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What We Know with Max Foster

Markets Surge On Unconfirmed Rumor Iran Is Open To Ending War; Hegseth: "Regime Chance Has Occurred" In Iran; Trump Tells Other Nations To "Go Get Your Own Oil"; Israel Vows To Keep Control Of Southern Lebanon; Dozens Killed In Western Haiti As Gangs Attack Civilians; Judge Rules White House Ballroom Project Must Stop; Israel Votes To Expand Death Penalty For Palestinians; King Charles' State Visit To U.S. Confirmed For April. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired March 31, 2026 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[15:00:29]

MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: U.S. stocks are surging.

This is WHAT WE KNOW.

They are rising sharply this afternoon on an unconfirmed rumor that Iran might be open to ending the war. CNN can't independently confirm those

reports.

The Dow Jones up more than 1,000 points, the S&P 500 up nearly two and a half, or more than 2.5 percent. The Nasdaq also surging, going on for four

percent. We'll have more on the markets in just a moment.

But first, the top military planners in the U.S. say their goal at this point is to drive Iran to the bargaining table.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth held a briefing at the Pentagon a short while ago, where he declared that regime change had already happened in

Iran. He said the U.S. and Israel continued to pound Tehran and other parts of the country as a way of convincing Iran's leaders to cut a deal with

President Donald Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, DEFENSE SECRETARY: But if Iran is wise, they will cut a deal. President Trump doesn't bluff, and he does not back down. You can ask

Khamenei about that. The new Iranian regime should know that by now. This new regime, because regime change has occurred, should be wiser than the

last.

President Trump will make a deal. He is willing, and the terms of the deal are known to them. If Iran is not willing, then the United States War

Department will continue with even more intensity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Let's go to CNN's Jennifer Hansler at the U.S. State Department. Interesting how they're framing this, that, you know, there's been success.

The regime has changed, which isn't entirely true. It's just individuals within the regime have changed, but also that the emphasis now is on some

sort of resolution.

JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yeah. That's right, Max. They're sort of trying to have this two pronged approach right

now of amping up the pressure militarily on Tehran to force them back to the negotiating table. This comes, of course, after President Trump claimed

on Truth Social yesterday that they were dealing with a more what he described as reasonable Iranian regime.

However, as we heard from Hegseth that they're going to continue these military operations until there is some sort of movement on the diplomatic

front. At one point, he said this morning that they would continue to negotiate with bombs as they compel Iran to make a deal. This comes as the

two sides still appear to be wide apart from each other in terms of their priorities for any sort of negotiation.

The U.S., of course, put forward that 15-point plan via the Pakistanis in recent weeks. Iran has dismissed many of the demands that were made in that

plan. A lot of them are very similar, if not identical to ones that the U.S. put forward before the start of military operations about a month ago.

They include destruction of Iran's nuclear program, limits on its ballistic missiles, and an end to Iranian support for its proxy groups. Iran has

called these demands unreasonable. They have put forward their own set of demands, including sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.

And, Max, of course, that issue was also front and center in that press conference earlier today out of the Pentagon. We heard Hegseth echoing

criticism from President Trump that allies were not doing enough. Trump said in a Truth Social post that they should essentially have courage and

take back the Strait of Hormuz. He was particularly targeting European allies on this front. Hegseth called out Britain in particular in comments

earlier today.

This comes in contrast to some remarks we heard from Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week on this matter, where he said they were working to

form an international coalition, and he acknowledged that this would be a post-conflict sort of situation, that they had had a lot of buy in from

allies at the G7 ministerial about the need for this coalition, as European allies have said that they would be willing to help, but they need to see a

ceasefire in this situation.

So there's a lot of mixed messaging going on here, Max, and a lot of questions as we approach this self-imposed deadline from Trump for Iran to

reopen the strait.

FOSTER: Okay, Jen, appreciate it from the State Department.

Now, more on those comments from President Donald Trump now. And he says the bottled up Strait of Hormuz is a problem for the rest of the world, not

just for the U.S. In a social media post, he again criticized European allies for not helping the war effort, now telling them to go get your own

oil.

Iran is moving to charge fees for the safe passage of some tankers through the strait.

[15:05:03]

Iran also carrying out fresh attacks. Here you can see the damage after a fire broke out on a Kuwaiti oil tanker off Dubai. Authorities say it was

hit by an Iranian drone, but no one was injured and there was no spill either.

