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Iran's President Raisi Involved In Helicopter Crash; Biden Delivers Historic Commencement Speech At Morehouse College; CNN To Host Biden-Trump Debate Rematch June 27; Sean Diddy Combs Says He Is "Truly Sorry" For Actions In Hotel Video; Trapped Cargo Ship Set To Refloat To Terminal Tomorrow. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired May 19, 2024 - 14:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:00:45]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me this Sunday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

And we begin with breaking news that could have global implications.

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi has been involved in a helicopter crash in a remote part of the country. Raisi's condition is unknown and rescuers are having difficulty reaching the exact site of the crash because of fog and bad weather.

Iran Supreme Leader is calling for everyone in that country to pray for Raisi's health and vowing there will be no disruption in Irans government. We've got full coverage of this developing story.

Let's begin with CNN's Nic Robertson. Nic, what are we learning about the crash and the search for the site.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: The conditions are tough. The fog, the rain, the temperatures. It's cold.

But the search is going on into the night. We understand that army is being deployed. The IRGC, that's the elite military in Iran as well as the police.

There are already medics were dispatched to the scene. Several ambulances, teams of medics, mountain climbers because this is a mountainous area, an area also of some of it has dense forest.

So this is an effort that is going deep into the night. The concern is that there has been no visible sighting yet of the wreckage or the site according to official sources in Iran.

It's not clear at all to the authorities precisely what happened. Now the president had been right up there in the northwest of Iran attending a ceremony for opening a dam -- a dam project that actually span the border with Azerbaijan just to the north -- a big deal. The president of Azerbaijan was there.

Iran's foreign minister as well as many other dignitaries were on the president's -- on the Iranian president's helicopter when it crashed.

It was initially described as a hard landing and then as a crash. But the problem for the search and rescue operation right now is the weather conditions are just too bad for them to put helicopters up into.

We know that the European Union has turned on its Copernicus Emergency Monitoring Satellite System at the request of the Iranians to help them in their tracking.

But at the moment, the real question is, how hard did the helicopter come down? Could people still have survived? Can they continue to survive in those conditions?

And that's why we're hearing the supreme leader asking people in Iran to pray for the president. It's clear that the leadership in Iran haven't given up on their president at the moment.

WHITFIELD: And so Nic, if I could follow up on one thing that you said. You said first it was reported as a hard landing and then a crash. Are we saying that officials were saying that there was trouble on this helicopter? They tried to make a landing? Or is it the latter that somehow they believe it crashed into this mountainous region.

ROBERTSON: I think it's really hard to tell. And part of the reason I answer that way is because Iran is not very transparent and it -- and it doesn't broadcast all the details top its public.

Iran really controls the media there. So it's very hard to interpret things. As they say they may have been just putting a soft spin until they could find out more. The helicopter was not where they thought it would be, had gone into dense fog. There were several helicopters that day.

So we just don't have enough information. And again, you -- one has to look at this carefully that Iran, Iran's leadership will be very careful about how they release information that they get about what's happened.

WHITFIELD: Right. Well, at this point, it has been at least forthcoming for us to be able to have this kind of information in order to report it thus far.

Nic Robertson, thanks so much. I'm going to check back with you.

[14:04:45]

WHITFIELD: Let's talk about the weather conditions. Elisa Raffa is with us in the CNN Weather Center. So already we have heard reports of the treacherous conditions, the fog that's what standing in the way of the rescue efforts to get underway.

But what about at the time of the crash, which is roughly now five hours ago?

ELISA RAFFA, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. So it's in an area that's a little bit difficult for us to get weather observations.

But in nearby areas, we were able to see that the clouds were yes, hanging low. Visibility was limited. You can see the clouds kind of coming through here on satellite.

When we put in the water vapor image, or how much moisture is in the air, there's a lot of it. At the time wind speeds weren't that much. So when you have a lot of moisture in the air, not that much wind, that's when fog can develop and it can get pretty dense.

Temperatures have also been pretty cool. They're much cooler than their average. It does look like foggy conditions could continue on the overnight. We're about to go into nighttime temperatures will be cooler. Cooler temperatures are favorable for fog development.

