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Israel Preparing for Potential Attack from Iran; Ukrainian Military Claims to Control Part of Russia; Trump Lashes Out at Harris in Conversation with Musk; Extremely Dangerous Wildfire Approaches Athens, Greece. U.S. Sends Sub to Region as Israel Braces for Attack; Kim Jong Un Rejects Foreign Aid, Touts Self-Reliance. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired August 13, 2024 - 00:00   ET

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

[00:00:32]

JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm John Vause live from Studio H here in Atlanta. Coming up on CNN NEWSROOM.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: An Iranian attack on Israel could come within a matter of days.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Or weeks or hours. Thirteen days after the presumed Israeli assassination of a senior Hamas leader in Tehran, no indication of how or where Iran will strike back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): Putin started this. (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Ukrainian forces taking control of dozens of Russian towns and villages. A brazen and stunning offensive, raising hopes of turning the war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have numerous places that could end up in World War III right now for no reason whatsoever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Elon Musk promised Trump's interview on X will be unscripted with no limits. What we got was more than two hours of technical glitches and softball questions.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with John Vause.

VAUSE: Israel's military has now been placed on high alert and the U.S. is again bolstering its military presence in the region with expectations growing that an Iranian attack could come sooner. Iran and its Lebanon-based proxy Hezbollah have warned Israel of retaliation after two high-profile assassinations last month. The deputy leader of Hezbollah was killed in an Israeli airstrike while Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed while visiting Tehran.

The strikes could come at a critical moment in negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza scheduled to resume this week. The USS Georgia, a nuclear powered submarine armed with cruise missiles, is now on route to the Middle East and the Pentagon has ordered the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to hasten its arrival in the region to join another carrier strike group already there.

Meantime, as Israel waits, its military continues preparations to both defend as well as offensive operations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REAR ADM. DANIEL HAGARI, ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES SPOKESPERSON (through translator): We have increased the patrols in Lebanese skies and are prepared to intercept threats in real time. We take the statements of our enemy seriously and are therefore prepared at the highest level of readiness.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: We get the very latest now from CNN's Jeremy Diamond reporting in from the northern city of Haifa in Israel.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DIAMOND: Well, there are growing indications within both the U.S. and Israeli governments that an Iranian attack on Israel could come within a matter of days. The exact timing and most importantly the scope and scale of such an attack are still unclear, but there's no question that there is real concern in this region at the moment about the possibility of further escalation, escalation that could potentially spiral this region further into conflict.

The Israeli military says that it is now at, quote, "peak readiness," making preparations for both offensive as well as defensive scenarios here, increasing flights over Lebanon where the key Iranian proxy of Hezbollah is based. At this hour, though, they still have not made any changes to those home front command guidelines, giving no new instructions to civilians to prepare for the possibility of war.

But even as these preparations are being made, there are still intensive diplomatic efforts being directed at Iran to try and get it to change its calculus. Both the British prime minister as well as the German chancellor speaking with the Iranian president trying to urge restraint, trying to urge de-escalation, and one of the key reasons for that, of course, is what's expected to come later this week.

And that is on Thursday when the United States, Egypt, and Qatar are trying to convene Israel and Hamas for the next round of negotiations to try and finalize a ceasefire agreement. Already though there have been questions about whether or not Hamas will actually attend those talks. And then of course, there's the possibility of this regional escalation. Should an Iranian attack happened before those talks on Thursday, that could certainly put that effort into doubt and put the possibility of a ceasefire that could really lower the temperature in this region even further into question.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Haifa, Israel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: To Tehran now and Abas Aslani, an Iranian journalist and senior research fellow at the Center for Middle East Strategic Studies.

Thank you being with us.

ABAS ASLANI, IRANIAN JOURNALIST AND RESEARCHER: Thank you, John, for having me.

VAUSE: It's always a pleasure. Thank you very much for being with us, especially from Tehran at this hour. So what will Iran do and when Iran will do it seems to be almost anyone's guess right now. I want you to listen to White House National -- actually, this is what he said. White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby on Monday.

