Facing a wave of critical press even before she officially started her role, CBS News leader Bari Weiss turned to an experienced executive for guidance in shifting from a digital powerhouse to the helm of a major network news division.

Insiders reveal to Page Six Hollywood that Weiss reached out to Jeff Zucker for his insights.

Weiss and Zucker share a long-standing friendship, and the former president of CNN Worldwide was among the first to congratulate her after she sold her independent media venture, The Free Press, to Paramount Skydance for a hefty $150 million in October, subsequently stepping into the leadership role at CBS News.

“He was eager to be involved, and she definitely sought his advice,” shares a source familiar with their discussions.

(Their connection runs deep, as Zucker’s son has contributed as a freelancer for The Free Press.)

Paramount Skydance and CBS News declined comment. A rep for Zucker did not respond to a request for comment.

Ironically, the legion of media reporters most gunning for Weiss have been some of the most vocal Zucker fans over the years. Having Zucker in a formal position likely would have buffered Weiss from the relentless barrage of media critiques, but the executive with single-name recognition also would pose a third rail for Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison as he seeks government approval for his acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. 

Zucker, who also was the former CEO of NBCUniversal as well as the executive producer of “Today,” helped pave the way for the Donald Trump presidency by platforming the real estate mogul to the masses as the centerpiece of “The Apprentice.” But Zucker eventually became one of Trump’s biggest nemeses while running CNN. 

“David doesn’t want big personalities that are ego driven, that have their own agendas,” says another source about the Zucker prospect. “Look at the team he has built. There’s none of that. He wants to bring people together who blend well. Bari blends well.”

That may come as a disappointment to those on the media beat, who have been merciless in their coverage of the Weiss reign. They have pointed to her alleged ideological bias, framed viewership as falling precipitously and derided her management style. (Page Six Hollywood, admittedly, has gotten in on the act briefly by poking fun at a CBS News chyron mishap and posting audio of Weiss addressing laid-off staffers, many who found her words less than comforting.) 

But Weiss also has done some things right that are rarely highlighted in the press.

She kept Oprah Winfrey‘s BFF Gayle King in the morning lineup and got the star anchor to “buy in” for the future direction and vision for the network, says a Weiss supporter inside CBS. Among other wins, she poached journo and author Matt Gutman from ABC News, and he has secured exclusive interviews, including a sitdown with Renee Good’s family after the protestor was killed by an ICE agent.

Weiss also brought on national security analyst Aaron MacLean right after the Iran military conflict broke out. His “School of War” podcast under CBS News has seen strong subscriber growth as a result. Other notable contributors added in recent months include Arthur Brooks, Roger Carstens and former U.S. National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster. 

CBS News was the only network to interview defense secretary Pete Hegseth — both after U.S. forces captured President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela (“Evening News”) and post-Iran war (“60 Minutes”). While the Weiss haters broke into collective eyerolls over the Hegseth gets because of the Pentagon’s new, draconian press policy, every network continues to cover the Hegseth’s briefings on Iran live.

But a CBS News insider contends Weiss won’t listen to anyone but her most loyal lieutenants. “She’s surrounded herself with sycophants, and it’s not helping her cause,” says the insider.

As for “CBS Evening News” ratings, they’ve declined year over year. And maybe Zucker could have helped reverse the downturn with some of his noted P.T. Barnum sensibility. (Remember Zucker’s obsession at CNN with Carnival’s 2013 “Poop Cruise?” Or the missing Malaysia Airline flight MH370 in 2014?)

Regardless, “CBS Evening News” was already heading south well before Weiss tapped Tony Dokoupil to replace John Dickerson and Marcus DuBois — and he has delivered exclusive interviews with President Trump, Hegseth and Tom Homan after the latter took over DHS/ICE operations in Minneapolis.

Ultimately, Weiss is playing to an audience of one, and that’s Ellison. Sources familiar with their dynamic say he’s thrilled with the job she’s doing.

“He has no issues with Bari. He thinks you’ve got to break glass and that the news media coming after her is crazy,” says the source.

Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Iran, threatening severe repercussions if the Islamic regime does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz. This comes amid Tehran’s move to abandon its nuclear agreement.

On Monday morning, the former President took to Truth Social, stating that unless Iran consents to a peace treaty, the United States would respond by “completely demolishing” the nation’s electric infrastructure and oil facilities.

Trump mentioned that the U.S. is engaging in “serious talks with a new, more reasonable regime” for resolving the conflict, noting significant progress. His announcement was strategically timed before the opening of Wall Street.

However, he quickly intensified his rhetoric, asserting that failure to reach an agreement on the Strait of Hormuz would result in U.S. attacks on Iran’s “power plants, oil fields, and Kharg Island,” possibly extending to its critical desalination facilities.

Iran’s dependency on desalination plants is crucial, as they provide essential water to its population of over 90 million, who otherwise have limited access to fresh water.

Striking or destroying water supplies and infrastructure necessary to the survival of the civilian population is strictly prohibited by the Geneva Convention.

It comes as Iran’s parliament weighs exiting the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, long cited by the regime as proof it harbors no nuclear ambitions, though US intelligence have warned for years that Tehran’s enrichment activities could presage a bomb.

‘What is the benefit of joining a treaty in which bullying parties at the international level not only do not allow us to benefit from its rights but also attack our nuclear facilities?’ an Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said.

