Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

Any Moment, Crucial Talks Begin Between Iranian and European Officials; Iran Launches New Barrage of Missiles at Israel; Los Angeles Dodgers and Trump Admin at Odds Over Presence of Federal Agents at Stadium. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired June 20, 2025 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:00]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: The breaking news this morning talks beginning any moment with Iranian officials, a chance for diplomacy, as President Trump sets a new deadline for U.S. military action in Iran.

What exactly happened at Dodger Stadium? The verbal back and forth now over the actual incident with federal agents and the team before a game.

And, okay, boomer, actually not at all. What they are doing that might affect your ability to buy a house.

Kate Bolduan out today, I'm John Berman with Sara Sidner. This is CNN News Central.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: We have breaking news this morning. We are standing by because any moment now, a high-stakes meeting is getting underway in Switzerland, Iranian, and European officials opening critical windows for diplomacy as the conflict between Iran and Israel threatens to explode into a war involving the United States, and President Trump giving himself some breathing room before deciding whether the U.S. will directly join the fight militarily.

In Geneva, this hour, Iran's foreign minister is meeting with his counterparts from the U.K., France, and Germany, as well as the E.U.'s foreign policy chief. French President Emmanuel Macron says the diplomats will offer Iran, and I'm quoting here, complete negotiations over its nuclear program.

Overnight, Israel says it responded to fires near a tech park that houses a Microsoft office after an Iranian missile was intercepted there. And the Israeli military says, Iran has fired a fresh barrage of missiles towards Northern, Central and Southern Israel.

Our Anderson Cooper is on the ground in Tel Aviv where sirens have been wailing not just long ago. What are you experiencing and where are you at this hour?

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: So, yes, we are in a bomb shelter along with a lot of other people in a hotel several feet below the ground. The blast -- the air raid sirens -- excuse me, the air raid sirens went off shortly around 3:00 or so here in, in the afternoon, which is obviously in the middle of the day. As you know, oftentimes it's been at night. Yesterday morning, there was one around 7:00 A.M. But what makes this difference is that these sirens went out over most of the country. So, people were told over most of the country of Israel to seek shelter in bomb shelters. It looks like people have now been given the all clear, so there's people who are now leaving this shelter.

We're told there were dozens of missiles fired toward Israel. We're told there had been impacts in several places in the country, in the south, along the coast and elsewhere. We don't know the extent of those impacts. We don't know what the result has been. But this is something that has impacted or certainly gotten the attention of most of the country. You can hear these warning alerts. That's the all clear. But those warning alerts went out across the country just a short time ago for people to seek shelter. It seems like I'm not sure some people have left. It looks like there's a lot of people still staying here.

So, this is a very dynamic situation. This is the largest alert that we have seen countrywide over the last several days. Sara?

SIDNER: Yes. I mean, I think you point out something really important. This is a large barrage that's happening in the daytime. Often you see this at night. Just give me some sense o of life in Israel right now when you are having to, I'm assuming constantly, try to get to some kind of shelter and how people are responding. You were there, you said, with a lot of other people who were in or near the hotel at the time this started to happen.

COOPER: Yes. And I should say now it looks like more people are starting to leave. They leave the shelter. They're all -- we just got to be all clear, just so you know.

Look, there's a -- I don't want to say normalcy to this, but there's not a panic to this.

[09:05:00]

There's not people crying down here. There's -- you know, this is not the way it was a week ago from all that we saw in Tel Aviv and elsewhere in Israel. There were, you know, hundreds of missiles being fired. People died. Thankfully, as of -- we don't know what the result of these missiles are, but yesterday, there was a barrage that came through around 7:00 A.M. in the morning. No fatalities, though some people were injured in that hospital, as you know, in Be'er Sheva. It remains to be seen what's happened in this.