"It's difficult to ascertain at this particular time if there is an attack by Iran and its proxies what that would look like.

[00:05:05]

"We have to be prepared for what could be a significant set of attacks."

We're also seeing part of the military operation here being prepared for this, involves sending the U.S. submarine Georgia capable of firing guided missiles. We have the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been told to accelerate deployment to the region. Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group is already there. And additional fighter squadron from the U.S. also on route as well.

So the White House says this is both deterrence for Iran and defense for Israel, while insisting it wants to avoid a broader conflict. But from Tehran's point of view, does this U.S. military buildup make a broader conflict just simply more likely?

ASLANI: John, Iran has tried to adopt a policy of ambiguity about its response to Israel in terms of, you know, the assassination of the former Hamas chief in Tehran, and in contrary to the air attacks, which was, you know, somehow clear back then, and everybody was expecting when that attack would come, this time they want to make it a surprise attack. But what we could understand from the remarks of Iranian officials is that there could be a combination of measures or various, you know, actions against Israel.

And in terms of quality or the timing of the place of the operation, there are uncertainties. But what it seems clear and inevitable is that the retaliation will come. It's not a matter of if, but, when and how. And in parallel, we have been seeing ceasefire negotiations taking place. Maybe Iran has had the concentration not to disrupt that process. And the outcome of that process I think might qualitatively impact Iran's response. However, it will not, you know, rule out Iran's retaliation and it will come, you know, sometime.

U.S., you know, military buildup in the region has been a factor for Iran. Kind of, you know, trying to temper Iran's response against Israel, as well as to send a signal to Tehran that, you know, in case Iran responds U.S. will also engage in order to defend Israel, or maybe this could escalate into a regional war. But Iran also, you know, tried to somehow send signals to the U.S. or respond by some positions by adding some new military equipment including some drones and undetectable cruise missiles, and which was somehow, you know, a signal to the U.S. that if it engages in this conflict Iran will try to target American assets or warships in the region.

So these back and forth has been happening in the region between Iran and the other parties but Iranian officials are saying that this is inevitable, but the quality and the timing is not certain. And they will determine it.

VAUSE: You know, back in April, it took, what, 12 days for Iran to respond to Israel's deadly strike on an Iranian embassy in Syria. We're now day 13 since Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran. And there seems to be a lot of focus right now on what Iran may or may not do, but the other wildcard in all of this is Hezbollah.

So does Hezbollah act completely independently of Iran or are they in concert with Iran? How does that chain of command work and what are you expecting from Hezbollah, which some say could be the real wild card in all of this?

ASLANI: John, Ismail Haniyeh was considered a leader in the, you know, axis of resistance. He was assassinated in Tehran. So because he was a, you know, senior official in the axis of resistance, so the response might be coming not just from the Iranian side, but from other, you know, fronts of the -- you know, resistance front, meaning it could come from Iranian side as well as Hezbollah or some other, you know, parties and angles of this front.

And there have been, you know, remarks that various measures could be done in this regard. I think this in some ways implies that, you know, different measures but different parts of the axis of resistance could be planned and executed. Which one could include, you know, by Hezbollah because there was another assassinations, assassination in Beirut against a senior commander of Hezbollah, I mean, during those days as well as some other Palestinian officials in Lebanon.

So part of those series and strong responses also might come from the Hezbollah and within that context that this was an action not just against Iran, but the whole axis of resistance. So the response can come from the whole front against Israel.

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VAUSE: Abas Aslani, thank you so much for being with us, sir, from Tehran. We appreciate your time today. Thank you.

ASLANI: My pleasure, John.

VAUSE: Russian officials have confirmed dozens of towns and villages have fallen to a surprise attack by Ukrainian forces. A stunning and brazen military offensive ongoing for a week now. Russian President Vladimir Putin believes this is -- this offensive is an attempt by Ukraine to try and improve its negotiating position that any talks which may take place. He asked without apparent irony how Russia could negotiate with people indiscriminately striking civilians and threatened nuclear power facilities.

