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U.S., Iran to Hold High Stakes Nuclear Talks; 2026 Winter Olympics Officially Opens in Milan and Cortina, Italy Today. Aired 3- 3:45a ET

Aired February 06, 2026 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of you watching us around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is "CNN Newsroom."

The U.S. and Iran negotiating on Iran's nuclear program while a massive U.S. military build-up is in the region.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy teases more meetings to be held to end the war with Russia in the near future.

And the Guthrie family releases a new plea for the whereabouts of their mother, telling the writer of an apparent ransom note, "we want to hear from you."

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: The U.S. and Iran have begun their high-stakes nuclear talks in Oman with the host nation mediating the sessions, that's according to Iranian state media. The Iranian delegation arrived a short time ago, led by the country's foreign minister. The backdrop for the meeting is a massive U.S. military force sent to the region, and President Trump has threatened new strikes on Iran if there's no nuclear agreement.

And as if to send a message, as the diplomats gathered, Iran's state- run T.V. announced the deployment of what it called the country's most advanced long-range ballistic missile. Iran's Supreme Leader said earlier that a U.S. strike would lead to a regional war.

CNN's Paula Hancocks is monitoring those developments from Abu Dhabi as she reported a short time ago, the two sides aren't on the same page yet about what they'll talk about.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the two sides are sitting down for talks, the first time since last year, when we saw the U.S. and Iranian officials talking, just before Israel carried out those strikes against Iran, and then the United States became involved as well.

So it's certainly critical that the two sides have agreed to get this far and to be sitting down together in Amman, in Muscat. Now, as we understand it, there are still some discussions as to what exactly they will be talking about. Even the agenda appears to be up for grabs.

We've heard from the U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. He has said that the agenda will be the nuclear program of Iran, the ballistic missile program, the mistreatment of its own people, and also sponsoring terrorist organizations around the region.

What we've heard from the Iranian side, according to state-run media, is that they only want to talk about the Iranian nuclear program and that they want to see some of the sanctions being lifted against them. So even before we see these talks begin, there is disagreement as to what the main substance should be.

But it does come at a time when there is significant U.S. military presence and build-up in the region. We have heard the U.S. President Donald Trump saying to NBC News in an interview that the supreme leader of Iran should be, quote, very worried. We've heard from Iran saying that if there are any U.S. military strikes against the country, against its personnel, then there will be significant retaliation also against U.S. personnel and assets in the region, and that it would end in a regional war.

So we're seeing some very strong rhetoric from both sides. But we are seeing them both sit down to negotiate in Muscat today.

Now we've also heard from the White House spokesperson, Karoline Levitt. She has said that the first option for the U.S. President is diplomacy. But of course we are hearing as well some very bellicose statements from President Trump, which really started once the anti- regime protests started in Iran, they started at the end of December, and we have heard consistently the U.S. President saying that help is on its way, saying that they support these protests.

But certainly as far as we understand it, these talks today will specifically focus on the nuclear program. If the U.S. gets its way, also on the ballistic missile program. So it will be watched very closely, certainly in this region, but also around the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: And in the past hour, I spoke with Ali Fathollah-Nejad, the founder and director of the Center for Middle East and Global Order, and I asked him what the chances are of getting any kind of deal if the two sides can't even agree on what to negotiate. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALI FATHOLLAH-NEJAD, FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR MIDDLE EAST AND GLOBAL ORDER: It's going to be really difficult. So we're basically back to square one. Remember that last year when we had several round of negotiations

between the United States and Iran prior to the June 12-day war, we've had the same kind of controversies.

[03:05:08]

In fact, the Iranians want to focus any negotiations with the United States on the nuclear deal only because they don't want to see any limitations, mostly on their ballistic missile program.

The third area of contention, which is Iran's support for the proxies, is also of concern to the United States and regional states. But on two fronts, actually, Iran is really weakened, which is on the nuclear front with the devastation by U.S. bombs during the June war of Iran's nuclear sites and with the proxies that was decimated at the hands of Israel in 2024. So the main area of contention really is the limitation to the ballistic missile program.

BRUNHUBER: You say they're back to square one. At least they are talking, though the atmosphere, as we heard, there are so heated, strong rhetoric on both sides making these sort of military moves or talking about this as they're sitting down to talk. I mean, what does all of that tell you about where this is really headed?

FATHOLLAH-NEJAD: Well, we're really at a historical juncture. We don't have to forget the context in which these round of negotiations are happening.

First of all, we have this historic massacre perpetrated by the Iranian state against this nationwide revolutionary protest wave that we've seen over the last few weeks, which saw tens of thousands of Iranians being killed by their own state. So the Islamic Republic, given also the other crises that it has been chiefly responsible for, that it has to deal with, and most notably the economic crisis, is really feeling the heat from its own population.

