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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson
Israel: Dozens Wounded, Buildings Damaged In Missile Strike; CENTCOM: U.S. Refueling Aircraft Lost Over Western Iraq; Suspect Dead After Driving Car Into Detroit-Area Synagogue; FBI: University Shooting Terror Suspect Subdued By Students; Global Oil Markets face Historic Levels Of Disruption; War With Iran Threatens African Economies; Aired 12-1a ET
Aired March 13, 2026 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News.
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Elex Michaelson live in Los Angeles. It's nine o'clock here, seven o'clock in the morning in Iran.
We are following breaking news out of the Middle East where rescue efforts are underway after an American refueling plane went down in western Iraq.
According to Central Command, which says that the KC-135 Stratotanker was not hit by hostile or a friendly fire.
U.S. official tells CNN at least five crew members were on board. We don't know their conditions at this time.
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MICHAELSON: New video shows a strike hitting an oil tanker in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Iraq and Kuwait. It comes as Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard threatened to set the region's oil and gas infrastructure on fire if Iranian energy targets are hit.
We're learning that the Trump administration significantly underestimated the regime's willingness to apply such pressure. We're into multiple sources familiar with the matter. The president's national security team failed the fully account for the potentially -- potential consequences of what some officials have described as a worst-case scenario now facing the administration.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham brushing off concerns about painful gas prices stemming from the war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): If you think gas prices are high now, give the Ayatollah a nuclear weapon to terrorize the region, to threaten the Straits of Hormuz, he will control gas prices forever. That regime would if they had a nuclear capability.
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MICHAELSON: Meanwhile, Israeli authorities say a missile strike has wounded dozens of people and damaged buildings in northern Israel.
Let's bring in CNN's Ivan Watson. A lot going on right now, Ivan. What more do you know about the latest strikes in Northern Israel we just talked about?
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. Well, it appears to have been a direct missile strike, according to emergency workers that hit a town called Zarzir in the north of Israel, with a largely Arab-Bedouin population.
A large number of people injured by this, which appeared to have hit four houses. More than 50 people being treated, most of them for mild injuries. But also there was a 34-year-old woman with shrapnel in her back, a 17-year-old girl hit by -- hurt by broken glass.
And the -- and the fire crews were -- were trying to rescue people who'd been trapped in some of these buildings that had been hit.
This is not the first time that northern Israel has been basically a combat zone. There was a 2024 war between Israel and Hezbollah, the Shiite militia in Lebanon across the border. And in that time, the Israeli government ordered the evacuation of many northern border communities. We have not seen that thus far going into two weeks of this latest war.
However, the Israeli Defense Minister has come out and said that if the Lebanese government won't reign in Hezbollah, then Israel and its military will do so.
And he's issued orders to the Israeli military to prepare for a possible significant expansion of its operations in Lebanon with the ongoing bombardment that is taking place in different parts of Lebanon.
Meanwhile, the Iranian government and state media have reported air strikes shaking buildings in eastern Tehran this morning before dawn. And no signs of backing down from the new Iranian supreme leader, the son of the slain leader, who we haven't seen at all in public, but issued a written statement calling for revenge and calling for the U.S. and Israel to compensate Iran for the damage that it has suffered and for the lives lost over the last two weeks. Elex.
MICHAELSON: Yes. We have no idea about the health of the supreme leader. As again, we have not seen him in some time, even before all of this happened.
So the other big story of the day, Ivan, has been this U.S. refueling plane that went down in Iraq. What's the latest there? What more have we just found out?
WATSON: Sure. CENTCOM announced -- Central Command, that this was a -- a KC-135 Stratotanker that was lost. That would have had five crew members on board.
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It was in friendly airspace when this incident took place. This again, according to Central Command, and that rescue efforts are ongoing and two aircraft were involved in the incident.
The additional detail offered here by the U.S. military is that this was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire. And there was a second aircraft. It was also a KC-135 tanker plane and it landed safely back at base.
There is an Iranian-affiliated militia in Iraq that has claimed to have shot down this plane. Don't have any independent information to back that up.
You know, Elex, I've been on a U.S. Navy plane that was getting refueled from one of these aircraft. It is remarkable to see it in activity.
The U.S. military has said it has some 200-plus fighter aircraft involved in this war in Iran, and they would typically need to get refueled for their operations.