Ukraine's president said Russia brought war to others, and now it's coming home. Volodymyr Zelenskyy also arguing that the incursion is actually self-defense. Ukrainian military chief says his country's troops now control about 1,000 square kilometers in the Russian region of Kursk.

More details now from CNN's Fred Pleitgen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Ukrainian troops sweeping through Russian territory.

Dear Ukrainians, this soldier starts and then says his forces went into a Russian supermarket but that Ukrainian stores have a better selection.

Videos released of several areas inside Russia showing Ukraine's soldiers taking down Russian flags and raising Ukraine's. And while the Kremlin claims its forces have held up Ukraine's advances in some areas, posting videos of bombed-out alleged Ukrainian vehicles, the numbers the Kremlin does admit are staggering.

Almost 30 villages under Ukrainian control, more than 120,000 Russian civilians evacuated in the Kursk Region alone and more under evacuation orders in Belgorod region to the south. Russian President Vladimir Putin irate, vowing to respond while ripping into Ukraine and its Western allies.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): It appears that the enemy, with the help of its Western masters, is fulfilling their will. And the West is fighting us with the hands of the Ukrainians. So it looks like the enemy is seeking to improve its negotiating position for the future. The enemy will certainly receive a worthy response and all our objectives will undoubtedly be achieved.

PLEITGEN: All this as Russia and Ukraine blame each other for what appears to be a major fire at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine, an area under Russian control, So far no increased radiation levels have been detected.

Kyiv has published little information about its offensive into Russian territory, but Ukraine's president justifying the incursion. VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): From

the beginning of this summer and early from the Kursk Region, our Sumy region suffered almost 2,000 strikes. Artillery, mortars, drones, we also monitor every missile strike and each such strike deserves a fair response.

PLEITGEN: And it seems Ukraine's response is not over yet even as Moscow scrambles to prevent further loss of territory.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Beth Sanner is a CNN national security analyst with 35 years' experience in the U.S. intelligence community, which includes her time as deputy director of National Intelligence.

Beth, thanks for being with us.

BETH SANNER IS A CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Thanks for having me, John.

VAUSE: OK, so an honest assessment from either side about, you know, the success or otherwise of this push seems unlikely at this stage. Nonetheless, here's Alexei Smirnov, the acting governor of the Kursk Region, and this is what he told Putin on Monday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEXEI SMIRNOV, ACTING GOVERNOR, RUSSIA'S KURSK REGION (through translator): Currently the situation in the region is difficult. 28 settlements are under the control of the enemy. The depth of the incursion is 12 kilometers. The width along the front is 40 kilometers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: So for the Ukrainians, the concern here would be that taking territory is a lot easier than holding territories, but more broadly for the Russians, it would seem, you know, this is a colossal failure, not just for the Russian military, but also for Russia intelligence.

SANNER: So, you know what that clip didn't show was Putin's reaction to the governor's remarks and he admonished him kind of angrily for going into military things he didn't have any role in doing. He just wanted to hear about the socioeconomic things. And the reason is that -- for that is because Putin has been trying to downplay this whole thing and call it, you know, kind of a terrorist attack.

And so this kind of truth about how big this incursion is and how badly things are going is not the narrative that the Kremlin has put out there, and so, you know, he's trying to tamp things down and look in control and, yes, that's not going so well for him. So yes, this is a huge humiliation, but it's also, as you were saying, it's a failure, it's an intelligence failure, it's a military failure.

[00:15:02]

VAUSE: Apparently, the Russian president is outraged by a sovereign nation invading another sovereign nation. He also says it's upsetting for a lot of Russians as well. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PUTIN (through translator): Another of the enemy's obvious goals is to sow discord, discord in our society, to intimidate people, to destroy the unity and cohesion of Russian society, that is to strike a blow to the domestic political situation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: And maybe just maybe bringing the war home to everyday Russians, bringing the fear and the terror, which until now they've been spared, that could be what this invasion does in terms that they could pay the biggest dividends here.

SANNER: It really could, and whenever I listen to Putin, I think, wow, you know, what he says is exactly what he does to other countries. Sow discord, divisions, hmm, 2016 elections? That ring any bells for anyone? It's like he is literally talking about the playbook that he has imposed on others, the United States and of course Ukraine.