Secondly, we have this considerable military buildup from the United States in the region. And just as last week, the Iranian representative said that they were not willing to negotiate under military threats, but it seems that they are ready to do so because they feel the heat also from the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the U.S. say they will meet again soon after they wrapped up two days of peace talks in Abu Dhabi.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the next meeting will be held in the near future. He hopes they can bring about a lasting peace. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Further meetings are planned, most likely in America. We are ready to take part in any working formats which can really bring peace closer and make it sound and lasting. Such a peace that deprives Russia from its appetite to pursue the war further.

It's important that the war end in a way so as Russia is not rewarded for aggression. This is one of the key principles that are reinstating and guaranteeing real security.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff says Kyiv and Moscow each returned 157 prisoners of war to the other side. It's the first prisoner swap since last October. Witkoff also announced the U.S. and Russia have agreed to reopen a military communications channel, it's been closed since late 2021, a few months before Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine.

All right. I want to bring in global affairs analyst Michael Bociurkiw, joining us from Phuket, Thailand. Good to see you again, thanks so much for being here with us.

So the second round of these talks just wrapped up. Many of the comments coming out of it are saying, you know, there was progress, though a skeptic might say that we've been hearing that for some time now. I mean, any sense whether that's more true now?

MICHAEL BOCIURKIW, GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST, AND FOUNDER OF "WORLD BRIEFING" ON SUBSTACK: Yes, good to be with you again, Kim.

Well, you know, when I was with the Organization for Security Cooperation in Europe and we came out of meetings, including with the Russians, we would always say there was progress that is diplomatic speak sometimes for nothing has moved forward. And I think it's pretty fair to assume that in these meetings, the Russians continue to dig their feet in, especially on the issue of territory.

They want Ukraine to give up control of as much as four oblasts, oblasts which they only partially control. And meanwhile, they're still continuing, as you know, that almost daily barrage of drones and powerful missiles on Ukraine's infrastructure. So if that's the complexion or face of a party that's interested in peace, well, could have fooled me.

So it doesn't look good. And understandably, Ukrainians back home are very disappointed and tired at seeing this happen.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. Interesting to hear your interpretation of that diplomatic speak probably quite accurate in this case.

You mentioned it as always, the territory question, the big sticking point. As you say, Russia wants Ukraine out of parts of Donbass that it still controls. Keep saying no to that.

I mean, that is the issue here. How do you see that getting resolved?

[03:10:05] BOCIURKIW: Yes, well, I don't. And it is a position of that President Zelenskyy can't really budge on because he knows very well that folks back home, there's no one that hasn't been touched by the war in Ukraine, especially with the loss of a loved one.

So with so much blood spilled, don't forget we're heading into year five, Ukrainians will be unwilling to accept that and as they should, because let's remind everybody that this was an aggressor that illegally took Ukrainian land, including Crimea way back in 2014, and continues to use its own troops at great losses, but also very heavy weaponry to gain more territory.

So this won't be resolved easily. And another big sticking point, of course, is the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, very crucial to Ukraine's infrastructure and something that the U.S. is interested in. Maybe they'll come to an agreement on that where it's under U.S. and Ukraine joint control.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, that seems like it might be easier to resolve in terms of the security guarantees. Another tough sticking point, talking about possibly European peacekeepers being part of a deal, but Russia's rejecting any Western troops in Ukraine. I mean, where do you think that leaves the security guarantee piece of this?

BOCIURKIW: Well, Kim, not an easy one, of course, but I'll tell you something.

This is something the E.U. can do today or tomorrow, and that is to stop their purchases of Russian energy. You know, every year that shadow fleet of Russian ships pumps about $150 billion a year into the war machine. And since February 2022, Europe has bought about almost two hundred billion of Russian energy.

So they've given almost two hundred billion in aid to Ukraine. But at the same time, they've purchased the same amount of energy from Russia. Now, of course, you can't just do that overnight, it'll cause a lot of pain.

But if the West cuts off the financial flow to the Russians and at the same time gives Ukraine the ability to strike deep inside of Russia, for example, German tourist missiles, that'll put a big chokehold on the Russians. And then I believe they will be more flexible at the bargaining table.

BRUNHUBER: We only have a minute left, but I did want to ask you about something else that you have written about growing concern about Russian satellites allegedly intercepting communications, jamming signals in space. I mean, how does that fit into the sort of the broader picture of what Russia is doing right now?

BOCIURKIW: Pretty unbelievable, isn't it, that Russians hybrid warfare has is extending all the way into space. And this is the Europeans saying this. So now you have a hybrid warfare on the ground, in cyberspace and in space itself. Yet we're seeing hardly a peep come from NATO. So I think if NATO

wants to not only retain its credibility, but also push Russia back from these incredible advances that they've done, it will make a big difference.

