption of the Strait of Hormuz caused by Iran is not just affecting oil supplies. It's also causing huge concern for
Gulf states, which get their imported goods by ship. Kuwait, for example, is starting to see an inflow of food and medicine over land. Nic Robertson
filed this report from the Saudi-Kuwait border.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: These trucks here are the new lifeline bypassing the Straits of Hormuz. The Straits of Hormuz
closed for oil getting out of the Gulf, closed for goods that would normally be coming in.
And right now, these convoys coming out of Saudi Arabia, going into Kuwait, they're bringing in food. They're bringing in medical supplies. They're
bringing in all the equipment that would normally get to Kuwait and other Gulf countries normally get there by ship or by air.
The Iranians have closed the Strait of Hormuz. The airspace is closed because of all the missile strikes that are going on. And if you come
around here, you can get an idea of all the different products that are on their way into Kuwait.
Now, officials there aren't talking about food shortages yet. But people in Kuwait tell us, look, we're a desert kingdom. We're in the desert. It's a
desert country. And we need to import 90 percent of our food. So, this lifeline here that the Saudis say is passing about 900 trucks a day, 9,000
trucks gone through from Saudi to Kuwait, they say, since the war began, is absolutely vital. And it gets more vital the longer the war goes on. It's
part of the Gulf solidarity.
These trucks here are driving in from Saudi Arabia from about 1,000 miles away, about 1,800 kilometers across the whole of the Arabian Peninsula,
from Saudi's western coast, from the port city of Jeddah on the Red Sea.
[18:50:00]
They can do that because the Red Sea isn't blockaded. It's not under fire at the moment, which means there's a way to get all this equipment, all
this food, all these medical supplies, into countries like Kuwait. But right now, the Iranians have already started threatening the Red Sea with
potential strikes because the USS Gerald Ford, the aircraft carrier, its battle group, are in the Red Sea at the moment.
So, this lifeline, vital, going to get more important if the war continues. But because the Red Sea now appears to be potentially under threat, even
this way of getting around the siege of the Strait of Hormuz that Iran has put in place, even this could be under threat, too.
Nic Robertson, CNN, on the Saudi-Kuwait border.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Well, as Cuba struggles to get back on its feet after a nationwide blackout, President Trump again muses over taking the island. He
won't say exactly how he plans to do it. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: President Trump today mused over whether the United States should have, quote, "the honor of taking Cuba." However, he refused to say exactly
whether we prefer extracting Cuban leaders like we saw in Venezuela or starting a war like we're seeing now with Iran.
Power is slowly returning to Cuba. Millions of people spent Monday the dark after the island's grid collapsed. It was the first nationwide blackout
since the U.S. effectively shut off the flow of oil to Cuba following military action in Venezuela, as well as imposing tariffs on Mexico. U.S.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio says it is time now for a change in Cuba.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: The bottom line is their economy doesn't work. That revolution is not even a revolution. That thing they
have has survived on subsidies from the Soviet Union and now from Venezuela. They don't get subsidies anymore, so they're in a lot of
trouble. And the people in charge, they don't know how to fix it. So, they have to get new people in charge.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: For a view now from Havana, our Patrick Oppmann reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A countrywide blackout. Cuba's entire electrical grid collapsing, plunging millions into darkness.
Officials say there were no immediate faults detected at the time the grid collapsed. As the investigation and repair work continues. The outage comes
after weeks of mounting pressure with the United States, cutting off oil supplies to the island.
Cuba depends heavily on that fuel to generate electricity. And without it, the system is buckling. The crisis is taking a hit on daily life.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): When it comes to cooking, you have to cook earlier because once night falls. Well, you can imagine the water.
You can't use the pump to get water up to the roof. There are so many things. It generally affects everything. Almost 100 percent of life.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): There is no electricity, no food, no oil, no fuel. And private businesses have high prices because everything
is going up now. Since they have to move their goods by truck and transport. All of this is really very bad.
[18:55:00]
OPPMANN (voice-over): Frustration is spilling into the streets with protests over food shortages and constant outages. Adding to the crisis,
controversial comments from Donald Trump.
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: You know, all my life I've been hearing about the United States and Cuba. When will the United States do it? I do
believe I'll be the honor of -- having the honor of taking Cuba. That's a big honor.
OPPMANN (voice-over): Cuban officials firing back, blaming Washington for deepening the crisis through economic sanctions and what they call an oil
blockade. President Miguel Diaz-Canel says the country has not received oil shipments in months, calling the impact, quote, "tremendous."
Diaz-Canel also saying the government will not tolerate acts of, quote, "vandalism." Referring to a violent protest where demonstrators on Saturday
attempted to burn down the Communist Party headquarters in a small town. At least five people were arrested, the government said. Despite small pockets
of power coming back online, much of Cuba remains in the dark. Caught between a collapsing energy system and rising tensions with the United
States.
Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Havana.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: A view from the ground in Cuba. Thanks so much for joining us today. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. You've been watching "The Brief."
Please do stay with CNN.
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