But yes, you know, I think clearly Russians, 133,000 many estimates, but that's one that I've seen have been evacuated in Kursk Region and now starting in Belgorod Region, which is next door along the border there where Ukraine does a lot of cross-border bombings. So this is hard to hide. People are upset and you're seeing some of the interviews being published. And we were like, you know, why is the government lying to us? So, yes, this could be a big score for Ukraine on this part.

VAUSE: We also heard from the Ukrainian President Zelenskyy sort of explaining as to why this offensive has happened. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENSKYY (through translator): It is entirely justified to destroy Russian terrorists wherever they are, wherever they launch their attacks from. Russian military airfields, Russian logistics.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: And here's the response by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. So typical of most U.S. lawmakers. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRAHAM: What I think about Kursk? Bold, brilliant, beautiful. Keep it up. Putin started this. Kick his ass.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: OK, maybe a tad more enthusiastic than most. But does that sort of mean that we can now move away from the sort of asinine argument that any offensive action by Ukraine inside Russia could play to Putin's false narrative about Russia being the victim here?

SANNER: I think, I mean, certainly it could play it up, but I think that the big three strategic things are, you know, Zelenskyy is trying to change the domestic mood both in the military and among the civilian population. People are depressed and demoralized. This has changed the public mood like that. Secondly, it changes the international narrative about what Ukraine can do.

Listen to Lindsey Graham, I mean, that's kind of amazing, right? So that's a huge thing. And, you know, and then the last thing I think is that, you know, ultimately Zelenskyy always has to figure out how he can end this war. And by taking this land maybe they have some kind of trade space to negotiate from. Now they have some leverage. So if Trump wins and he says, oh, I'm going to negotiate an end to this war, I'm going to, you know, end this, well, now Zelenskyy can go into something like that with actually a few cards in his hand, rather than nothing.

VAUSE: Yes, he'll actually have something to negotiate with, which I guess is --

SANNER: Yes.

VAUSE: It does get to that. It's a good thing to have.

And Beth, it was good thing to have you with us as well. Thank you.

SANNER: Thanks, John.

VAUSE: Vladimir Kara-Murza, one of the main opposition leaders released in that historic prisoner swap between the United States and Russia, is now speaking out about the brutal conditions inside Russian prisons and other issues as well. He feared for his life and he spoke exclusively to CNN's Erin Burnett. Here's part of their conversation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: I mean, you talked about that that you thought that you were never going to see them again. You thought you were going to die in prison. And yet here you are together. Have you even been able to process that, that you are here with her and your children?

VLADIMIR KARA-MURZA, KREMLIN CRITIC: No. Frankly, I think it's a little bit too much and too quick for a human mind to process and just a little over two weeks ago, I was still sitting in my solitary confinement cell in harsh regime prison colony in Siberia. And I was certain that I was going to end my life in Putin's prison. And here I am now sitting with you in a studio in New York next to my wife.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Kara-Murza believes Russia will change and he'll return to his homeland much sooner than expected. His wife Evgenia said they will continue their fight against what she calls Vladimir Putin's evil. But first, the family will take it easy a few weeks and work on processing their personal trauma.

In a moment here on CNN, Donald Trump on a familiar campaign rant as he does a live interview with Tesla's CEO Elon Musk.

[00:20:02]

That is after all the technical glitches. Details just ahead. Also hundreds of firefighters working around the clock as an all out-of- control wildfire closes in on Greek capital.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis might right now be asking, did no one learn from his experience being interviewed on X during the presidential campaign, which tanked in a big way during that interview he tried with Musk.

Now Elon Musk promised no limits interview with the former president Donald Trump and that was also on X. What they got was this glitch- filled 40-minute delayed conversation, which did cover a lot of topics, energy policy, climate change, immigration. Trump promised the largest deportation in the history of the country. And after promising never to recount the assassination ever again, he did actually recount the assassination he survived last month.