Oil futures are down slightly today. More on the markets though, which are surging this afternoon on that unconfirmed rumor that Iran might be open to

ending the war. The Dow Jones had gained more than 900 points earlier on after heavy losses. Now you can see its going up well above 1,000 points.

Richard joins us from New York.

I mean, some of the markets are going up towards four percent, aren't they?

RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS EDITOR AT LARGE: Yes. And I think what's going on here is a feeling that something's happening. But exactly what no one's

quite sure.

You have all these various -- you've got Hegseth saying there has been regime change and that this is all, you know, this -- this is what we want.

You've got the allegedly the Iranian president saying that they're looking for a deal. You've got Trump's comments.

So there is a feeling that something is happening and it will probably lead or possibly lead towards a cessation of hostilities.

Now, you -- Max, you are as experienced in this as I am in terms of reading the ruins on this, whether it transpires to anything, who knows? But the

markets have been so badly beaten up that they're grasping for straws of any opportunity. And that's why we're seeing this rally. There is reason

for it, but it is pretty thin.

FOSTER: Meanwhile, the economists who are taking the long term view of warning of a -- certainly a U.S. recession, a global recession.

QUEST: Yeah, yeah.

FOSTER: A massive downturn. I mean, what do you make of all of those comments?

QUEST: So this is all predicated on how long does it last? The longer it lasts, the more likely of a recession. And now you're getting numbers of a

recession anywhere between 25 percent to some - some analysts, some economists are saying up to 40 percent.

But if you were to try and pin them down on that number, they would immediately skate to the thickest ice they could find by saying but it

depends on how long it lasts. So let's just take at the moment where all this to end tomorrow? Well, firstly, oil prices probably will come down

quite quickly, but there's an element of slowdown now baked in.

Whether that leads to a recession depends on which jurisdiction you're talking to -- unlikely in the United States, possibly in Europe. But again,

it just depends if, Max, you know, I'm aware that I'm doing a rather bad job of on the one hand, on the other hand, and you're left thinking, well,

which hand is he talking about?

I'll -- if this goes on longer, let's say all of these rumors do not come to fruition. The market will go down again. Oil prices will go back up

again because that's --

FOSTER: I mean, the one thing we do know is the Strait of Hormuz is still clogged up or, you know, they can't get through. Is that really the one

thing we're looking at? Is that the one thing that will speak to all of this?

QUEST: In the short term, yes. But you've got to factor in how many ships are actually getting through. Is it five? Is it 10? Is it 20? How many are

paying the $2 million alleged toll that they have to get through?

These are the uncertainties. And the uncertainties go both ways. The Kuwaiti tanker in Dubai that got hit. At the moment the market is choosing

to be optimistic. But it's scotch mist. It could disappear in a moment.

FOSTER: Yeah. Okay, Richard. Thank you. More from Richard in "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS".

The Israeli military says it's carried out a wide scale wave of strikes in the heart of Tehran. It says it targeted infrastructure of the regime.

Earlier today, the IDF said it had struck 170 targets over the past 24 hours, including sites linked to weapons research and production.

Israel also escalating the war in Lebanon. Defense Minister Israel Katz says all homes in southern villages near the Israeli border will be

destroyed, according to what he calls the Gaza model. Israel is vowing to keep control of the area even after the war with Hezbollah, saying it needs

a security buffer zone.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond is in Tel Aviv.

Is this -- are we looking at a long term shift in position and the status of that region, Jeremy?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, it certainly looks like increasingly escalatory statements from senior Israeli officials about

their plans for Lebanon, what the Israeli defense minister was talking about today is Israeli troops going as far as the Litani River, some 20

miles north of the Lebanese border, and establishing fixed positions in southern Lebanon to hold a -- what they're describing as a security buffer

zone in that area, even after ground operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon conclude, which effectively is looking at an Israeli

occupation of parts of southern Lebanon.

[15:10:08]

The Israeli defense minister also saying that the 600,000 residents of that area of Lebanese citizens will not be allowed to return to their homes

until security has been established for Israel's northern residents. He's also talking about the rampant destruction of civilian infrastructure,

including homes along the Israeli border inside of Lebanese territory, without military necessity. That is a violation of international law, one

that we've seen Israel carry out in Gaza already.