So again, not going into the best conditions. By tomorrow that fog could burn off a little bit more with some of that daytime heat. That's kind of how fog works.

We're also coming off of the region's rainy season. April is their rainiest month on, you know, on average, so we are continuing with some of these showers through the next couple of days as we are in the middle of their rainy season.

Like I mentioned, temperatures have been much below average and it will stay pretty cool as we go through the next couple of days. Tonight for nearby cities, temperatures would drop into the 50s, but where they think that crash site is in the higher elevations temperatures could get towards freezing.

So again, getting pretty cold with the limited visibility, temperatures staying below average through the next couple of days and those rain chances, Fred, will stay pretty healthy.

WHITFIELD: Ok. Very good.

All right. Elisa Raffa, thanks so much. We'll check back with you.

All right.

CNN's Kevin Liptak is traveling with the president of the United States. President Biden now about to be in Detroit for an NAACP dinner.

So Kevin, has the president been briefed on the situation in Iran. And if so, what are they willing to say?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, he has been briefed and we did learn that from the press secretary Karine Jean- Pierre, as the president was heading here to Detroit from Atlanta.

She didn't say anything else about the incident, but I can tell you Fred that officials at the White House, inside the State Department, across the Biden administration are going to be watching this very, very closely, just given the ramifications this could have not only in Iran, but throughout the Middle East and really across the entire world.

Of course, this is at a very uncertain moment and this just adds another layer of complexity to all of these crises that the president is dealing with including in Israel, the war between in Israel and Hamas.

The president's national security adviser Jake Sullivan, is in Israel now meeting with officials trying to broker a ceasefire deal that would include the release of hostages.

Of course, President Biden has been attempting to prevent this war from spreading into a wider conflict that would drag the U.S. closer into conflict with Iran. U.S. officials behind the scenes have had back-channel discussions with the Iranians about preventing this conflict from spreading, including as recently as last week.

But I think one of the problems that the White House will have in receiving details about this is, of course, the United States does not have diplomatic relations with Iran and we'll rely on partners including in Europe to get some of the details about what precisely has happened to the president and has happened to that helicopter.

President Biden, of course, has a long history of trying to confront Iran when it comes to its proxies in the region, when it comes to its nuclear program. Things have been sort of reaching a tipping point in some ways.

Iran has sped up its enrichment of nuclear grade uranium. It has sponsored proxies that have gone after American troops. And so this is just another added layer of complexity to that situation that the president continues to deal with Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. With sound checks underway, right there ahead of the president's arrival.

Thank you so much Kevin Liptak, Nic Robertson and Elisa Raffa.

All right. Still to come, President Joe Biden has just landed in Detroit where he will soon be in that same arena where you saw our Kevin Liptak. This comes just hours after a commencement speech to add one of the nation's most prestigious historically-black colleges. The president's message at Morehouse straight ahead.

[14:09:15]

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WHITFIELD: All right. Back to our top story.

Iran's president Ebrahim Raisi has been involved in a helicopter crash in a remote part of the country. Raisi's condition is unknown and rescuers are having difficulty reaching the exact site of the crash because of what you see right there -- fog, bad weather.

Iran's supreme leader is calling for everyone in that country to pray for Raisi's health and vowing there will be no disruption in Iran's government.

CNN Fred Pleitgen was in Iran recently for regional elections and he's joining me right now.

Fred tell me more about what are the expectations about any political reverberations from this incident and the unknown of these incident.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Yes. I think the unknown of this incident certainly is a big factor in all of this.

And I think it was quite interesting that the supreme leader actually came out and chaired a meeting of Iran's national security council obviously showing that if anything were to have happened to the president, and of course, also we need to remind ourselves of the foreign minister as well, who was also apparently on that chopper, that there would be that continuity.

[14:14:56]

PLEITGEN: And he came out afterwards and said -- or assured people there in Iran that there would be no breakdown in the government, that there would be a continuity of the governing of the country.

And I think that was something that is extremely important. And for the supreme leader himself to come out and say that I think shows how urgent and how important the situation is for the Iranians themselves and certainly for those who are in power in around the Iranian government

I think right now, they're all holding on and hoping that they find the president and the foreign minister. But if something were to have happened, if they were severely injured, if they were incapable of continuing their government work of course, that would have reverberations in Iranian politics but in Iran's foreign policy as well.