But I don't know, Kim, if we have the political will in European capitals, especially in Brussels, to do that. But if they don't, they're going to be paying a lot more later on in terms of pushing Russia back.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, so I guess so much on their plates. One more thing to deal with.

Michael Bociurkiw in Phuket, Thailand. Thank you so much for speaking with us, I appreciate it.

BOCIURKIW: My pleasure. Thanks for having me.

BRUNHUBER: U.S. forces have struck another alleged drug trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific. U.S. Southern Command says two people were killed on the vessel, which the military says was operated by terrorists. No U.S. personnel were harmed.

At least 119 people have now been killed in U.S. strikes on boats as part of Operation Southern Spear, which aims to curtail narcotics trafficking. The Trump administration's produced little evidence that the boats actually carried drugs.

The U.S. will be providing millions of dollars in humanitarian aid to Cuba as it attempts to choke off the country's oil. The U.S. State Department announced six million dollars worth of aid that will be distributed through a network of Catholic charities.

The Trump administration has disrupted oil supplies to Cuba from Venezuela. Last week, it threatened tariffs on nations that export oil to Cuba.

Well ransom notes, a missing doorbell camera and a new plea from the family of Nancy Guthrie. We'll have an update on the investigation into her disappearance. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: A renewed plea for the return of missing woman Nancy Guthrie, the second in two days from her family. Her son, the brother of T.V. news anchor Savannah Guthrie, released this message on Thursday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAMERON GUTHRIE, SON OF NANCY GUTHRIE: This is Cameron Guthrie. I'm speaking for the Guthrie family. Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you. We

haven't heard anything directly. We need you to reach out and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward.

But first, we have to know that you have our mom. We want to talk to you and we are waiting for contact.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: The sheriff fronting the investigation says he believes Guthrie is still alive. According to the FBI, the ransom notes mentioned deadlines, at least one of which has passed. But there's no evidence the ransom demands are authentic.

Meanwhile, the sheriff has confirmed that blood found on the steps of Guthrie's home belonged to the 84 year old. We're told her doorbell camera was removed.

[03:20:00]

Fallout from the final release of the Jeffrey Epstein files is continuing to grow. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing pressure to step down over his former U.S. ambassador's close ties to Epstein. Our Melissa Bell has more.

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DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: It was a conspiracy against me, literally by Epstein and other people. But I think it's time now for the country to maybe get on to something else.

MELISSA BELL, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): But the rest of the world is not moving on with the British leader now fighting for his political survival. Prime Minister Keir Starmer apologizing on Thursday to Jeffrey Epstein's victims.

KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I am sorry. Sorry for what was done to you. Sorry that so many people with power failed you.

TRUMP: Beautifully stated. What a beautiful accent. I'd like to have that accent.

PETER MANDELSON, FORMER U.K. AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: My mother would be proud.

BELL (voice-over): Keir Starmer's former ambassador to Washington, Peter Mandelson, at the center of the political firestorm.

STARMER: It had been publicly known for some time that Mandelson knew Epstein. But none of us knew the depth of the darkness of that relationship.

BELL (voice-over): London's Metropolitan Police launching a criminal probe into allegations of misconduct. When Peter Mandelson was business secretary back in the late 2000s, but the Prime Minister's judgment is also now under scrutiny. STARMER: I regret appointing him. If I knew then what I know now, he would never have been anywhere near government.

BELL (voice-over): Given the fallout, there is also the question of what Epstein was doing and why. The Polish government is now investigating whether Russian intelligence services may have been involved.

DONALD TUSK, POLISH PRIME MINISTER (through translator): It is highly probable that this was a premeditated operation by the Russian KGB. This so-called honey trap, a sweet bait, a trap set for the elites of the Western world, primarily the United States.

BELL (voice-over): Allegations the Kremlin has dismissed as a waste of time, even as the fallout continues, consuming also the reputations of European royalty. Norway's crown princess Mette-Marit expressing embarrassment for her close friendship with Epstein and the former Prince Andrew, further disgraced by the latest revelations and now evicted by his brother, King Charles from Windsor.

Revelations that may cost Mandelson his title to Starmer has called for legislation that would strip the man once known as Labor's Prince of Darkness of his peerage, making Lord Mandelson plain old Peter.

Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: Charles, have you pressurized the police to start investigating Andrew?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Well, it was Britain's King Charles being heckled about his brother, Andrew, over the Jeffrey Epstein files. Police escorted the man away. Andrew, of course, has been in the spotlight since the latest release of the files by the U.S. Justice Department. A new detail suggests the former prince maintained regular contact with Epstein for more than two years after he was convicted of child sex crimes.