An additional fact is these KC-135 planes are old. The most -- the newest one would have been delivered in 1965, more than 60 years --
MICHAELSON: Whoa.
WATSON: -- old and still in operation in -- in -- in, you know, pretty stressful circumstances. But real concerns about the status and the welfare of the crew of this plane, and we'll bring you updates as soon as we get it.
Iraq has been increasingly violent. The French government has announced that one of its soldiers was killed in the northern Iraqi Kurdistan region by some kind of an attack on a French base there.
The French president saying also there were French soldiers wounded. And he's gone on to say that this military presence has been there to assist in the war against ISIS, that going back to 2015, and there is no justification for an attack on that presence due to the ongoing war in Iran.
But just reminding you of how many layers and years of conflict this part of the world has seen, and just getting into the newest round of serious hostilities right now.
MICHAELSON: Yes. And remarkable when you say how old those planes are. When you first said old, I didn't think you were going to say 1965. I mean, that's a remark -- thinking about how much money the Defense Department spends on everything that the planes are that old. Ivan Watson, thank you for that reporting live from Hong Kong.
Department of Homeland Security says the person suspected of ramming a vehicle into a Michigan synagogue has been identified as a 41-year-old Lebanese born naturalized U.S. citizen.
The suspect was found dead in the burned out car after crashing into the Temple Israel. Ivan Rodriguez has more.
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IVAN RODRIGUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A house of worship turned into a site of terror Thursday. After police received reports of an active shooter in a car driven into a building at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, a synagogue that also contains a school.
SHERIFF MICHAEL BOUCHARD, OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN: One of the head of security was taken to the hospital. He got knocked down by the car when it breached the building.
RODRIGUEZ (voice-over): The Oakland County Sheriff says a security guard engaged the suspect in gunfire after the vehicle rammed through a set of doors and the suspect is now dead.
Sources say the man's car contained would appear to be a large amount of explosives. The sheriff says something caught fire inside the vehicle and the suspect's body was badly burned.
BOUCHARD: It caused terrible, terrible smoke in that part of the building. And so when all of our people collectively went in that building to search out the threat, to remove innocent, a lot of them took in a significant amount of smoke inhalation.
RODRIGUEZ (voice-over): According to the sheriff, at least 30 law enforcement officers were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation, but no staff or children were injured.
An FBI agent leading the investigation says the attack was a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community.
DANA NESSEL, MICHIGAN ATTORNEY GENERAL: Shocking and, you know, it -- it is creating a circumstance where I think people are going to be afraid to go to synagogue.
RODRIGUEZ (voice-over): The incident comes amid a surge of attacks on members of the Jewish community in the U.S.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And I want to send our love to the Michigan Jewish community and all of the people in Detroit.
RODRIGUEZ (voice-over): I'm Ivan Rodriguez reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE) MICHAELSON: Joining me live now is Steve Leder. He is the Rabbi Emeritus of the Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles, the largest Jewish congregation in all of Southern California. Rabbi, welcome to "The Story Is." Thank you for being here.
STEVE LEDER, RABBI EMERITUS, WILSHIRE BOULEVARD TEMPLE, LOS ANGELES: Thank you.
MICHAELSON: I know you know the rabbis involved here. You know this community. You've spent time in this community. What's your message to them?
LEDER: You're not alone. You're not alone. Your Jewish brothers and sisters are standing with you. And we hope and pray that this doesn't frighten people from continuing to be a part of that vibrant community.
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We hope and pray that this doesn't keep parents from sending their children to school. We hope that this is a wake-up call, not only for the local community but for our entire nation.
This is not a snowball fight. This is -- this is an attempt to bring the ovens to the Jews instead of the Nazis who brought the Jews to the ovens.
MICHAELSON: What do you mean by that?
LEDER: Well, we know that in the '40s, the Nazis brought Jews to the ovens. Now, our enemies can bring the ovens to the Jews on the tip of a missile or in the trunk of a vehicle.
There were explosives. This was pretty clearly an attempt to murder young children. And that, you know, threw fire and -- and -- and -- and bombing. And --
MICHAELSON: Because, you know, there's some people that are going to hear that. They're going to think, well, the Jews, meaning Israel, which, by the way, many of them obviously are Jewish, but --
LEDER: Yes.
MICHAELSON: -- there is a difference between American Jews and Israeli Jews.