One of the things that we have to keep in mind is that the foreign minister of Iran, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian is extremely important for that country's foreign policy. He shapes a lot of that. He's very much involved right now in trying to revive the Iran nuclear agreement.

But of course, he was also someone who was very much involved after you have that big stand up between the Israelis and the Iranians to then come to terms with that situation.

So as far as that is concerned, as far as all of the things that Iran does that have to do with the United States, that have to do with their international policies, all that would be very difficult to maintain for the Iranians. And there could be some disruptions there.

But again, right now, the Iranians are hoping to find the foreign minister and the president alive after they originally has said that the helicopter had a hard landing, are now saying it appears to have been a helicopter crash. And of course with that area being so remote, it seems as though it's

really challenging for those search and rescue teams to get to those people who are on that helicopter.

And of course, one thing that we have to mention this is that right now already pretty -- getting pretty late there and Iran in that mountainous area also getting pretty cold as well, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

Hey Fred, I'm wondering if you could elaborate perhaps on the kind of technology, equipment that Iran, its military rescue units would have for an accident like this, given this is a remote region of the eastern -- the Azerbaijan province.

PLEITGEN: Yes. I think one of the things that we have to keep -- that first equipment obviously wouldn't be the newest standards also in light of some of the sanctions that are on Iran.

One of the interesting things that I've seen is that the European Union apparently opened up a satellite link to make sure that maybe satellite communication would be possible there, which of course is closed off to the Iranians because of sanctions normally.

The other thing about those search and rescue crews, the Red Crescent, but also especially some of those mountaineering teams, they are very capable. The Iranians, of course, very much a mountainous country that you have very good search and rescue crews for the mountains.

One of the things where they're a little bit lagging is of course, helicopters and those kind of things. There the technology not necessarily up-to-date also because of the sanctions as well, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Fred Pleitgen, thanks so much. We'll check back with you.

All right.

New today in this country, U.S. President Biden speaking directly to the next generation of American leaders. The president delivering the commencement address to graduates at Morehouse College in Atlanta, a historically-black all men's college. Biden highlighting the achievements of Morehouse alumni like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. while also addressing Americas continued racial obstacles.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In America, we're all created equal. Extremists close the doors of opportunity, strike down affirmative action, attack the values of diversity, equality, and inclusion.

I never thought when I was graduating in 1968, as your honor (INAUDIBLE) was he talked about I never thought I'd be a president of a time when there's a national effort to ban books, not to write history about your race history.

They don't see you in the future of America but they're wrong. To me we make history of other races. We know black history is American history.

Many of you graduates don't know me but check my record. You know what I'm saying, I mean from my gut.

We know black man are going to help us lead us to the future. Black men from this class and this university.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: During the ceremony, a mix of celebratory applause and some graduates turning their backs during the president's speech.

CNN's Arlette Saenz has more from Morehouse College in Atlanta.

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Fred president Biden celebrated the next generation of black leaders here at Morehouse College's commencement. But he also took time to acknowledge the concerns of many young people about his handling of the conflict in Gaza.

While the president spoke several students took their chairs and turned them around, sitting with their backs towards the president in a sign of peaceful protest.

[14:19:49]

SAENZ: The school's valedictorian actually addressed the issue of Gaza head on in his remarks, saying that there needs to be an immediate and permanent ceasefire in this conflict.

Now, President Biden also took time to acknowledge the concerns, saying that he respects the right to peaceful protest, that these students need to make their voices heard, and that he is hearing their concerns.

And he also tried to talk about what his administration has done to try to secure a ceasefire deal in Gaza. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: What's happening in Gaza and Israel is heartbreaking. Hamas' vicious attack on Israel killing innocent lives and holding people hostage. Innocent Palestinians caught in the middle of all of this. Men, women, and children killed or displaced, in flight (ph), in desperate need of water, food and medicine.

