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Iran's U.N. Envoy Thanks Qatar For Mediating Ceasefire; Gaza Health Officials: 49 Aid Seekers Killed Over 24 Hours; Zohran Mamdani Poised To Win Democratic Primary For New York City Mayor. Aired 5:30- 6a ET

Aired June 25, 2025 - 05:30   ET

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

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[05:30:25]

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: This is CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi. Let's check today's top stories for you.

And U.S. President Donald Trump doubling down on his claim that U.S. strikes totally obliterated Iranian nuclear sites. He defended the strikes as he spoke to reporters at the NATO summit in the Netherlands a short time ago. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also praised and thanked President Trump for his decision to launch the strikes on Iran.

Well, CNN has learned that U.S. strikes did not destroy the core components of that nuclear program. Sources say an early U.S. intelligence assessment suggests the program was likely only set back by months. One source also says enriched uranium was moved before the strikes.

Well, the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, meantime, appears to be holding. People across Israel are heading back to work and school and resuming their day-to-day lives as air raid alerts have now fallen silent. Iran's president says he won't violate the truce unless Israel does.

Well, Iran's U.N. envoy has thanked Qatar for its role in mediating the ceasefire. At a security council meeting on Tuesday, Amir-Saeid Iravani said, "I wish to sincerely that our brotherly and friendly nation the state of Qatar for its sincere and diplomatic efforts to help end Israeli aggression, establish a ceasefire, and prevent further escalation of regional tensions that threaten peace and stability in the region."

Remember, Monday, the day before that, Iran fired missiles at U.S. air base in Qatar. On Tuesday, Qatar's prime minister said relations with Iran have been scarred by that attack but that he thought they would recover over time.

Well, let's get more now on Qatar's role in what has been a turbulent few days. Joining me live from Doha is Majed Al-Ansari, spokesperson at Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It's good to have you, sir. I very much appreciate your time.

It was the amir of Qatar who ultimately secured Iran's agreement for this ceasefire, and Iran thanked him for brokering that deal.

Can you just explain what the terms of that deal are because the detail is very scarce?

MAJED AL-ANSARI, SPOKESPERSON, QATARI MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS: Well, as you rightly said, Becky, this came at a very difficult moment in the relationship between us and the Iranians.

This came after the first attack ever in Qatar's history -- a missile attack of such magnitude. And thankfully, our men in uniform were able to defeat this attack with 18 of the 19 missiles downed before they hit their targets and only one hitting an -- a place where there is absolutely nothing on the ground. So we're very proud of our men in uniform over this and our capabilities that were shown.

Although this was the first attack, it was very clearly what we needed in order to deter any threat that is coming in from the outside. And that is exactly the moment where we received the call from the United States -- Al-Thani received the call from President Trump telling him that a deal was possible between Israel and Iran, and he asked Qatar to play that role. And this is where our machine started working immediately.

There was a call the next morning between his highness and the president of Iran where he, first of all, apologized for the attack and wanted to ensure that he did not want to put Qatar in harm's way. And his highness made it very clear to him that such an attack will not be accepted. That this goes against everything that has to do with the neighborly relations which we have had with Iran. It will not go unnoticed in the relationship between the two countries.

But we chose at that moment -- when we had all options on the table, we chose the pathway to diplomacy that would get the results done. That would get us out of the regional escalation. And we've said from day one that this regional escalation will reach us all.

The Israeli attack on Paks, which is 200 kilometers away from our offshore facilities -- the attack on Al Udeid base, the Qatari base that houses more than 10,000 U.S. servicemen and women were both threats to our country that would never have existed if it wasn't for this escalation that has taken place.

And the ability to reach the ceasefire -- which is, as I said, thankfully is still holding -- is very important for all of us in the region.

ANDERSON: Majed, how much notice was Qatar given about these Iranian strikes on the U.S. air base? And what's your response to these reports suggesting that this was somehow coordinated with Qatar?

[05:35:00]

AL-ANSARI: Well Becky, I can tell you very clearly. Of course, there were intelligence information coming in about possible strikes on bases that house U.S. servicemen and women in the region as a whole, as we have seen in Iraq and Kuwait and other places in the region. And that, of course, would include Al Udeid.