LEDER: Yes.
MICHAELSON: -- are bringing plenty of missiles to people.
LEDER: They are. And let's --
MICHAELSON: And there are a lot of people that are dying because of that.
LEDER: Yes. Well, let's talk about the difference between murder and killing. Let's disambiguate those two terms.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
LEDER: You know, a lot of people, during the war in Gaza said to me, but -- but, Rabbi, what about the one of the Ten Commandments? Isn't it thou shalt not kill? And I said, no, I don't know that one.
It's thou shalt not murder. We have two different words for that in Hebrew. And we have two different words for that in English because they are not the same thing.
Murder is premeditated and perpetrated on purpose on the innocent. Killing is something that is done as a result of murderers.
MICHAELSON: Let's talk about the -- the overall, what is happening at Jewish synagogues around the country, at your synagogues, the -- the largest of any of them. It's basically a fortress. It's been that way for years.
I mean, talk about how much you got to spend on security and how that's top of mind for everything you have to do.
LEDER: We spend millions of dollars on security. Every year, all of our campuses are hardened targets. We have lots of layers of security that I won't discuss.
And you know, with that $2 million, Elex, we could feed more of our hungry neighbors through our food pantries. We could scholarship more kids to school and camp. We could hire more clergy. We could be more generous with our teachers and our employees.
But instead, we're spending all of that money because of straight up Jew hatred. It's as simple as that. and it's such a shame.
MICHAELSON: I mean, have you seen an -- an increase in the anti- Semitism and an increase in threats?
LEDER: We all have.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
LEDER: We all have. I mean, that -- there's no question about that. I think we're up to something like 900 percent over previous years.
MICHAELSON: And so at this moment in history, I know it's very important for you to get the message out that the Jews need help right now --
LEDER: Listen --
MICHAELSON: -- right? And -- and you want people -- it's about to be Shabbat tomorrow. Jews here in Michigan, all over the country, are going to be going, getting together. What's your message on that front?
LEDER: You know, a lot of my work in writing has been about pain and loss. One thing I can assure you is that no one suffers pain better alone. No one. And right now, we feel like we are suffering alone.
And so I want to say to our allies, to my Christian brothers and sisters, my Muslim brothers and sisters, the -- the Islamic Center of Southern California, where after a mosque was attacked in New Zealand, 10,000 miles away, a bunch of us rabbis were there to stand shoulder to shoulder with them.
I haven't gotten a call back yet about what's happening in Detroit or the incidents that have happened at my congregation.
So please, please, to our -- to our righteous brothers and sisters, show up for us. Be at services tomorrow night. Call your local rabbi. Ask your minister or your imam to get engaged with your neighborhood synagogue. We have to show up for each other.
We -- Jews are a tiny people. Jews live in significant percentages in about 30 of the 435 congressional districts in America. We are a tiny people. And we are maligned and we are suffering. And when you prick us, we bleed. So please, please, show up for us as we've shown up for you.
MICHAELSON: A powerful message. Rabbi Steve Leder, thank you for your leadership for so many years --
LEDER: Thank you, Elex.
MICHAELSON: -- writing on this as well. We really appreciate it.
LEDER: My pleasure.
MICHAELSON: Other news now, a fatal shooting at Virginia University that left one person dead, two others injured, now being investigated as an act of terrorism.
It happened Thursday morning at Old Dominion University in Norfolk when a gunman opened fire on a classroom full of students.
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Officials identified the shooter as convicted ISIS supporter and U.S. military veteran, Muhammad Jalola (ph) -- Jalloh, I should say, pleaded guilty in 2017 to attempting to provide material support to a terrorist group. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison, but was released in 2024.
During a press briefing, the FBI confirmed that Jalloh was killed after a group of students overpowered him.
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DOMINIQUE EVANS, FBI SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE: There were students that were in that room that subdued him and rendered him no longer alive. I don't know how else to say it, but they basically were able to terminate the threat.
(END VIDEO CLIP) MICHAELSON: Still to come, Israel ramps up its strikes in Lebanon saying it is going after Hezbollah targets.
Ahead, when drones and missiles come down, civilians often paid the price. A very moving and emotional piece from Isobel Yeung right in the middle of the region. You're not want to want to miss this and it's next.