It's a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. That's why I've called for an immediate ceasefire. An immediate ceasefire to stop the fighting, bring the hostages home.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SAENZ: Now, the president also during his remarks said he's working towards a two-state solution, a moment that drew applause from the crowd, including one of those students at least who had turned their back to the president.

Now Biden also tried to use this big speech to appeal to black voters, a key part of his constituency back in 2020 and one that he is trying to rebuild support with amid signs of some erosion in support.

The president talked about efforts to try to fight back against white supremacy and racism in this country, while also calling -- calling out extremists actions, extremist views that have taken hold among some in the country.

The president tried to tout efforts that he has put in place to help black Americans, like lowering insulin costs, canceling student debt.

But it's clear that the president was trying to keep the focus on the students this week with this commencement ceremony. He now is heading over to Detroit where he will speak at an NAACP dinner a little bit later this evening, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Alright. Arlette Saenz, thank you so much.

So this commencement at Morehouse came following the invitation from the university's president, David A. Thomas.

And Thomas said he did so because he thought it was important to show this class of 2024 they matter. And are deserving of a speech inspiration end-time from the person in the highest office of the land.

Biden lays political and personal messages.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: The last conversation was Dad, I'm not afraid but I'm worried. I'm worried you're going to give up when I go. You're going to give up.

We have an expression in the Biden family when you want someone to know, give your word, you say, look at me. He was lying there, he said look at me, dad. Look at me.

He said give me your word. Give me your word as my father that you will not quit, that you will stay engaged. Promise me Dad stay engaged. Promise me. Promise me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right.

Let's talk more about all of this. Joining me right now, host of Atlanta radio WABE "Morning Edition" Lisa Rayam. Also CNN presidential historian, Tim Naftali. Great to see both of you.

TIM NAFTALI, CNN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Great to see you.

WHITFIELD: All right. So Lisa, you first. I mean, the president spoke with some displays of demonstration from the Congolese flag that was being held behind him. A few students sitting with backs turned, one with fist raised.

But Biden, you know, was also met with a lot of applause especially this moment when announcing a record $16 billion in federal funding and investments in historically-black colleges and universities. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: Addition to the original $7 billion investment in HBCUs, I'm investing $16 billion more, more in our history because you're vital to our nation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So Lisa, how do you assess how things went?

LISA RAYAM, WABC RADIO HOST: Well Fredricka, thanks for having me again.

Overall, it seems like it was mission accomplished for President Biden. What better way to meet students where they are than to lay out the mantra of as you mentioned, one of the most famous alumnus, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He talked at peace when he referred to the ceasefire. He talked about how important it was to communicate, to meet people where they are, to talk about differences in a peaceful manner.

So I think it was mission accomplished for him with the students who we've been following very closely these past few weeks leading up to this so-called controversial visit by the president.

And I think the students heard what they wanted to hear from the president today. It was important to them, but it was also important to his campaign, right? Because polls are saying that he is lagging when it comes to youth, young black men in particular, and older black men.

[14:24:53]

RAYAM: So you know, he had all of those ears in the audience today. So I think overall, it was a win for the president.

WHITFIELD: You know, and Tim, it's not unusual, right, for a presidential campaign to acknowledge its shortcomings in reaching a certain electorate.

So this weekend, President Biden is appealing to black voters, Morehouse grads, their parents, grandparents and later on tonight in Detroit at an NAACP dinner. So did you see, you know, this president weave (ph) both inspirational to the class of 2024 and policy commitment, you know, as in step with what previous administrations on reelection campaigns have done.

NAFTALI: Absolutely. And it was also a reminder of how this is not 1968. In 1968, Lyndon Johnson wouldn't have gone to any campus to give a commencement address.

But yes, the president today was looking directly at the challenge he faces. Last month a "Wall Street Journal" a poll showed that only 57 percent of black men polled were intending to vote for President Biden. He got 87 percent of black men votes last time.

Indeed, his erosion is also seen around black -- among black women. Again. In the same poll, black women indicated that they = 73 percent indicated they would vote for Biden. Well, he won 93 percent of the votes from black women in 2020.

So he can't afford this erosion of support among a core group of his coalition. So what he's doing today, both at Morehouse College and he gave a very strong speech, he was really good voice and now in Detroit is he is trying to communicate with key members of his coalition to say, hey, I've delivered and I need you to deliver for me in November.