And indeed, the defense minister, Israel Katz, comparing what Israel intends to do in Lebanon to what it has already done in multiple places in

Gaza. So, it is quite escalatory and dangerous rhetoric that we are hearing from the Israeli defense minister, as Israeli troops are already operating,

of course, on the ground in Lebanon. But by the day, it seems like they are creeping further and further north into Lebanese territory.

FOSTER: Okay. Jeremy, thank you.

Elsewhere, dozens of people have been killed in western Haiti as armed gangs attacked civilians and burned homes. A hospital in Saint-Marc, north

of Port-au-Prince, reports treating more than a dozen injured, a rights group estimates the death toll rose as high as 70 by Monday, and more than

5,000 people are displaced.

Last hour, I spoke with independent journalist Harold Isaac, who is in the capital, Port-au-Prince.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HAROLD ISAAC, INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST: Well, Max, it seems to be yet again another case of a turf war between gangs here in Haiti. But this time

around, really in -- outside of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and as we've seen in the last few years, the violence is really spreading as we see.

FOSTER: And in terms of how it's peaking at the moment, obviously, there's been violence for many months, if not years, but what's this latest --

what's encouraging this latest round of violence, do you think?

ISAAC: Well, the details really are unclear. What we know happened over the weekend and still happening as we speak is that many, many people have been

killed and injured in really clashes between -- between gangs from various areas. It's not sadly, the first time that this is happening in that area,

but the firepower really is the new element in these clashes where several civilians have been killed.

FOSTER: So the gangs are basically becoming better armed. They're getting arms in somehow.

ISAAC: Well, for, you know, for the last five years at least, this has been really the culprit of the gang issue in Haiti. It's the firepower where

essentially were washed with the arms smuggling in Haiti, which has led to increased firepower on the side of the gangs and which is creating really a

challenge, even, especially for a legitimate authorities that are really struggling to quell this surge of violence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Well, coming up, Israel's parliament approves a controversial death penalty, a bill aimed squarely at Palestinians. We'll get the reaction from

a Palestinian human rights attorney just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:16:33]

FOSTER: Breaking news, a federal judge has ordered that all work on the new White House ballroom must stop. This is in relation to President Donald

Trump's huge ballroom project on the former site of the White House East Wing, of course.

Kristen Holmes is at the White House.

So is this -- I mean, how effective is this action? Does it mean it has to stop?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It doesn't have to stop right now. We can actually hear it over my shoulder. I can still hear

the construction going on. But buried in this ruling, it says that this is delayed enforcement for 14 days, so the construction can continue on,

essentially giving the White House time to appeal, which we imagine they certainly will, given the ballroom is President Trump's signature project.

This is a very enthusiastic ruling. I've actually never seen a ruling that had so many exclamation points. It says that the construction, quote, "has

to stop, exclamation point."

I do want to read you the first line of this ruling, because I think it really encapsulates what the judge is trying to say here. It says the

president of the United States is a steward of the White House for future generations of first families. He is not, however, the owner, essentially

saying that because he is not the owner and a steward, he shouldn't be rebuilding, destroying and rebuilding parts of the White House, including

for this massive ballroom.

Of course, President Trump has taken a role as though he is the owner of this building, not just with the ballroom, but also through putting all the

gold in the Oval Office, through tearing down the Rose Garden and paving over it for the Rose Garden cafe through his presidential hall of fame, in

which he shows off to world leaders that he's also currently redoing the floor or the ground in front of the colonnade. That same area there where

the presidential pictures are.

So, we do anticipate that the White House is going to have a lot to say about this. They have not commented yet. We also anticipate that they will

be filing an appeal.

This project is one of the most important projects to President Trump, but right now they are saying that if they don't file this appeal within 14

days, and 14 days, they do have to stop this construction.

FOSTER: Okay. Thank you so much for the White House. You can hear it in the background. You're right.

We're going to Israel now. The U.N. human rights chief is condemning a controversial new death penalty law in Israel, calling it deeply

discriminatory. He warns it could lead to war crimes.

The Knesset approved a bill aimed only at Palestinians, imposing the death penalty for those convicted of terrorism and nationalistic murders. It

calls for swift executions by hanging with no right to appeal. Jewish Israelis convicted of such murders against Palestinians are essentially

exempt, though Israel's national security minister, who himself has been convicted of supporting anti-Palestinian terrorism, celebrated the news

with champagne. As you can see here, Itamar Ben-Gvir and others wore noose shaped lapel pins leading up to that vote.

We're joined now by Diana Buttu, a human rights attorney, a political analyst. And she's in Ramallah.