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MICHAELSON: Lebanon is bracing for another flood of internationally displaced people fleeing into the countries north, following a new evacuation order by Israel.
Its defense minister has ordered the military to get ready to expand its ground operations in southern Lebanon. And the new evacuation order issued on Thursday has doubled the area where Israel wants all civilians gone. Israel is also stepping up its airstrikes on suspected Hezbollah targets.
But as CNN's Isobel Yeung reports, civilians are often caught in the middle.
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ISOBEL YEUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're back in Beirut now. We can smell the smoke and see these big plumes of smoke from where explosions are going off in the city itself.
Whoa. Look at that. Look at that smoke there.
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YEUNG (voice-over): Israel has intensified its air campaign on Lebanon over the last 24 hours. In the aftermath of Iran-backed militant group, Hezbollah, firing a barrage of rockets towards Israeli territory last night.
Early in the day, we traveled to the Beqaa Valley in eastern Lebanon, where many residents have already been ordered to leave by the Israeli military.
As we arrive, another strike warning buzzed our phones.
YEUNG: Let's get out of here quickly. Maybe put your camera down because there's military. It's difficult because roads are getting shut, because of this waning from the Israeli military to evacuate. We're actually trying to get out of here quickly because this is the exact spot that the Israeli military is saying that it could be a potential strike.
YEUNG (voice-over): For journalists to operate here, we need the permission of Hezbollah, who enjoy significant control and support in this area. We arrive at the site of a building that was struck just yesterday. A neighbor came over to tell us his version of events.
YEUNG: Did you see the strike happen?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
YEUNG: What did you see?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (though text translation): I saw the explosion and the rocket falling. We picked up fingers belonging to small children. These are the "terrorist targets" that Israel's targeting. That's it.
YEUNG: We can see Israeli jets overhead and these guys are saying that we have to get out of this area now.
YEUNG (voice-over): According to Hezbollah and the neighbor, eight people were killed here, including three children.
This is not the only accusation of civilians being killed in this war, though Israel maintains that it only targets Hezbollah infrastructure.
Yesterday, a building in the nearby town of Tamnin al-Tahta was struck. Sixteen-year-old Syrian boy, Mohammed, was dragged from under the rubble. He says at least six of his family members didn't make it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through text translation): We were sleeping in the morning, a jet came and my dad died and my mom died. And my sister-in- law and her kids.
YEUNG: I'm so sorry. When did this happen?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through text translation): I was sleeping. The strike woke me. I saw my father in pieces.
(CRYING)
YEUNG (voice-over): I'm so sorry. That must have been terrifying.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through text translation): I wish it was me and that I hadn't seen my dad like that.
YEUNG (voice-over): One of so many lives torn apart by a war with no end in sight.
Isobel Yeung, CNN, Beirut.
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MICHAELSON: Isobel Yeung with one of the most powerful stories we've seen since this war has begun.
For more on all this, we're joined now by retired U.S. Vice Admiral Robert Harward, a former deputy commander of the U.S. Central Command. He's now a member of the Iran Policy Project at the Jewish Institute of National Security of America. He's live in San Diego. Thanks so much for joining us once again.
As you watch that piece, which is so emotional, it raises the question, how does the U.S. and Israel -- how do their militaries choose their targets? And -- and what do they do to try to avoid civilian casualties?
VICE ADMIRAL ROBERT HARWARD (RET.), IRAN POLICY PROJECT JEWISH INSTITUTE FOR THE NATIONAL SECURITY OF AMERICA: Well, there's three ways you can validate your targets. First, there's (INAUDIBLE) what signals do you listen to, what cell phones? What can you hear? Second is visual, be it space-space air-breathing apparatus. And then finally human intelligence.
So you try to blend all those together to confirm where you're hitting and where you're not. So we do all we can to ensure no collateral damage.
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But in this situation where drones are flying all over the place, cruise missiles, verification, where it came from, who's launching, how, needs to be part of the equation.
MICHAELSON: What should people in Lebanon be doing right now? Where do they go?
HARWARD: Well, they go to ground, of course. But, of course, the targets aren't the people, it's Hezbollah. Same thing in Iran. It's the Iranian regime. It's their facilities.
So -- and I -- you've already seen this some -- but not to some extent, that people stay away from Hezbollah. You know, some of the communities are obviously disassociated, but Hezbollah intentionally places some of their facilities in where civilians are to get this to kind of dissuade from attacks and stuff.