Once again, he slammed U.S. President Joe Biden claiming the wars in Ukraine and Gaza would not have happened if he was the president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I could have stopped that and a smart president could have stopped that. It wouldn't have happened. But we had a man that actually made it more prevalent. It was so bad. The words that he was using, the stupid threats coming from a stupid face that he was using. I said this guy is going to cause us the war. He's going to cause this. And let me tell you, it can lead to World War III. That can lead to World War III. The Middle East can lead to, we have numerous places that could end up in World War III right now for no reason whatsoever.

ELON MUSK, TESLA CEO: I think you're right. I think people underrate the risk of World War III. And it's just -- you know, when you're looking at the risk of global thermonuclear warfare, it's game over for humanity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: At several points during the interview it sounded as if Trump had a lisp. And the reason for that 40-minute delay? Well, Elon Musk said it was caused by a cyberattack which overwhelmed the company service and the reason for that cyberattack is that there are those out there who did not want to hear from Donald Trump.

Still he also slammed Vice President Kamala Harris, calling her names, slamming her stand on the economy and immigration. CNN's Kristen Holmes reports Trump has now stepped up his attacks on

his Democratic rival.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): As momentum around Kamala Harris continues to build --

KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Hey, Nevada.

HOLMES: Donald Trump promoting far-right conspiracy theories around his Democratic challenger, falsely claiming on social media that the crowd size at Harris' Detroit rally was A.I. generated, writing, quote, "This is the way Democrats win elections, by cheating, and they're even worse at the ballot box," adding that anyone who is willing to fake their crowd size, quote, "will cheat at anything."

Recent polling showing Harris improving on President Joe Biden's standing in several battlegrounds, with a close race in the critical states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Trump's allies imploring the former president to focus on policy, not personal attacks.

REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA): You've got to make this race not on personalities.

[00:25:01]

Stop questioning the size of her crowds and start questioning her position when it comes to what did she do as attorney general on crime.

TRUMP: And I will never, ever let you down.

HOLMES: Trump trying to get back on message, releasing a series of videos on X, including one painting Harris as a, quote, "San Francisco radical." The former president also expected to hit the campaign trail Wednesday with what's being billed as an economy-focused speech in the crucial state of North Carolina.

Harris has promised to put out details about her economic policies this week, as Republicans hammer away at the lack of details around her policy plans. Over the weekend, Republican V.P. nominee J.D. Vance taking on the role of attack dog, sitting for interviews as Trump campaign aims to highlight Harris' decision so far not to take a lot of questions from the press.

SEN. JD VANCE (R-OH), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I think that what it is two people, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, who aren't comfortable in their own skin, because they aren't comfortable with their policy positions for the American people. And so they're name-calling instead of actually telling the American people how they're going to make their lives better. I think that's weird, Dana, but look, they can call me whatever they want to.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES (on-camera): Now, Kamala Harris is also expected to be back on the campaign trail on Thursday with President Joe Biden. It's going to be their first joint campaign appearance since Joe Biden dropped out of the race.

Now it's going to be interesting to watch how Kamala Harris navigates this because on one hand she of course is going to want to stand next to the man who essentially put her at the top of the ticket, who made her vice president. But yet at the same time she has already tried to distance herself from some of his more unpopular policy decisions, particularly around immigration or inflation and crime.

We also know Republicans are seeking to tie her to Joe Biden in a negative way. So she's really going to have to walk this fine line as she figures out how she's going to campaign with Joe Biden in this now very tight race.

Kristen Holmes, CNN, Washington.

VAUSE: An FBI investigation underway now into allegations of Iran hacked the Trump campaign over the weekend. Sources tell CNN investigators suspect a Roger Stone e-mail was the access point for the attack. The hackers using Stone's account to try and break into a senior Trump campaign official's account as well. They apparently planned to send that official a link that if opened would have given Iran allegedly access to that person's computer. The Trump campaign has declined to comment on whose account was actually breached. Iran has denied the allegation.

Greece is asking for emergency air and ground assistance from its neighbors as the country battles a fast-moving wildfire. Hundreds are firefighters are working to keep the extremely dangerous blaze from getting any closer to the capital Athens, but strong winds, extreme heat and drought conditions are making that increasingly difficult.