But there it has taken on an era of routine. People are behind this operation against Iran for the most part and they support it. They believe it's important. It's been long discussed. And now they are just trying to get on with their lives. Normal life has not returned in that there's not restaurants open, places where people gather. There are still, you know, warnings in place about large gatherings of people. But there were people swimming in the ocean when these alarms went off. You know, I saw them paddle boarding back to the shore to try to get to a shelter in time.

So, it takes on a routine. But it is still something like this is just a reminder in the middle of the day, dozens of missiles, we're not sure what else being fired toward Israel is just a reminder how the seriousness of this situation.

SIDNER: Yes, very much so. Thank you for your reporting there. Thank you to you and your crew. And I'm glad that you're in a safe space at this hour and you've said you've now been given the all clear. Thank you, Anderson. I appreciate it.

This is all happening, we should mention, as we are moments away from a meeting that is happening, that there is hope that there may be some diplomacy that can work in this situation. And that's where we find CNN's Matthew Chance, he is in Geneva this morning, just as that meeting is expected to get underway. What are you learning?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Sara. Look, the fact that President Trump made that announcement that he was going to give it two weeks before he decides on U.S. military action in Iran potentially has created a breathing space for diplomacy. That's certainly the perspective here from senior European diplomats who I've been speaking to, and that diplomacy is already starting to happen, these meetings that are taking place today between foreign ministers of European countries, Britain, France, and Germany, the European Union's top diplomat and the Iranian foreign minister. They're expected to get underway in this hotel in the center of Geneva within the next hour or so.

The foreign ministers from the E.U. and from Britain have already arrived. We're still waiting now for the Iranian foreign minister to pull up outside the front door of the hotel and go inside and start these talks.

Now, already there have been ideas discussed by these western political figures and diplomats about what could, you know, change the situation, how this diplomacy could break through, where there is any new ideas that they can present to Iran, particularly on its uranium enrichment activities.

Of course, this is a red line for President Trump, members of the Trump administration as well. It doesn't want to deal with Iran that would see the country continue with any uranium enrichment, whatsoever. But, of course, for decades, Iran has categorically refused to abandon its facilities, saying that it's a right that it has to enrich uranium. But, you know, let's see.

With the intensive military pressure being put on Iran right now, it's possible diplomats tell me here in Geneva that calculation on the part of the Islamic Republic could begin to change. Sara?

SIDNER: All right. Matthew Chance, thank you for your reporting there in Geneva, where this meeting is about to get underway in the next few moments.

Joining me now is Maryland Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen. Thank you so much for being here, sir. Just first, we're listening to Matthew Chance, who's in Geneva. This meeting is about to get underway. Are you feeling any hope this morning that this meeting may produce a diplomatic end to the strikes that have been happening to this war between Iran and Israel?

SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D-MD): Well, Sara, it's good to be with you. Look, I certainly hope so. We obviously prefer a diplomatic solution to this conflict. And I'm glad that we have some breathing room now hopefully to proceed along those lines. Remember, the goal here is to make sure Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon.

We had the JCPOA. We had a nuclear agreement during the Obama administration. It was Donald Trump who tore up that agreement. Prime Minister Netanyahu lobbied against that agreement.

[09:10:00]

But I think it's always best if we can achieve that goal through diplomatic means.

SIDNER: You said this week that Prime Minister Netanyahu has outsmarted President Trump. How so?

VAN HOLLEN: Well, because Prime Minister Netanyahu has always wanted to drag the United States into a war with Iran. Remember, Prime Minister Netanyahu was a big cheerleader for the war in Iraq. And many people believed that would be, quote, a cakewalk. The Bush administration folks thought that would be over in a very short period of time.

This is also why Prime Minister Netanyahu tried to sabotage the JCPOA when President Obama was in office. His goals have always been to take military action against Iran. And Donald Trump ran on a platform of being the guy who was going to end the wars. He was going to end the war in Gaza, end the war in Ukraine and not start wars. And so my view is that Prime Minister Netanyahu was on the verge anyway of getting Donald Trump to do what he's wanted to do all along, which is drag the United States into a war with Iran.