I mean, first of all, your response to this, but, you know, also bringing in the idea that we're hearing from many in Israel as well, that this is an

unsettling, you know, one sided law.

DIANA BUTTU, HUMAN RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Well, I'm actually not surprised at all. If you look at the course of the past two years, Israel has been

getting away with genocide where they've killed 75,000 people in Gaza, including 20,000 children. And these are conservative numbers. And we've

heard Israeli leader after Israeli leader say that there are no innocents in Gaza.

[15:20:00]

And so this has been a law that they've geared up the public time and again to say that they're going to implement. So it's not at all surprising that

it's passed. What is surprising is the fact that that there really isn't a lot of pushback inside Israel, including by the so-called left, which many

people within the so-called left actually voted in favor of it.

And what we're looking at is a law that is directly on its face, discriminatory. It applies to Palestinians and only to Palestinians, saying

that the death penalty must be imposed on people who are actually just trying to seek their freedom. And when it comes to Jewish Israelis who

commit crimes against Palestinians, where there is a less than three percent conviction rate, these are people who are going to be exempt from

that law because they're going to be committing crimes in the name of Israel, rather than against the state of Israel.

And so this -- these are the things that are -- are surprising that in this world where were now moving away from the death penalty, that you have a

country that is openly embracing it.

FOSTER: There's also been a lot of questions from within Israel as much as anywhere else, about the tone of this debate and particularly, you know,

the use of that noose symbol and the champagne and how, you know, that doesn't necessarily reflect the gravity of this vote, but also how most

people, even within the country, feel.

BUTTU: Well, I think that there are people who are very much in favor of this. This is a man who -- Itamar Ben-Gvir, the minister of national

security, who's been going on on television talking about this exclusively. He's been displaying images, videos of him actually torturing Palestinian

prisoners. He's been calling for their starvation, in fact, has called for their starvation, has in fact starved them.

And in addition to the pins, we've seen him, show images of him standing before the gallows. One member of his own political party dressed up as an

executioner for the Jewish holiday of Purim. And so, while it may seem that there are people who are opposed to this, we even have as I -- as I already

mentioned, people on the so-called left who voted in favor of this. These are members of the opposition.

And so, so this push that we're seeing from the outside where people are, are condemning this hasn't really been felt inside Israel. To the contrary,

they feel that they can get away with murder, quite literally.

FOSTER: Where does this go from here? I mean, you know, there won't be an appeal process, will there, for anyone found guilty of this. Do you expect

there to be some sort of reaction to the law itself?

BUTTU: Yes. So, there are some groups that are petitioning right away to try to make sure that this law is stopped. It's unclear whether this

Supreme Court, given how right wing it is, whether they're going to actually change the law.

But even if they change the law, the fact remains the same that we still don't see that Israelis who kill Palestinians are ever really held to

account, and that instead we still are left with this. This apartheid legal system where Palestinians are tried under one legal system and Israelis are

tried under an entirely different legal system, and where the punishments are completely and totally different.

So even if this law ends up being challenged and challenged successfully, it doesn't get to the root cause of this, which is that there are

fundamentally different rights for Palestinians than there are for Israelis, and that this idea that Palestinians have a right to freedom is

still not something that that Israelis recognize. They still believe that there is a concept of superiority, that Palestinians will forever be

beneath -- beneath Israelis.

FOSTER: Okay. Diana Buttu, thank you so much for joining us.

As President Donald Trump blasts the U.K. and other allies for not joining the war with Iran, King Charles announces he'll soon travel to the U.S. for

a state visit. The details just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:27:31]

FOSTER: As the war with Iran enters its second month, U.S. President Donald Trump is blasting European countries for not stepping up to join the

battle. Posting on social media, Mr. Trump singled out the U.K., demanding Brits go to the Iran-controlled Strait of Hormuz and just take the oil that

they need. He said countries need to start learning how to fight for themselves because the U.S., quote, "won't be there to help you anymore,

just like you weren't there for us."

Well, the U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, says the primary focus of the U.S. is now reaching a deal that will end the fighting with Iran. But

he's not ruling out the possibility of putting U.S. troops on the ground as part of that effort. Speaking at the first Pentagon news briefing in 12

days, Hegseth said the Trump administration is keeping its options open.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HEGSETH: Our adversary right now thinks there are 15 different ways we could come at them with boots on the ground. And guess what? There are. So,

if we needed to, we could execute those options on behalf of the president of the United States and this department. Or maybe we don't have to use

them at all. Maybe negotiations work, or maybe there's a different approach.