WHITFIELD: And Tim, this 2024 presidential race, you know, has a lot of distinctions, right. But among them, you know, this is only the second race in American history, you correct me if I'm wrong because you're the historian, you know, pitting an incumbent U.S. president with a former president. 1892 incumbent president Benjamin Harrison and former president Grover Cleveland.

So it will also be, right, a reunion of sorts for Biden and Trump on the debate stage. And this is what 2020 debates looked like. Take a, take a watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED: what do you want to call them? Give me a name. Give me a name. Go ahead.

(CROSSTALKING)

TRUMP: Who would like me to condemn --Proud Boys --

(CROSSTALKING)

TRUMP: Proud Boys, stand back and stand by. But I'll tell you what, I'll tell you what. Somebody's got to do something about Antifa.

CHRIS WALLACE, CNN HOST: Will you pledge tonight that you will not declare victory until the election has been independently certified? President Trump, you go first.

TRUMP: I'm (INAUDIBLE) my supporters to go into the polls and watch very carefully because that's what has to happen.

I'm the least racist person in this room.

BIDEN: Abraham Lincoln here is one of the most racist presidents we've had in modern history.

The question is -- the question is --

TRUMP: -- a lot of new Supreme Court justices -- radical left --

BIDEN: Would you shut up, man.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Ok. So this race will be here at CNN later on in the month of June after the two agreed last week.

So Tim, do you expect a similar tenor?

NAFTALI: Are you asking whether I think they're going to like each other anymore than they did four years ago?

(CROSSTALKING)

WHITFIELD: Well, let's start with a bug hug.

NAFTALI: You know, I expect fireworks, of course. And I expect the former president to signal just as he did before, in that case, he's signaled to the Proud Boys and they showed up for him on January 6.

I expect a tough, unpleasant debate. And I expect that this will be very significant for both men.

It's not that Americans need to know who they are. Americans know already who they are. The question is who they can be for the next four years?

Trump, former president Trump has to show a number of the Independents that he's not just going to be vindictive and mean. And President Biden has to show Independents and some of the soft supporters among Democrats that he's up to the -- up to the challenge of being president for another four years.

That's a tall order for both men and that's what we're going to watch for.

(CROSSTALKING)

WHITFIELD: All right. That debate right here on CNN, June 27th. Buckle up.

So Lisa, you're nodding in, you know, agreement there. At the same time --

(CROSSTALKING)

RAYAM: I was just going to add to that --

WHITFIELD: Yes, go ahead.

RAYAM: We're forgetting about that pool of undecided and what President Trump and -- President Biden and Trump need to know going into June 27, is that America is really going to be listening.

[14:29:44]

RAYAM: We have a huge swath of undecideds here in Georgia, and I imagine across the rest of the nation, so messaging is going to be so important, you know, as they kick off this June 27 debate.

WHITFIELD: Yes. And particularly Lisa, that visit happening in Georgia, you know, is also very notable. A swing state with the cloud of 2020 upset and election overturn, you know, efforts. I mean, all of that still lingering.

So how do you see this debate potentially impacting the race or the electorate in the state of Georgia?

RAYAM: Well, you know, Biden as piling up the forces here in Georgia, opening up offices. This is a very critical state, always has been. The date -- debate making it all that more important. It's on the line here because if the poles are correct, it's neck and neck. And both candidates know that. If the poles are correct, they know that the strength of the African-American vote here in Georgia is what's going to put them over in 2024.

WHITFIELD: All right. You're looking at still pictures from the president's arrival in Atlanta yesterday where large contingent of Georgia leaders, including the U.S. senators, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, are there on the tarmac to greet them.

All right. Tim Naftali, Lisa Rayam, great to talk to you. Thanks so much.

RAYAM: You too.

NAFTALI: Thank you.

RAYAM: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. When we come back, more on the breaking news out of Iran. A search and rescue operation is hampered by the continued weather. This after the helicopter carrying Iran's president crashed. We'll bring you the latest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:35:46]

WHITFIELD: We continue to follow breaking news at this hour.