But it's been a technique they've used for decades, you know, in churches and hospitals around civilian populations to ensure any strikes cause this damage (ph) in an effort to detract from being shot out.
MICHAELSON: Are you surprised by Hezbollah's resilience through everything that's been thrown at them? I mean, it seemed for -- for a time before this that they had really been weakened, but they -- they seem to not be given up.
HARWARD: Well, the -- I think they're on their death throes. You know, if you know you're going, got everything -- throw everything you can. If you're life at risk and you're -- you're going to be gone, have to take everything you can.
So, I see this as their last ditch hoorah. And also the same thing in Iran. If we eradicate their power projection and then change the regime, their funding, their support goes away. So, I think they understand this as does the regime of Iran. They're both facing existential threats and have to put everything on the table they can to survive.
MICHAELSON: Sources tell CNN that the Trump administration had underestimated the war's impact on the Strait of Hormuz. This is, of course, is the area where about 20 percent of the world's oil travels through. It's been a big reason why we've seen oil prices go up.
What do you make of -- of sort of the military strategy that both Iran and the United States are -- are doing right now when it comes to the Strait of Hormuz? And how is that going to impact all of us?
HARWARD: I don't think anyone ever underestimated. Everyone knew the potential because it's happened before, tanker wars where we're escorting tankers to get through. So, this is planned for no.
I think what they are surprised by the number of drones. They accounted for the missiles and launchers, but this drone, as you're seeing this new wave of drone warfare is the real differentiator.
So, I think that's been the biggest problem. It's kind of hunting on a much smaller and larger scale that we saw in the first Gulf War. But I'm confident they're going to get through that. That brings all that, so they can focus their energy on the regime.
Because if they don't address the regime, this thing will repeat itself in five years. So, at the end of the day, the end state has to be removal of the regime to ensure this can't be reconstitute and get to the point where it may not be addressable in the years ahead.
So, we have to -- we have to keep that end state in mind and deal with this situation so we can cause that. That's how we're going to get long-term peace, security, and stability in the region.
MICHAELSON: Robert Harward, who's clearly supporting the mission that is underway right now. Thank you very much. And thanks again for your service to our country.
HARWARD: Thank you. Good to be with you.
MICHAELSON: Live picture right now from Capitol Hill. The U.S. government has at least partially been shut down for almost a month.
Just ahead, details on the latest Senate vote on Capitol Hill to try to restore funding for Homeland Security as our country is at war.
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MICHAELSON: The week's long Department of Homeland Security shut down set to drag into next week, after the U.S. senate failed again to advance a bill to fund the full department.
The measure did not get the 60 votes needed to pass. As we look live at Capitol Hill, where it's after midnight, Senate Democrats have demanded reforms for ICE tactics after federal agent shot and killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis in January. They have offered separate bills that would fund specific agencies within DHS, including the Coast Guard, Transportation and Security Administration, TSA, basically fund everything except for ICE, but Republicans have objected to that piecemeal solution.
Department of Homeland Security says, the man who rammed a Detroit area synagogue was a naturalized citizen from Lebanon. The 41-year-old suspect -- suspect died when his car caught fire shortly after he crashed into Temple Israel synagogue.
That temple includes a daycare center and a school. Security guard was knocked down as the car smashed into the building. No teachers or students were injured in the incident. The FBI says it is investigating the attack as a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community.
Laura Friedman is a democratic member of the House from California's 30th district, which includes right here in Burbank. Congresswoman, welcome to "The Story Is" for the first time. And we're grateful to be broadcasting from your district.
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Sad news. We heard about this anti-Semitic incident, one of many that we have seen. We have seen different instances where the homeland has been targeted since this war in Iran began.
Has Congress been briefed at all about the security threats happening in America now?
REP. LAURA FRIEDMAN (D-CA): Not that I'm aware of. And several of us in Los Angeles have asked to be briefed because we heard this vague announcement from the FBI that there's threats of drone attacks from Iran against California.
So the FBI put that out, out into the public, didn't brief Congress, and now it's sort of walking it all back.
So there's a lot of chaos going on right now, coming out of the White House between what's happening in Iran, what's maybe happening in Venezuela. The president's now talking about maybe Cuba. And meanwhile, people at home feel less safe, not more safe.