But the point is to be unpredictable in that certainly not let anybody know what you're willing to do or not do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Kevin Liptak is standing by for us, at the White House.

I mean, the questions about whether or not the regime has indeed changed, but certainly you know, a signal that they're getting where they want to

be, which does take us towards a potential end to this crisis.

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Right. And I think for the president, he recognizes that every day that this war goes on is a

potential area where the political support for it in the United States just begins to erode. And remember, at the beginning of the conflict, he laid

out this timeline of four to six-week window for how long the war would last. We're now within that window.

And I think the recognition here at the White House is that any time past that six week mark could potentially become a very damaging for them,

including among their allies here in Washington, which is why you see the president now, sounding very optimistic at the prospect of these

discussions that he says he's having with the Iranians at a regime that he says is now more reasonable than when the war began.

Now, what that exactly looks like, people don't seem to want to say publicly. They haven't actually identified who precisely they're exchanging

messages with on the Iranian side. And when you talk to administration officials, there is, I think, still some skepticism that their

interlocutors are the decision makers inside Iran or have a good connection to the decision makers. And so where all of this diplomacy is headed, I

don't think is precisely clear.

It's also evident in listening to the president and to his spokeswoman yesterday that they don't necessarily believe that reopening the Strait of

Hormuz is a prerequisite for declaring an end to the war. You know, when Karoline Leavitt was asked about that yesterday, she listed off those

military objectives that the White House has been using to gauge its success in this conflict. But among them was not reopening that very

critical waterway, which is why you now see the president leaning on the European allies to do their part in sending naval vessels to start

escorting tankers through the strait.

And so, as the six-week mark here now approaches, I think the president is faced with something of competing impulses, one, to try and get the strait

open, which analysts and officials here acknowledge is going to take weeks, if not months. But that will certainly be necessary if oil prices are to

come down. That's sort of competing with the president's desire to get this wrapped up fairly quickly before the political support for it, including

among his Republican Party, begins to wane.

And so how all of that is resolved, I think, is unclear. But at least for now, the president seems fairly confident that these back and forth

indirect discussions are leading somewhere and that it will ultimately be resolved before that six-week time expires.

FOSTER: Presumably, he has a sharp eye on these gas prices as well coming up to the elections.

LIPTAK: Yeah, and I think that's something that officials here at the White House are watching very, very closely, as well as the president's

Republican allies on Capitol Hill.

You know, the $4 mark average across the country, I think is something of a psychological milestone as the president sort of tries to ascertain how

much longer he's willing to accept some of these higher energy prices. You know, he's called it an excursion. The White House said today that once the

war ends, those gas prices will plummet.

But there's some question marks there. You know, if the war ends and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, which is an outcome that, at least for

now, the White House seems okay with. It doesn't seem entirely clear how the gas prices are going to plummet. And that is sort of the conundrum that

this president and all other presidents have faced is that gas prices go up very, very quickly when there's some sort of geopolitical event, they go

down much slower, and there's actually not that much any individual president can do to sort of hasten that process.

And so this does seem poised to become a political issue for the president, for the -- at least foreseeable future. And what he does about it isn't

entirely clear.

FOSTER: Okay. Kevin Liptak at the White House, thank you so much.

Well, as you heard, the U.S. defense secretary has been saying the U.S. needs to be unpredictable when it comes to putting boots on the ground in

Iran.

Matthew Chance asked Qatar's foreign minister or the spokesperson for the ministry about the potential fallout from such a move

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Thank you, sir. Matthew Chance from CNN.

There's a lot of talk at the moment about the possibility of a U.S. ground invasion of Iran. How concerned are you about that? What -- how do you

assess that would have consequences for Qatar and for the region?

MAJED MOHAMMED AL-ANSARI, QATARI FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON: We are against any escalation that could endanger the stability of the region any

-- any further. We have said from day one, we are not going to comment on the operational strategies of both parties, but we will say is that any

kind of escalation that goes beyond the current parameters of the conflict threatens to further destabilize the region.

CHANCE: Do you understand why other countries in the gulf region are less cautious than you on that point, and are actually pressing the United

States to take military action that will remove any future Iranian threat?