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi was onboard a helicopter that went down in a remote part of the country. Search and rescue crews remain unable to locate or even reach the crash site because of fog, treacherous conditions, and nightfall.

For more on what's happening, I'm joined by a Trita Parsi, author and executive vice president for the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, and CNN political and national security analyst David Sanger.

Good to see both of you.

Hey, David, let me begin with you because, you know, the near east immediacy and publicization of this crash is quite striking coming from Iranian authorities. Why do you believe that we are seeing this level of transparency from Iran on this?

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, I think it's a mix of transparency and confusion. Well, the presidents helicopter took off, we believe that foreign minister was with him and they lost contact with it. Apparently, they haven't been able to reach any of the security or crew since that time? The weather reports that just the images were seeing look like extreme fog out there and it's getting increasingly difficult to imagine anything other than sort of worst scenarios here. Now, of course, when the sun comes up, maybe that will change.

For American officials, they're relying on what they're hearing pretty much from state television and other state media. I'm sure the U.S. is trying using its own satellites and other assets to see if they can figure out what's going on here. But given the weather conditions and how rocky an area it is, it may be a number of hours before we figure out whether President Raisi survive.

WHITFIELD: Yeah, it's been some five hours, at least since the crash reportedly happened.

Trita, can you add to why you think Iran is sharing as much information as it is?

TRITA PARSI, EXECUTIVE VP, QUINCY INSTITUTE FOR RESPONSIBLE STATECRAFT: Well, I'm not really sure if that is really what they're intending to do, but reality is that there's a massive search going on. They could not cover this up. It was clear because he had come from a meeting from the leader of Azerbaijan. The media was there covering it.

So, it's quite clear that it would have been impossible for them to hide it if they had tried to hide it with further fuel conspiracy theories. There are some reports now saying that the helicopter has been identified, but its not clear yet whether the president and the foreign minister are in that helicopter, and if they are alive or dead.

And this will create some very challenging times for the Iranian regime because according to their Constitution, if the president dies, the vice president will take over, but there will be new elections within 50 days. This is happening in the context in which his regime that's extremely unpopular and participation in the elections have already been extremely low they had low participation record, no participation in the parliamentary elections that just took place a few weeks ago.

WHITFIELD: At the same time, we heard from our own reporting that the supreme leader also issued information saying, there will be continuity in the government as this is happening. Why was that important to say and establish?

PARSI: Precisely because of the rumors that will be fueling as to whether this will be a situation that will create certain degree of instability and division because it's not that this was a particularly powerful president, but because he was one of the leading contenders to take over the position of supreme leadership. That's why this is very important, because it will fuel suspicion that they may have been fouled play, perhaps external actors, perhaps rivals for the very coveted position of supreme leadership.

And because of these factors, it is not surprising that the regime is going out and I'm trying to give the impression that everything is under control.

[14:40:00]

WHITFIELD: And, David, our Nic Robertson was reporting earlier that the mission the goal of this helicopter ride involving the president, the foreign minister, and so many other government leadership was about a dam being built in the eastern Azerbaijan province and on the border. And that was -- that stress the importance of this kind of trip.

Is it unusual or is this, you know, in step with a project like this to have so many government leaders on one aircraft at once?

SANGER: Well, it will certainly be in step that they would go out and celebrate something like that because I want to celebrate any joint project that chosen not as isolated as the American sanctions of lead them to be. It's not clear to me what the protocols are for how they do the helicopters, obviously, when the president United States with the president of many of the American allies are in a helicopter, there's usually a grouping of helicopters. It would seem strange to send one helicopter alone it would seem strange not to have a transponder on it that would be beeping out a location, maybe there has been one and it's not working for some reason.

There are a lot of questions to answer here, but I think the trick got an important point, which is even if this came from the most obvious of tragic circumstances, bad weather and so forth, given the level of injury internal turmoil in Iranian politics, right now, there are going to be conspiracy theories that will come up out of this. There will be stories about internet seen battles inside Iran. They will probably be accusations of outside interference either from the West or from Israel or whatever because they're usually are, and so, it's going to be a pretty fraud period and it comes on top of the time when the us has barely had anybody to speak with in Iran, any case. And when they've done so, it always had to do with who intermediaries.