Trump threatened to ‘blow up’ Iran ‘s water supply and electric grid if the Islamic regime did not immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz

It comes as Iran’s parliament weighs exiting the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, long cited by the Islamic regime as proof it is not pursuing a nuclear weapon

Striking or destroying water supplies and infrastructure necessary to the survival of the civilian population is strictly prohibited by the Geneva Convention

Stock futures rose after Trump offered investors hope that a deal was in reach. Futures tied to the Dow added 357 points, or 0.8 percent. S&P and Nasdaq futures were up 0.8 percent each.

But oil was also trending higher, with international benchmark Brent crude hitting $115 per barrel, ticking up 2 percent, while US crude was up at $101 per barrel, rising by 1.4 percent.

Trump’s mixed signals on the conflict have repeatedly come just before markets open, as he touts progress toward a resolution while also threatening to seize Kharg Island, which handles roughly 90 percent of Tehran’s oil exports. 

Speaker of Iran’s parliament Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf on Sunday said that Trump’s pre-market social media posts were an attempt to ‘pump’ stocks.

‘Heads-up: Pre-market so-called “news” or “Truth” is often just a setup for profit-taking. Basically, it’s a reverse indicator. Do the opposite: If they pump it, short it. If they dump it, go long,’ he posted on X.

Retired US Army General and former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Wesley Clark, said during an interview last week that Trump should not bomb Iran’s civilian infrastructure because such an attack could be considered a ‘war crime.’ 

‘A lot of people will say it’s a war crime because mostly these power plants are probably there for the civilian population,’ said Clark in a NewsNation interview. ‘You cannot destroy civilian assets in an effort to put harm on the population.’

As the US sends thousands of military personnel to the region for a possible ground invasion, Iran has responded by laying traps and moving additional assets to fortify the island. 

Trump said he favors capturing Iran’s vast oil reserves

As the Strait of Hormuz remains closed since the star of the war, the price of oil surged to $101 per barrel on Monday morning

Iran has responded to US-Israeli strikes by launching suicide drone and ballistic missile assaults against oil infrastructure and civilian areas in the Middle East

Trump, meanwhile, told the Financial Times during an interview on Sunday that he could ‘take the oil in Iran’ by seizing Kharg island. 

As the war enters its fifth week, the President said he favors capturing Iran’s vast oil reserves, drawing a comparison to Venezuela, where he claimed the US secured control of the country’s fossil fuel industry following the removal of dictator Nicolás Maduro.

Trump said that his ‘favorite thing is to take the oil in Iran but some stupid people back in the US say, ‘Why are you doing that?’ But they’re stupid people.’

‘Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options,’ Trump said. ‘It would also mean we had to be there [in Kharg Island] for a while.’

Iran has responded to US-Israeli strikes by launching suicide drone and ballistic missile assaults against oil infrastructure and civilian areas in the Middle East. 

Israel and Gulf nations hosting US military bases have faced the brunt of Iran’s retaliatory attacks in recent weeks. 

A new barrage of Iranian strikes were launched at the UAE on Monday as authorities in Dubai said reports of explosions across parts of the city were the result of ‘successful air defense operations.’

As the Gulf state continues to censor photos and information about Iranian attacks to maintain a façade of safety, people quickly turned to social media to thank the Emirati defense system.

One person wrote on X: ‘It was a huge sound… everyone is terrified here. We thought it’s a missile sound but thanks Allah it was interception.’

(The Hill) — On Sunday, President Donald Trump indicated that his main focus regarding Iran is seizing control of its oil industry. This comes as he considers further actions a month into the conflict he initiated alongside Israel.

“Frankly, my top interest is acquiring Iran’s oil,” Trump remarked to The Financial Times. “However, some people back home question my intentions, calling it unnecessary. I think they’re misguided.”

The president likened his strategy in Iran to the earlier intervention in Venezuela, where he aimed to dominate the oil sector through collaboration with key figures within the country’s existing leadership.

Supporters such as Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) have urged Trump to target Kharg Island, a strategic site responsible for exporting 80 to 90 percent of Iran’s oil, to undermine Tehran’s government and economic foundation.

“Capturing Kharg Island is one of several possibilities on the table,” Trump stated during his conversation with The Financial Times on Sunday.

Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes through daily, causing chaos in the global energy markets.

It is hitting Asian economies particularly hard, given their reliance on oil from the Middle East. But the pain is being felt in the United States, too, with gas prices at their highest level in years.

Taking Kharg Island is seen as one way to pressure Iran into making a deal to end the war on U.S. terms, which include winding down its missile and nuclear programs. But Trump conceded on Sunday that it would not be an in-and-out operation.

“It would also mean we had to be there for a while,” Trump said.

Lawmakers in both parties have raised fears of a “forever war” in Iran and have raised concerns about the growing toll on U.S. forces and weapons stockpiles.

The Pentagon has deployed thousands of Marines and sailors toward Iran in recent days, at the same time that Trump has tried to open negotiations with senior Iranian officials.

“A deal could be made fairly quickly,” he told The Financial Times. 

Trump said he spoke with Iranian Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who he said authorized 10 Pakistani-flagged oil ships through the Strait of Hormuz as a trust-building measure.

The president told The Financial Times there was agreement to allow another 20 vessels to pass through.

Ghalibaf has previously denied holding talks with Trump, and Iran has publicly insisted it will not end the war on U.S. or Israeli terms, issuing its own set of demands last week.