CNN's Nada Bashir shows us what they're up against.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The scorching orange blaze illuminating the night sky over Greece's Attica Region, just north of Athens. Hundreds of firefighters and volunteers desperately working to battle a devastating wildfire which broke out on Sunday.

As dawn breaks, the air is filled with thick smoke. The damage already evident with some homes in this community now destroyed. Residents left powerless in the face of disaster.

MARIANA PAPATHANA, SUPERMARKET EMPLOYEE (through translator): The situation is very difficult. We still have strong fires. From midnight onwards some houses started to burn. We are trying to protect our local restaurant. The firefighters are doing very well.

BASHIR: As the fire edges closer to the capital, Athens, authorities have urged some residents to evacuate. More than a dozen people in the area are said to have already been treated for respiratory problems or burns. At least three hospitals are now on heightened alert, with two in the region already evacuated. But as the blaze continues to intensify, officials warned extreme weather conditions could continue throughout the week.

DIMITRIOS PIPIKIOS, RESERVIST (through translator): The situation is chaotic. Our military unit has been here from the beginning. We're trying to help the fire unit and volunteer teams. You can see we're surrounded by fire here. The night will be very hard.

BASHIR: Officials in Greece have now called for air and ground assistance from the European Union, with France, Italy and the Czech Republic among those sending emergency personnel or equipment.

Greece has already faced dozens of fires so far this summer. The country recording its hottest June and July on record this year. But experts warned that weather conditions are only growing more dangerous, with wildfires set to become more frequent and potentially more deadly in the coming years.

Nada Bashir, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Nearly two dozen countries are under heat alerts as a heat wave sweeps across Europe. 17 Italian cities are under a red level alert until Wednesday including Milan, Rome, and Naples. The extreme heat also being felt in Central Europe, including Germany, with minimum temperatures in the low 30 Celsius, around 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

[00:30:00]

Experts say some relief is on the way for Western Europe, but it will not impact high temperatures in Southeast and Central Europe.

More than 47,000 deaths last year are being attributed to a heat wave in Europe. That's according to a report by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health. Researchers looked at records from 35 European countries, found that Greece, Bulgaria, Italy, Spain had the highest number of heat-related deaths. 2023 was the world's hottest year on record. Data shows that Europe is the fastest warming continent.

In a moment here, the U.S. flexing its military muscle in the Middle East, making sure it's ready to defend Israel against a possible attack from Iran. More on that in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: Welcome back, everyone. I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN Newsroom.

Hamas officials plan to attend ceasefire talks on Thursday. And according to a regional source who spoke with CNN. The talks are set to take place either in Doha, Qatar, or Cairo, Egypt.

Over the weekend, Hamas issued a statement urging mediators to implement the ceasefire plan put forward by U.S. President Joe Biden and the U.N. Security Council last month.

Talks come as the U.S. is sending a guided-missile submarine to the region in anticipation of possible attacks by Hezbollah and Iran on Israel.

CNN's Pentagon correspondent, Oren Liebermann, has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: It's rare that the Pentagon talks publicly about its submarine fleet. The ballistic missiles subs, the guided missile subs, the fast attack subs. They all operate in near complete secretly.

So it is a big statement when Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and the Pentagon publicly announced that the USS Georgia, a guided missile submarine is headed to the Middle East as the U.S. prepares for an Iranian attack on Israel and perhaps a conflict that could spark a wider region in the war.

This is very much in and of itself a message of deterrence to Iran and its proxies but it's more than that. To this point, the U.S. has described its force movement in the region as quote, "defensive in nature."

But guided missile submarines that are armed with land attack, cruise missiles and anti-ship missiles are not defensive. They are offensive weapons with powerful ways of attacking adversaries. That's the threat the U.S. is putting on the table by publicly talking about the movements of the USS Georgia.

It is a warning to Iran and its proxies that the U.S. has significant forces in the region and should Iran decide to escalate the situation, the U.S. may well be prepared to use those forces.

But it's not just the USS Georgia. Austin also ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, which was in the Pacific Ocean just a couple of days ago, to speed up on its way to the Middle East. And that will add even more to the U.S. forces already there.