So immediately we took precautionary measures by evacuating the base because our main priority was the safety of our people, the safety of the people who work on the base, and the precautionary measures were put in place. Our air defenses were deployed and were absolutely ready.

But that doesn't mean that it was not a surprise. It was unprecedented and we did not expect the Iranians to do this at the same time that we are helping them with a lot of their regional issues through mediating between them and Israel, and them and the U.S. We always operated with Iran in good neighborly policies.

And as the prime minister said, this is a scar on the relationship between us and Iran, but we are willing to go forward because our choice, our leadership's choice was always whatever that can be done to secure regional security.

ANDERSON: We all know that Donald Trump, the U.S. president, has said that he wants a grand deal, not just a ceasefire.

Are you expecting a potential path forward on Israel-Hamas talks as part of this grand deal that Trump has pressured into existence? And what's the thinking at this point on a -- on U.S.-Iran talks? There's two files there that I really want to get to the bottom of.

AL-ANSARI: You know, Becky, facing our own challenges we are undergoing 10 different mediations right now in Qatar and all around the world, including the talks between Iran and the United States and Hamas and Israel.

If you read the statement issued yesterday by the minister of foreign affairs of the GCC who meet here in Qatar in solidarity with Qatar after the attack, they mention very clearly that they hope that the success in brokering a ceasefire between Iran and the United States mediated by countries from the region and supported by the U.S. president would also provide avenues for another deal between Hamas and Israel to end the bloodshed in Gaza.

The situation in Gaza -- I mean, it's now rhetorical to just say that it is inhumane. We are seeing the catastrophe go on unnoticed around the world at a time when there are 2.3 million people dying out of hunger, minutes away from food and facilities that would be able to treat them.

And therefore this is the time now for President Trump to push forward and we believe that he is sincere about it and his team with Steve Witkoff is sincere about it, and we are willing to help on that. As you know, we have been talking to all sides all through the past couple of weeks, including the past couple of days, to see if we can use the momentum created by the ceasefire between Iran and Israel. But, of course, the efforts are still ongoing. ANDERSON: The prime minister said Tuesday that Qatar hopes indirect Hamas-Israel talks can take place in the next two days. We've just heard from Donald Trump who is at the NATO summit. When asked, he said he was hoping for something very, very soon. So there's hope, it seems, but there's also a very specific timeline.

Is that timeline realistic from the prime minister, for example?

AL-ANSARI: It --

ANDERSON: And what does this deal look like that they will be discussing?

AL-ANSARI: You know, Becky, in our line of business you have no other option than to be hopeful. And while, as I said, the talks are still ongoing and we are still trying to get the positions of both sides closer and are still trying to convince both sides to get into talks again. We remain in contact with all sides in order to get to that reality.

As I said, there was momentum created by the ceasefire between Iran and Israel but we -- we're not out of the woods yet. And there are a lot of details that I can't discuss right now about the deal in place. but I can tell you that it's the same parameters that keep going in and out of the talks, which we are trying to find that sustainable process that would bring us to lasting peace in the region not only to ceasefires that last for a short period of time.

ANDERSON: It's good to have you, Majed. Thank you very much, indeed, for your time. Majed Al-Ansari is in Doha.

And we will be right back.

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[05:43:50]

ANDERSON: Aid distribution sites in Gaza are turning into scenes of deadly chaos. Palestinian health officials say dozens were killed by Israeli fire over the course of a day.

CNN's Nada Bashir has more. But first, a warning that this film that you are about to see does contain some graphic imagery.

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NADA BASHIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): At least 49 people have been killed in aid distribution sites, all while waiting for aid trucks across Gaza over just 24 hours, according to Palestinian health officials.

On Monday, Gaza's health ministry said at least 21 people had been killed by Israeli fire while waiting for aid just south of the Netzarim Corridor near a distribution site managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The controversial aid organization backed by the U.S. and Israel has

been mired in tragedy and deadly chaos with multiple instances of civilians being killed trying to obtain lifesaving aid. Though on Monday, the organization claimed that aid operations had proceeded smoothly.

The Israeli military has said it is reviewing reports of injuries sustained as a result of IDF fire in the area.

[05:45:05]

Meanwhile, in Khan Yunis, distressing video obtained by CNN shows civilians being rushed to hospitals, wounded while attempting to secure aid elsewhere, according to health officials.