AL-ANSARI: Our understanding is that there is a very unified position in the Gulf, on calling for de-escalation and an end to this war, but I would

say that you should ask, you know, every country about their own positions on this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: King Charles will go on a state visit to the United States next month, despite tensions over the Iran war. Both Buckingham Palace and Mr.

Trump confirm the visit will go ahead between the 27th and 30th of April. That's despite calls from some British lawmakers for the trip to be

postponed. The U.S. president has been sharply critical of the British government's refusal to join the war in Iran. In fact, the official

announcement of the visit came just minutes after Mr. Trump again criticized the U.K. for not helping to secure the Strait of Hormuz.

So what we want to know is, can the king avoid controversy on this state visit?

Joining me now is the royal watcher Bidisha Mamata.

Thank you for joining us.

I mean, he'll have his own views, but you and I know that these events are organized by the government. So what we're really seeing here, I guess, is

the government hoping that the king can go over and repair this fractured relationship while staying out of the politics?

[15:35:09]

BIDISHA MAMATA, ROYAL WATCHER: It is possible. I don't think this is a very, very damaging move for either party. I do think it's extremely

politically awkward. And as you were implying there, the king is actually a very politicized and very politically engaged person. I can't imagine him

acting totally neutral.

But equally, what we know of Trump is that he might be in the presence of other people who are giving their opinion of what he does. But at the end

of the day, he's going to go his own way. So if King Charles thinks that he can somehow sway President Trump in any direction whatsoever, I think that

is not going to happen.

I do take your point, however, that this is something related to easing that fractured special, no longer special relationship, trying at least to

paper over some cracks.

FOSTER: I have had a couple of updates in the last couple of hours, Bidisha. I wanted to get your thoughts on them. One of them was you would

have seen the congressman who, has asked the king to meet with Epstein survivors. This obviously follows after his brother was arrested in

relation to his public office role.

And we've heard from, you know, sources since saying that won't be possible because these are live police investigations and they don't want to

prejudice those. So they're not saying they will never meet the survivors, but not during this visit. What do you make of that?

MAMATA: I do think that that's fair enough. The question about live investigations is probably a little bit of a gloss, but it's also true that

these state visits are organized a very long time in advance. They involve so much security that even with a very pointed question about rethinking

these events to the Epstein case and to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, even if the king wanted to show support for victims and survivors beyond the

statement that he's already given publicly, he wouldn't probably be able to manage a meeting. But he may well, given what we know of his character and

of his statements, think about it afterwards and try to make some sort of statement or relationship at a later date.

It's also a very clever question, because it implies that the person who asked it knows that these current events that were all talking about

regarding Trump, one of the conspiracy theories was that they all happened because Trump was trying to divert attention from Epstein, and now this

question has arisen to put attention and consideration back onto those very human stories. I don't think the king is going to be swayed by that

publicly, even if he is personally.

FOSTER: I've also heard literally in the last sort of 15 minutes that Prince Harry is unlikely to meet with the king. You know, the two things

they're pointing out is that there's very little time for private meetings during these jam-packed state visits, and also that the prince is on the

other coast. It's a significant distance away, the same distance effectively in terms of flight as it is from Washington to London.

What do you make of that? Because it's obviously a question people have been asking.

MAMATA: Well, when you say Washington to London, it doesn't really sound very far away at all. And how long does it take to send a WhatsApp message

or do a FaceTime call? I do understand how enormously chagrined both Prince Harry and King Charles must be about speculation about their relationship.

I think everybody in the world who has watched this psychodrama play out in public wants there to be a rapprochement before it's too late for everyone,

and positions have become so entrenched, there's no coming back from it.

Even if they did meet for a quick, I don't know, a cup of tea, a British cup of conciliatory tea. They probably wouldn't make it public because it

would just bring on another wave of speculation. I do hope this can be mended at some point.

FOSTER: Okay, Bidisha, we're all going to be watching this visit. There's a lot to play into it, isn't it? We'll have you back on again for sure. Thank

you for joining us.

Now, it's the final moments of trade on Wall Street. Stocks are solidly up today. The Dow Jones surging this afternoon, in fact on this unconfirmed

rumor that Iran might be open to ending the war.

This is our Business Breakout.

More worrying signs for the U.S. labor market, though. New data shows businesses are adding workers at the weakest pace in 15 years, except for

the onset of pandemic in 2020. Construction was one of the sectors that saw the biggest pullback in hiring.