[00:35:10]

There's the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group. There's an amphibious ready group in the Mediterranean Sea, additional fighter squadrons, including advanced F-22 fighters. All of that already in the Middle East as the U.S. prepares to see what Iran and its proxies will do and on what scale they decide to act.

Oren Liebermann, CNN in the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Even a chat about the weather seems off limits in North Korea. In a moment, it might be extreme rain and flooding, but according to state media, Pyongyang, All is well. And besides, Kim Jong Un is there. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: New research has found cancer deaths among men could nearly double worldwide by the year 2050 from almost 5.5 million in 2022 to 10.5 million. Cancer cases could also surge by 84%. Most of the increases are expected in men 65 and older.

Researchers in Australia analyzed cancer cases and deaths from 30 types of cancer in 185 countries and territories to make that prediction. They believe countries with lower income and life expectancy will be hit hardest, especially in Africa and the eastern Mediterranean.

North Korea is trying to recover from weeks of heavy rain and flooding. Don't worry. Leader Kim Jong Un is there, a savior according to state media. He's been meeting with displaced families to bring some aid and promising housing to the thousands who've been affected.

But with the regime shrouded in secrecy and Kim rejecting any foreign assistance, the question now is how much devastation is the world not seeing? Here's CNN's Will Ripley.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On his emerald green bulletproof train loaded with supplies from the capital Pyongyang, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is portrayed as a hero on state TV, traveling to areas devastated by flooding.

Record rains left entire towns and villages underwater, just miles from the Chinese border in the northwest of the country.

State media reports thousands of evacuations, but no deaths, a claim impossible to verify with no foreign aid organizations allowed in.

Kim delivering a defiant speech from the rail car carrying his armored limousine, declaring with confidence North Korea is fully self- reliant. Rejecting all offers of international aid, even from allies China and Russia, at least for now.

Some fear Kim's deepening military partnership with fellow strongman Vladimir Putin could be giving his economy and confidence a boost. Russia effectively vetoed United Nations sanctions monitoring earlier this year, opening the door for illicit trade, the U.S. says, perhaps emboldening Kim to shut the door on international aid and diplomacy.

LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: We are prepared to have an open dialogue with the North Koreans without preconditions. We want to pursue diplomacy.

[00:40:05]

RIPLEY: U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield, visited the Korean Demilitarized Zone this spring, telling "OUTFRONT" at the time any top-level meeting, like Former President Trump's summits with Kim, would require lots of legwork. THOMAS-GREENFIELD: Before any meeting like that could happen, we have to have engagements at other levels.

RIPLEY: Trump signaling he'd be willing to engage directly with Kim if re-elected.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I got along very well. North Korea, Kim Jong Un, I get along with him. He'd like to see me back too. I think he misses me.

RIPLEY: Vice President Kamala Harris taking a decidedly unfriendly stance during her visit to the DMZ in 2022.

KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: In the North, we see a brutal dictatorship, rampant human rights violations, and an unlawful weapons program that threatens peace and stability.

RIPLEY: Kim blasted South Korean media for speculating about massive flooding casualties, calling it a smear campaign from a dirty, rubbish country. North Korea even tried sending another round of trash balloons, following South Korea's offer of humanitarian aid. South Korean media reports shifting winds blew all but 10 of them back.

South Korea's unification ministry accuses Kim of trying to shift focus away from the devastating flood damage, visible even in these carefully edited state TV images.

This is what North Korea wants the world to see. Kim visiting flood survivors living in tents under the sweltering summer heat as many wonder what state media is not showing. How many people may be suffering for the sake of self-reliance?

Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: New detail from a retired NASA mission has found evidence of underground water reservoirs deep beneath the Martian surface. The water apparently trapped in tiny cracks and pores of rock in the middle of the Martian crust. Scientists believe there may be enough water to fill oceans on the planet's surface.

Enough there for Elon Musk and his friends.

I'm John Vause, back at the top of the hour with more CNN Newsroom, but first, "World Sport" starts after a short break.

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