MICHAELSON: Of course, Republicans say all the more reason that we should be funding DHS, and it's time to stop this grandstanding when ICE is already funded to begin with. Why keep this thing going?
FRIEDMAN: Well, look, ICE and Border Patrol, through the Republican bill passed last year, are funded beyond -- they've -- any funding they've ever had in the past. They are funded more than the United States Marines.
So think about that. So they have plenty of funding. But at a time when we're going after taco sellers and daycare workers, we should be guarding the homeland. And they are not going after people who present a threat in this -- in this country. We know that the vast majority of ICE targets are random immigrants, many of whom are going through the process of becoming naturalized or having their cases adjudicated. So their -- the focus is not on the right place.
MICHAELSON: Let's talk about what's going on in Iran. One video that got a lot of attention today is an A.I. created video from the official White House account of the United States government. Let's play this, where it shows the war in Iran as a Wii video game and shows back and forth images of fake video game and actual strikes, some of which, you know, may kill people.
This is the official video that the United States is putting out for the entire world. What goes through your mind when you watch that?
FRIEDMAN: I'm embarrassed. I'm actually embarrassed by that, as an American and as someone who works in politics in Washington and represents a constituency.
These are deeply unserious people who are controlling the deadliest fighting force on the planet. And that should be something that concerns all of us right now.
We have seven U.S. service members who are dead because of the war in Iran. And just yesterday, President Trump called this a little excursion. He said, this is nothing. This is a little excursion.
It's not nothing to the families of the tragically killed service members.
You've got to think. What do those family members think when they see that?
FRIEDMAN: Yes.
MICHAELSON: They're -- they're planning funerals for their family members and they see this treated like a joke video game?
FRIEDMAN: Right. It's --
MICHAELSON: I mean --
FRIEDMAN: It's not a joke. It's not a game. This is war. You just had a clip on of a 16-year-old who lost his family in Lebanon. Civilians all over the Middle East are watching tensions escalate and violence escalate.
And at the same time, this administration has given us no roadmap to stability or peace in Iran or anywhere else in the Middle East where we now see tensions increasing.
Other countries are being dragged into this war. We don't know what success looks like. We don't know what the off-ramp is. We don't even know what the goals of the Trump administration are. They have been flip-flopping on why we are even bombing Iran right now.
Just a few months ago, they told us that they had complete success in wiping out any nuclear capability of Iran, and yet, we're bombing again. Why?
MICHAELSON: But we know that Iran has been a state-sponsored of terror. We know that they have funded proxies throughout the Middle East that have destabilized the region. We know, in the past, that they have attacked Americans, we -- including the hostage situation back in the '70s, to the USS Cole to other things.
I mean, isn't the world safer if the Iran ayatollah regime is not in place?
FRIEDMAN: There is no one I've heard in government, on any side of the aisle, that is trying to justify or say anything about Iran that -- that's positive.
We know that Iran is a state-sponsored of terror. We know that they're terrible to their own people.
However, we have not heard from the administration why there was such an imminent threat from Iran that they had to bomb without presenting their case to Congress. We are now at war. We don't exactly know why, at that particular moment, they chose to bomb. We don't know if there is a plan to stabilize the region.
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And we also do know that Iran is a sophisticated enemy. They're a large country. They are very well armed. They're very well organized. The idea that this is Venezuela, where you're going to go in and drop a few bombs and things are going to change, it's not the case in this case.
And what I am afraid of is this spiraling out of control and us ending in another forever war, at the same time when our economy is tanking --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
FRIEDMAN: -- gas prices are spiking. And is this making us any safer? Is this making the world any safer? We don't know.
MICHAELSON: Quickly, while I have you.
FRIEDMAN: Yes.
MICHAELSON: We are in Hollywood right now.
FRIEDMAN: That's right.
MICHAELSON: This is your district. You literally represent Hollywood. You represent us here in Burbank, where we have the Warner Bros. studios, there's Universal Studios, there's Disney, there's all the rest of it. It's Oscar week, people are focused on this town on this issue. There's a lot of concern about Hollywood leaving Hollywood. Our Hollywood's already left Hollywood.
Real quickly, what are you doing about that? FRIEDMAN: So I have been working on a national film tax credit because we are losing our film industry to overseas productions. And the reason is because other countries see the benefit of this industry.