New video of a Russian flagged tanker carrying more than 700,000 barrels of oil docked in Cuba. Spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin says

that Moscow was in touch with the U.S. ahead of the ship's arrival. It comes after the U.S. imposed an energy blackout, or blockade on Cuba by

stopping oil from its main supplier, Venezuela.

[15:40:02]

Korean Air will switch to what it calls emergency management mode from Wednesday as fuel prices skyrocket higher. That means it'll look to reduce

costs that aren't essential for aircraft operations. The airline's vice chair says rising fuel costs could soon mean that fuel makes up about 60

percent of the company's total expenses.

Back in the U.S., the price of a gallon of gas has now topped $4 a barrel for the first time since 2022. Some analysts say the markets have been

getting, quote, "mixed" signals over the past 24 hours or so.

Vanessa Yurkevich joins us now.

I mean, that's your world at the moment, isn't it? Mixed signals. And you have to interpret it. But you know these guys behind you, they're voters

too. And this is such a huge signal to them about the cost of living, isn't it?

VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: It certainly is. And there's no interpretation about what is happening with gas prices

in the United States. They only continue to go up. The national average, $4.02 a gallon. That is up 3 cents in just the last day, up more than a

dollar from a month ago.

Here in New York City, $4.09. That's what drivers at this gas station are paying. The majority of folks who's -- who have actually been filling up

here are people who use their car for work.

So you're talking about Lyft, Uber drivers, folks who own their car and use it for their small business. So they've told me there's really no way

around not paying these higher prices, except that they choose not to drive. And for many of them, that's just simply not an option.

We spoke to many people here over the course of the day, just to really understand how these higher prices are affecting them. Here's what they

told me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROCKY GREEN, MOTORIST: They're unaffordable, especially with big trucks. It's crazy money.

YURKEVICH: So it's $4.09 here today. Is that expensive for you?

GREEN: Yeah, it's very expensive. I feel like it was at $3 like two months ago.

DANIELLE ELLMAN, MOTORIST: They're out of control. It's crazy. Yeah.

YURKEVICH: You're still actively filling up and you're at $83. Where are you going to?

ELLMAN: I think we might hit $90.

JIM BURNS, MOTORIST: We don't really know what the mission is, you know, are they going to get out of there soon or this could go on for a long time

and then it would really get bad. I mean, as far as keeping keep paying and paying and paying, you know, without really having to, we don't really know

what the gain is going to be.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YURKEVICH: And that is the question just how long will this war continue? As long as it does, oil prices will continue to likely hover above that

$100 a barrel mark.

And of course, oil is traded on a global market. So even though there's enough supply here in the United States, it trickles on down to gas prices.

A lot of analysts we've been speaking to do believe that gas prices here in the U.S. could rise another 10 cents or so in the next couple of days and

could trend higher towards that $5 a gallon level, $5.02. That was the record set in 2022, when the war with Russia and Ukraine broke out.

We have been well below that for many years now, but of course, passing that $4 threshold gets people a little bit worried. Now, the president has

been saying this is short term pain here at the pump for long term gain with Iran.

Over the last month, I've been speaking to drivers, Max. Many who do believe it is worth paying a little bit more here to make inroads with

Iran. However, a lot of drivers feel like they should not be shouldering the burden of these higher prices and these higher prices at the gas pump.

But of course, what will sort of resolve all of this, Max, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, that's that critical passageway for which 20 percent

of the worlds oil is essentially locked up right now. And that is why we've seen those oil prices so much higher. And of course, these gas prices here

at the pump, no signs quite yet that that is on the agenda.

But of course, many Americans here understanding that that is the only way to see some relief here at the pump -- Max.

FOSTER: Yeah, and so many people before this war never even heard of it, had they? It's been fascinating to see how it's become so central.

Vanessa, thank you so much.

Still to come, how did police in Florida find Tiger Woods after his car crash last week? We'll have new details on that, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:47:18]

FOSTER: Pope Leo has told CNN that he hopes U.S. President Donald Trump is looking for an off ramp to end the war with Iran. The pope says he

continues to urge world leaders to come back to the negotiating table. He's spoken out regularly against the war since becoming pontiff last year.

And here's what the pope had to say to our Christopher Lamb.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: With the war escalating in the Middle East, do you have a message for the leaders of the U.S. and Israel,

President Trump at this time?