SIDNER: Are you heartened to hear that Donald Trump has decided to take about a two-week pause? He says, within two weeks, he will have a decision on whether or not the U.S. will use its military to strike Iran.

VAN HOLLEN: Yes. That's good news. But I would also just, you know, remind the president that he doesn't have the constitutional authority to just go off and drop a bomb on Iran. I mean, Congress has the power to declare war, and this is why I strongly support the resolution filed by my colleagues, Senator Kaine. It's why I've joined another resolution prohibiting the expenditure of any funds to wage, you know, war against Iran, unless it's done pursuant to the Constitution.

SIDNER: All right. Let's move to some issues domestically here. Just this week, a congressman is reporting being run off the road by someone waving a Palestinian flag at him. Listen to what he says happened. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MAX MILLER (R-OH): As I was driving to work, some unhinged, deranged man decided to lay on his horn and run me off the road when he couldn't get my attention to show me a Palestinian flag, not to mention death to Israel, death to me, that he wanted to kill me and my family.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: That's GOP Representative Max Miller speaking there. He says he has made a police report as well. This happened though in the wake of the politically motivated murder of a Minnesota legislator and her husband and the attempted murder of a Minnesota senator and his wife. What must be done to deal with this political violence?

VAN HOLLEN: Sara, we have to have zero tolerance for any political violence in the United States of America. That requires everybody from all parties to make it clear that they will speak out in the aftermath of this kind of effort. I also do believe that, you know, we do need to increase security. We had a Senate meeting, bipartisan Senate meeting just last week to discuss additional security measures. So, I think a combination of absolute unified zero tolerance but also increased security measures.

SIDNER: Do you think that you'll get those security measures put in place? I know there was a bit of pushback and some of your Republican colleagues have said, yes, they wanted, others have been a little weary of adding that into a budget.

VAN HOLLEN: Well, I think we need to provide the security that's necessary in order to make sure that we can, you know, identify and respond to any of these threats. I mean, threats are coming in every day through, you know, various forms, email, Senate, switchboard. So, I do think it's important that we have a more cohesive plan to respond to all of this both in terms of Congress, but also as we just saw in Minnesota.

I mean, there are other legislators and other political officials and other Americans who are subjected to this kind of political violence. And so we need a better strategy to address it.

SIDNER: All right. Senator Chris Van Hollen, thank you so much for taking the time with us this morning. I appreciate your time. John?

BERMAN: All right. This morning, the Dodgers versus ICE. The Los Angeles Dodgers say they blocked ice agents from entering their stadium as protesters gathered.

And we're standing by for major rulings for the Supreme Court on Birthright Citizenships plus LGBTQ books in schools. These decisions could come down shortly.

And you're going to need a bigger boat.

[09:15:01] Where do true fans go to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Jaws, one of the greatest films ever made? There's only one answer to that question,

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: This morning conflicting accounts about exactly what happened when federal agents showed up just outside the Los Angeles Dodgers Stadium parking lot. The Dodgers said they were ICE agents who asked for permission to access the grounds, to which the Dodgers said no.

[09:20:00]

The Department of Homeland Security says the agents were not from ICE and that they were not there in connection with the immigration crackdown and protests in Los Angeles this month. So, what is the real story?

Let's get right to CNN Security Correspondent Josh Campbell. What happened?

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CAMPBELL: Well, there's still a lot of confusion here, John, and as you mentioned -- transpired. We do know that federal agents showed up yesterday outside Dodgers Stadium that then led to a group of protestors to gather. The LAPD was brought in order to provide separation. But since then, we've seen this back and forth on social media.