WHITFIELD: All right. David Sanger, Trita Parsi -- oh, go ahead, Trita, you had something to add there?

PARSI: Only thing I would add is adding to what David said, we're in a period right now which the United States doesn't have a direct partner on the Iranian side to talk to, but there has been indirect conversations that actually has been somewhat helpful because neither side wants to see an escalation in the region. So as a result of that, I don't think this is a particularly good time for the U.S. and for the Biden administration to see turmoil inside of Iran that could actually unravel the little progress that has been made in terms of at least trying to make sure that Iraqi and Syrian militias that are aligned with Iran do not attack U.S. troops.

WHITFIELD: All right. Fantastic points from both of you. Thank you so much, David Sanger, Trita Parsi. Appreciate it.

SANGER: Thank you.

PARSI: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Up next, Sean "Diddy" Combs is now apologizing after a video exclusively obtained by CNN showed him kicking, dragging his then girlfriend inside of a hotel back in 2016.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:48:04]

WHITFIELD: Sean "Diddy" Combs is saying he's truly sorry, embarrassed, and needs help, two days after a video exclusively obtained by CNN shows him beating Cassie Ventura inside a hotel in 2016. We want to warn you, this video is disturbing. Combs is seen shoving, kicking, and dragging his then-girlfriend down the hallway. And now, an apology on Instagram.

CNN's Veronica Miracle is joining me right now.

Veronica, and he posted the apology on I.G. What else did he say?

VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, Sean Combs says he is disgusted by his actions and we'll get to his full apology in just a moment, but it's important to note that this is the first time that Combs has acknowledged this event. He has always previously denied allegations of assault by Cassie Ventura, which is the basis of a now settled federal lawsuit which happened back in November. So let's take a listen to his apology that was posted this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN DIDDY COMBS, MUSIC MOGUL: So difficult to reflect the darkest times in your life. Sometimes you got to do that. I was (EXPLETIVE DELETED). I mean, I hit rock bottom. I made no excuses.

My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video and disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it. I'm disgusted now. I went and I sought out professional help, got to go into therapy, going to rehab, and had asked God his mercy and grace. I'm so sorry.

[14:50:01]

I'm committed to be a better man each and every day. I'm not asking for forgiveness. I'm truly sorry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MIRACLE: And, Fredricka, just moments ago, CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister was the first to get a statement from Cassie Ventura's team and she says Comb's most recent statement is more about himself than the many people he has hurt when Cassie and multiple the women came forward, he denied everything and suggested that his victims were looking for a pay day, that he was only compelled to apologize once his repeated denials were proven false, shows his pathetic desperation and no one will be swayed by his disingenuous words.

This is a statement from Cassie Ventura's team.

Back to you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Veronica Miracle, thank you so much. We're back in a moment.

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[14:55:34]

WHITFIELD: It's been a two month traffic nightmare following the deadly collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge and now a step further in both the investigative and reconstructive efforts. The Dali cargo ship that crashed into the bridge may soon be floated back to the city's marine terminal as early as tomorrow.

CNN national correspondent Gloria Pazmino, has the latest live for us from Baltimore.

Gloria, walk us through the process of floating that cargo ship.

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, everything about this has been massive in scale from the very beginning, right? From the incident to the cleanup. And now to the effort to actually move this massive ship back to port.

Preparations are actually already underway as we are speaking. The crew, which remains onboard in the -- on the Dali is working to prepare the ship, which will be transported back to port tomorrow. They are lifting the anchors, they are cleaning of the water that's been filling the ship in order to help balance it, they are making sure that the ship passes and inspect action because tomorrow morning come 5:00 a.m. at the peak of high tide. That's when they're going to try and move it.

Five tugboats are going to come in and help escort the Dali back to the port of Baltimore. Now, Fred, this is going to be a long, a long process. It is expected to take at least 21 hours. This whole time, the crew will remain on board and plans for what will happen to them once they arrive at the port are still being worked out according to an international union, which represents them -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Gloria Pazmino from New York, thank you so much.

We'll be right back.

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