POPE LEO XIV, CATHOLIC CHURCH: I'm told that President Trump recently stated that he would like to end the war. Hopefully, he's looking for an

off ramp. Hopefully he's looking for a way to decrease the amount of violence of bombing, which would be a significant contribution to removing

the hatred that's being created. And that's increasing constantly in the Middle East and elsewhere.

So I would certainly continue to give this call to all leaders of the world to say, come back to the table to dialogue. Let's look for solutions to the

problems. Let's look for ways to reduce the amount of violence that we're promoting. And that that peace, especially at Easter, might reign in our

hearts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: We're getting new details on Tiger Woods' arrest after his car crash last Friday. An affidavit released today says Woods had bloodshot

eyes and seemed lethargic when police stopped him after the crash, which was in Florida. He was also found with prescription opioids used to treat

chronic pain.

Isabella -- Isabel Rosales has been following this story for us.

Yeah. So just take us through this prescription we're talking about.

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, yeah, let me get into that. And, Max, we're expecting to get our hands on body camera footage showing that

interaction between the Martin County sheriff's office and Tiger Woods. But we did get our hands on the police report just this morning. And in there,

Woods was telling the arresting deputy that he was looking down, messing around on his phone, changing the radio station, and did not notice that

the truck in front of him, in front of him had slowed down, which led to him clipping that car, losing control of his vehicle, and then it

overturned. Nobody was hurt in this.

Now, the police report has a lot of interesting details in there where the arresting deputy observed several signs of impairment from Woods, that he

was sweating excessively, hiccuping throughout the entirety of that investigation, that he was lethargic, had bloodshot eyes. His pupils were,

quote, extremely dilated.

Now, he did end up, Woods, agreeing to a field sobriety test and then failed that test.

[15:50:00]

In the midst of him being arrested for DUI, they discovered in his front pocket two white pills, later found to be hydrocodone. As you mentioned,

that is a prescription opioid used to treat chronic pain. Now, this is the fourth high profile crash that Woods has been involved in. He's got a

turbulent history with this, the most serious of which happened back in 2021. He was hospitalized after a rollover crash where he shattered his

leg. He thought that that would be the end of his golf career. He did have emergency surgery then.

And then you might also remember back in 2017 where he pleaded guilty to reckless driving after he was found asleep at the wheel. At the time, woods

said that he had a bad reaction to prescription medication. Now, I'll also note this, Max, that Woods refused a urine test and based on a new law

passed in Florida just in 2025, once you refuse a urine, blood or breath test -- well, that's an automatic misdemeanor. And that also means that

your license gets suspended for one year. And in fact, we did verify that via court documents. His license is now suspended.

His arraignment, by the way, Max, that's scheduled for April 23rd.

FOSTER: Okay, Isabel, really appreciate it. Thank you so much.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Looks like at least all systems go for NASA to launch mankind back into -- towards the moon. On Wednesday, the U.S. space agency says there is

about an 80 percent chance the weather will be good enough for an early evening launch on April the 1st. The Artemis II rocket will take four

astronauts into orbit around the moon, giving them a never before seen look at the dark side. Mankind hasn't been to the moon in more than 50 years.

It's a 10-day mission, and the first step towards NASA's goal of building a permanent base on the moon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF SPAULDING, SENIOR NASA TEST DIRECTOR: I think everybody understands what our mission is, and that's to get back to the moon, and we're going to

establish a presence there in the very near future. So I think there's a lot of excitement and fervor within all of the groups that are out there,

but especially here at Kennedy, the folks that I see are very, very excited to get on with this mission and get on -- and get started with the next

one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Joseph Baena, the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger, is following in the footsteps of his father. He took time -- he took home gold, in fact, in his

first ever bodybuilding competition, placing first in three categories at an event in Denver over the weekend. The 28-year old is Schwarzenegger's

son. After an affair with the former housekeeper, who worked at the home of the Terminator star and his then wife, Maria Shriver.

Leading up to the competition, Baena posted pictures training with his dad, who's considered one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time.

Finally, tonight, the pop spectacle of Eurovision is going to the East Asia region this year. The grand final of the regional competition will be

hosted in Bangkok on November the 14th. Ten nations are set to face off in the inaugural competition. So far, they include South Korea, the

Philippines, Malaysia and Laos. The contestants' website says more participants will be announced in the coming months.

The original Eurovision started in 1956, obviously in Europe. It's still called Eurovision. We'll understand their thinking after a while.

I'm Max Foster. That's WHAT WE KNOW. Do stay with CNN.

END

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