Those who do survive the desperate search for aid still face crippling hunger. The U.N. has repeatedly voiced serious concern and cited that one in five people in Gaza now face starvation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language).

TEXT: I have lost my children. I have lost my family. I have been displaced. I wait for the food. I'm a human who needs to eat. I want to eat but I have no food or water. Everyone is exhausted. We wait and surrender ourselves to death. We came here to die.

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ANDERSON: Well, Kenya marking a grim anniversary. It's been one year since protests against a controversial finance bill turned deadly. And protesters are on the streets again today, including in Nairobi.

CNN's Larry Madowo is there and joins us live with the very latest -- Larry.

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thank you. We're back in the streets exactly a year since we saw the killings outside Parliament. When I reported on these people who were shot, I don't say allegedly because we were there and saw security forces shooting unarmed civilians.

And what you see today is hundreds of people already in the streets of Nairobi who are back to complain about police brutality. And Kenyan police have turned this into what looks like a war zone with tear gas, with flash bangs, with all sorts of violent looking scenes.

What they're singing now is which means (INAUDIBLE), which means battle, and they say it will always be a battle.

Unfortunately, whenever this happens police begin to fire tear gas. And what you see back here is police trying to make sure that they don't gather in the city. Police have cordoned off the area of Parliament completely so that protesters don't make (INAUDIBLE).

What you see over there, police firing tear gas indiscriminately turning the city of Nairobi into what looks like a war zone. And this is nothing to do with these largely peaceful protesters. They're carrying flags. They're carrying banners. They're saying to police they don't need to be killed. But increasingly, the police react in violent ways.

We're just going to get out of the way here for the -- for the ambulance. Whenever we see these ambulances it's usually a sign that they are probably taking somebody who has been shot by the police. We've seen a few people who have been shot today using live rounds, even though police are literally supposed to protect the people. But that's not what we're seeing.

Last year -- last week during protests against police brutality we saw more instances of police brutality. A street vendor selling masks was shot at pointblank range and is currently fighting for his life.

That's why a lot of these young people are out here. They feel that the government of President Ruto does not listen to them.

(INAUDIBLE)

ANDERSON: Stay safe. And we want to mention all those around you. Stay safe. Larry, we will get back to you as the -- as the day moves on. But Larry Madowo there at demonstrations -- anti-taxation demonstrations. It seems remarkable that it was a year ago now that he and I were talking and similar -- in similar scenes which, of course, at the time turned deadly.

Well, a 33-year-old state assemblyman has moved to the brink of a stunning win the Democratic primary for New York City mayor. Details on that after this.

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[05:53:30]

ANDERSON: Well, assembly member Zohran Mamdani is on the brink of a stunning win in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor after former Governor Andrew Cuomo conceded the race on Tuesday night. But since Mamdani's first round support is below 50 percent, that race will be formally decided by ranked choice votes that will be announced starting on July 1.

CNN's Isaac Dovere has more.

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EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, it's a stunning win for Zohran Mamdani, the 33-year-old assemblyman who came from well behind in this race just a couple of weeks to have a major upset win over Andrew Cuomo, the former governor trying to come back.

He ran on a campaign of affordability. Of making New York less expensive for the working people here and he says across the country who need a different message from Democrats.

But it was also a race that tapped into a desire for change and a real rejection of Cuomo not just because of his sexual harassment scandal that made him resign from office in 2021, but of representing to a lot of Democrats who voted in this primary a voice of the past.

Let's take a listen to how Mamdani talked about it.

ZOHRAN MAMDANI, (D) NEW YORK MAYORAL CANDIDATE: We have won because New Yorkers have stood up for a city they can afford. A city where they can do more than just struggle. One where those who toil in the night can enjoy the fruits of their labor in the day. Where hard work is repaid with a stable life.

[05:55:13]

DOVERE: Now, Mamdani is the Democratic nominee with Cuomo conceding. This race will go into a general election in November with at least two other major candidates, including the incumbent Mayor Eric Adams running as an Independent.

Isaac Dovere, CNN.

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ANDERSON: Well, thank you for joining us. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi. "CNN THIS MORNING" is up next. Don't go anywhere.

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