We -- this industry employs over 100,000 people across the United States. And it's a driver of the economy right here in Los Angeles. It provides good jobs that are aspirational.
And just as importantly, it's allowed the United States to tell their story --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
FRIEDMAN: -- to the rest of the world for a gen -- for generations.
MICHAELSON: Are there votes for that?
FRIEDMAN: You know something? We've been having really productive talks across the aisle because filming isn't just in Los Angeles, filming is in Georgia.
MICHAELSON: Right.
FRIEDMAN: Filming is in New Jersey, filming is in Texas, filming is in Florida. And those representatives of those states know how important this industry is economically.
MICHAELSON: Does "Sinners" win the Oscar?
FRIEDMAN: I'm rooting for "Sinners."
MICHAELSON: OK. Congresswoman, thank you for coming in.
FRIEDMAN: Thank you so much. Thanks for having me.
MICHAELSON: Great to be in your district. Representative Laura Friedman.
We'll be right back. More of "The Story Is" right after this.
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MICHAELSON: The Strait of Hormuz moves about 20 percent of the world's oil every day. And with Iran's new supreme leader vowing to keep it shut, fuel prices worldwide are soaring. But why is it hitting so hard even in the U.S.?
Let's go live to Mike Valerio in Beijing for the latest on gas prices all around the world. Mike.
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So it's hitting people in the U.S., Elex, because if there's a global shortage or a supply disruption in the Middle East or all the way over here in East Asia, the price of oil is global. The price of oil isn't just for the United States. So, when we have a shortage or impact, it's going to affect people. And I shudder, Elex, to think of what you are paying for gas in California right now.
So to that end, if we're looking at how prices have gone up and evolved, 2.98 was the average price of gas per gallon in the United States, according to AAA before the war broke out. Don't be bad at me if that's much lower than what you were paying. That's just the national average. And right now it's standing at $3.60. So that's an increase of 62 cents.
The U.S. president posting on Truth a couple hours ago that, well, paraphrasing him here, that's sort of OK, because if the price of oil goes up, quote-unquote, we make a lot of money.
Well, people who are going to the pump, be it in China, here where we're broadcasting from or the United States, they're not making a lot of money from that, quite the opposite.
And if that were true, Elex, then we would not be seeing these extraordinary measures that are playing out over the past couple hours.
Namely, the U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying, OK, nations around the world, we're going to allow you to buy oil from Russia, but oil from Russia that is stranded at sea, not newly produced oil, and that's going to last for about 30 days until April 11th.
Or they wouldn't be also, if everybody was making money from this, releasing barrels from the strategic petroleum reserve or coordinating with 32 other nations around the world of releasing 400 million barrels of oil into the system over the next couple months.
And we talked about this math a little bit yesterday, Elex, and I just want to --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
VALERIO: -- bring it up again and clarify it deep into the numbers just a little bit more. The last time that a global coordinated release of oil happened when the Ukraine war began in 2022, that shaved off, on average, 17 to 42 cents per gallon on your gas bill at the pump, per gallon.
So to see that this rise of 62 cents over the past almost two weeks, and 42 cents was the average result of the last time global action was coordinated like this, that doesn't really, you know, bring a lot of confidence into, OK, are these measures going to work?
What will work and what has sent the price of oil down from 120 to like $87 is word that the Strait of Hormuz was going to open and have Navy escort ships. That news, of course, turned out to be false, but that is the only thing that is going to bring these oil prices down at this point, news that the strait can be opened.
MICHAELSON: Well, we just looked at -- at oil prices live and we're at 100 again. By the way, you mentioned California --
VALERIO: Yes.
MICHAELSON: -- the national average is 3.59. The average in California is 5.36, the highest gas prices in the country.
Mike Valerio, doesn't have to pay those in Beijing. Thank you so much for being with us. We appreciate it.
[00:50:05]
Now, that war with Iran is triggering shockwaves through the global oil industry, as Mike talked about, that price per barrel climb, stocks fall in major supply disruptions expected.
We have reports from three different continents, including Europe and Africa, but let's start with Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong with the view from another part of Asia.
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KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The region sources a whopping 60 percent of its oil from the Middle East.
In Bangladesh, there are long lines at the pump as authorities limit supplies. Even universities have been closed to save energy.