I'll start with what the Dodgers say. They tweeted that this morning ICE agents came to Dodgers Stadium and requested permission to access the parking lots. They were denied entry to the grounds by the organization. They said Thursday's game would be played as scheduled. ICE then tweeted very abruptly, false. We were never there, saying that, no, it wasn't us. And then as you mentioned, DHS then tweets that, quote, this had nothing to do with the Dodgers. Customs and Border Protection vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement. One official told CNN that vehicles were gathered there in a lot. One of them had some type of car malfunction, which caused them to stay longer.

But I have to point out, I mean, there's still big questions for DHS because all of us who had been covering these immigration raids, when you look at those images, this appears to be the same makeup of the same arrest teams that we have seen around the city. You have large groups of federal agents and unmarked vehicles wearing masks. And, in fact, a lot Los Angeles Times is reporting today that community members sent them photos from a recent Home Depot raid that happened yesterday morning. And they say that two, at least two vehicles similar to a vehicle there were outside Dodgers Stadium. They based that on matching license plates.

So, again, this blanket denial from DHS saying that this group of agents were not involved in any operation obviously raises questions. And then finally, I'll note that there are questions from the Dodgers, from members of the community here, community members telling us that a large makeup of the Dodger fan base is the Latino community. They want the Dodgers to do more to speak out. Yesterday, we were expecting some type of statement from the Dodgers on what they would be doing to try to help the immigrant community. That never came. So, again, big questions for the Dodgers as well.

BERMAN: Yes, it's still a lot of confusion this morning. All right, Josh Campbell, thank you so much for trying to help us understand as much as we can at this point. Sara?

SIDNER: All right. In just moments, the Supreme Court could hand down opinions that will have major implications across the U.S. The major outstanding cases we could see ruled on today, the president's executive order ending birthright citizenship. Another issue whether parents can opt their children out of school curriculum that uses books addressing the LGBTQ-plus community.

CNN Chief Legal Affairs Correspondent Paul Reid live outside the Supreme Court for us today. Let's start with birthright citizenship. What can we expect to see potentially in the next few minutes?

PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: So, over the next ten days or so, Sara, the Supreme Court has roughly 16 opinions that we expect them to release. But the biggest opinion, the most significant one by far, is this opinion on birthright citizenship, and President Trump's efforts to limit that right, where if you are born here, you are a citizen. And the reason this is so significant is because the justices are examining the power the judges have, one judge anywhere in the country, to block executive action for the entire nation.

Now, these blocks are something that have plagued every modern president, but none more so than President Trump because he does so much through executive action. So, his lawyers tell me this is the number one case that they are watching for because of the enormous impact it will have on his ability to implement his agenda.

But, Sara, I would be surprised if they release that one today, because they usually save the biggest case for the last day. But you never know when it comes to these justices what they're going to do.

SIDNER: Yes, that has been the precedent as you've covered the Supreme Court for such a long time.

I do want to ask you about what you know about the LGBTQ books that sort of address the LGBTQ community and some parents saying, hey, can we take our kids out of those classes if those books are being used, if we so wish?

REID: Yes. There's 2 other major cases that we're watching for these 16. This is one a question of whether parents can opt out of curriculum related to LGBTQ rights or sexuality in schools. Now, if the justices agree with these parents who object on religious grounds, this could open the door for an expansion of religious rights, which is what we have seen from this court. That's one of the reasons we're watching that one so closely.

The other case we're watching for that we could possibly get today has to deal with access to pornography in the state of Texas. That state has passed a law banning minors from accessing pornographic materials.

[09:25:00]

Now, both sides agree that's a good thing. The issue though the justices are focused on is the fact that this requires adults to provide identification before they can access those sites. And the question is whether that is a violation of their First Amendment rights. We'll see what the justices do, Sara, but during oral arguments, it appeared that the justices were open to upholding this law.

SIDNER: All right. Paula Reid, thank you for your reporting there, some huge decisions, birthright being the absolute number one issue that a lot of people will be watching. I appreciate it.

Up ahead, new reporting on exactly how the U.S. military is making moves to prepare in case President Trump orders a strike on Iran. That story and much more ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:30:00]