MOHAMMAD JOYNAL, DRIVER IN BANGLADESH (through translator): Trying to get oil in my company car, I've been stuck for two and a half hours in this queue for oil.
LU STOUT: India has invoked emergency powers to divert liquefied petroleum gas away from industrial users and toward households.
Pakistan has ordered a range of austerity measures from closing schools to shifting services online.
South Korea is imposing a fuel cap for the first time in 30 years as it seeks alternative sources of energy beyond the Strait of Hormuz.
And taking the long view, China is accelerating cuts in carbon intensity over the next five years as it maintains its focus on renewable energy.
Elsewhere, Vietnam is calling on companies to encourage remote working. And Thailand is ordering government workers to save energy by suspending overseas trips and working from home.
The Philippines as well, with the president urging personnel to hold virtual meetings instead. This comes after it rolled out a temporary four-day work week for some government offices with air conditioning set no lower than 24 degrees Celsius or 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
The United Nations is warning that if disruptions drag on, food and fertilizer prices will skyrocket and that will hit vulnerable economies especially hard. LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This conflict just crossed the 12-day mark. In one economy tell CNN, African nations should start preparing for a catastrophic scenario.
KWAME OWINO, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, INSTITUTE OF ECONOMIC AFFAIRS KENYA: While no African countries are directly involved in the conflict, we still suffer quite substantially. Governments need to adjust. What does it mean for governments to have?
So for instance, the government of Kenya has some of the highest taxes globally on fuel prices. So adjusting fiscal policy to allow for greater affordability is important even if it means a government will have a lower take.
MADOWO: Africa's most advanced economy, South Africa, is one of those exposed to the oil price shocks. It is the net importer of fuel. This is a video from Thursday at gas stations.
One South African airline, FlySafair, announced it would be adding a temporary dynamic fuel surcharge after jet fuel prices rose by 70 percent in one week at South African airports.
Other airlines, including national carrier, South African Airways, said they were monitoring prices.
I also want to show you this video from gas stations in Nigeria. It is Africa's most populous nation, one of the largest economies. It is also a crude oil producer. So it's likely to cash in on the increase in global oil prices alongside other countries in Africa that produce oil such as Angola.
But Nigeria is still in ports with fine petroleum, so it is not immune from the shocks that the global markets are seeing.
The bigger picture here is that African economies are more fragile than stronger, more advanced economies.
OWINO: These economies are small and fragile. They are dependent on those imports. So when there's a global conflict such as the one that it does, it affects these economies. And African economies also tends to recover slowly, much -- to have a slower part of recovery.
MADOWO: Fuel prices are holding steady right now. But if the conflict with Iran drags on, just about everything here in Kenya and across the African continent will get more expensive, adding more pain for African consumers.
Larry Madowo, CNN, Nairobi.
PAU MOSQUERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Over the past few days, the simple gesture has become a little bit more expensive in Spain.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It's outrageous. It seems incredible to me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): You can really notice the rise in prices. And since we spend all day on the road, we feel in our expenses.
MOSQUERA: The impact is also being felt in the agricultural sector. Some farmers say their production costs are rising.
And actually, some industry groups estimate that higher fuel and fertilizer prices are adding nearly $47 million a week in extra costs for the sector.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): With diesel at the price it is, compared to what we earn for our products, it's more profitable to leave the tractor parked and go have a beer than to go out and work.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The corn planting season is starting now. We use about 600 kilograms of urea per hectare. And urea is made with gas, which is rising a lot, so we're considering not planting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I've been working in the countryside for 10 years. When I started, diesel was 54 cents per liter and now it's 1.70 euro. Many times now, I've had to rely on my wife's salary to cover production costs on the farm.
[00:55:06]
MOSQUERA: As higher fuel prices put pressure on drivers and key industries, the Spanish government is preparing an action plan to address the impact of the conflict in the Middle East and the Spanish economy. The details may be unveiled in the coming days.
Pau Mosquera, CNN, Madrid.
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MICHAELSON: Our thanks to Pau, Larry, and Kristi, for taking us around the world as only CNN can.
Still to come, Iran's propaganda has a powerful tool at its disposal to spread misinformation about the war.
Just ahead, how Iran's propaganda machine is deploying artificial intelligence to spread realistic looking videos like this one.
Thanks for watching this hour of "The Story Is." The next hour continues after a quick break.
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