We'll be right back with more here on "CNN Newsroom." Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Now to some breaking news just into CNN, we're getting reports that a high level Russian general has been shot and wounded in Moscow. I want to go live now to Moscow and CNN senior international correspondent Fred Pleitgen, who joins us on the phone. Fred, this just new. We don't have many details, but what can you tell us?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on the phone): I think you're absolutely right. This is still the early stages of this investigation. But we do know that this comes from the task agency speaking of the Russian investigative committee that's in charge of all this.

And they said the lieutenant general in question is Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev of the Russian Defense Ministry. And now they have opened the case as they put it into the attempted murder of a high ranking defense ministry official. And they say all that's happened in the early morning hours of today in a place called the Volokholmskaya Highway in Moscow, that's one of the main highways in the northwest of the city leading into the city.

And the way we have to imagine this is it's a very large, very wide highway that usually has residential buildings, high rises on either side, sort of residential areas. And it appears as though in one of these places, we're not exactly sure which one this has happened.

And the investigative committee says an as yet unidentified individual fired several shots at a man, namely this general, and then fled the scene. They say the victim was hospitalized.

One of the things that we have to keep in mind with that, the investigative committee is saying they don't know who was behind this yet. But this city, just like many parts or most parts of Russia, has a lot of surveillance cameras, CCTV footage cameras. And the Russians are saying that they are reviewing the footage from CCTV cameras in that area and then also interviewing eyewitnesses as well.

And of course, you know, Kim, we've been reporting about such cases really over the past year and a half. This is not the first time a top level Russian military official, a general, has been killed in the Moscow area. There was a bombing about one month ago, a car bomb that killed a general.

[03:30:06]

Then at the end of 2024-2025, there was also a major bombing in another place in Moscow, also using a car bomb as a top general of the Russian defense ministry left his residential building. So certainly this is not something that is new to the Russians, especially since they started, but they still call their special military operation, of course, that being the war efforts in Ukraine.

It's certainly something the Russian authorities have been looking out for in the past. They blamed the Ukrainian before such attacks but clearly at this point in time, we're still early in the investigation. It's unclear who was behind this, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, it'll be interesting to see whether this complicates peace talks, if there are any Ukrainian links, which, as you said, in the past, Russia has been very quick to make.

We'll have to leave it there. I appreciate you giving us all the details that we have at this point. We'll stay on top of the story.

Fred Pleitgen in Moscow, thank you so much.

Well, a community in western Nigeria is starting to bury its dead after one of the area's deadliest attacks in months. Authorities in Quara State said seventy five people are confirmed dead after the gunmen stormed the village of Wado Tuesday night.

But that number could be as high as one hundred seventy villagers say the attackers were jihadists who demanded locals abandon the Nigerian state and switch to Sharia law. And when people resisted, witnesses say the militants opened fire.

Torrential rains swamped southern Portugal, prompting more flood warnings on Thursday. Some restaurant terraces were completely underwater. People stacked sandbags in front of doors to protect their homes and shops.

Authorities say at least one person was killed after his car was swept away on a flooded road near a dam. Leonardo is the latest storm in a wave of half a dozen winter storms to hit Portugal and Spain since the start of the year.

And in southern Spain, police had to rescue a family and their pets from the rising floodwaters. Crews are also searching for a woman who was swept away in the fast moving river as she tried to save her dog. Heavy winds that accompanied the storm were strong enough to knock down a flower sculpture from Seville's historic cathedral.

Across Africa, football is more than just a sport for some young boys and girls. It's a pathway to opportunity. Egyptian billionaire Sir Mohamed Mansour and his right to dream academies are giving young Africans the tools to succeed, whether they become professional players or chart an entirely different future.

"Connecting Africa's" Eleni Giokos has traveled to one of his academies to see how this model is transforming lives on and off the pitch.

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ELENI GIOKOS, "CONNECTING AFRICA" HOST (voice-over): With every dribble, pass and kick of the ball, these teenagers are aiming to score big in football and beyond. It's all thanks to the help of Mohamed Mansour's right to dream.

GIOKOS: So this is where the magic happens.

MOHAMED MANSOUR, CHAIRMAN, MANSOUR GROUP: This is where the magic happens in training.

GIOKOS: Yes. GIOKOS (voice-over): Participants live on this expansive right to

dream campus. The program takes a holistic approach to provide top notch academics, athletic training and character development lessons. Its goal is to set each child up for success both on and off the pitch.

MANSOUR: The problem with some of the academies around the world is that once you join an academy and you don't turn out to be one of the top players, then you're sidelined and you don't know what to do. But in right to dream, it's all about teaching, you know, education as well as sports because it's a very competitive sport. If you don't succeed and be one of the top players, you have the education route that you've got and you could excel in education.

GIOKOS (voice-over): Right to dream has long been a pillar in Africa's sports industry. It opened its first center in Ghana in 1999. Four years ago, the Mansour family acquired the program.

It has also expanded into North Africa with the addition of this campus in Egypt.

MANSOUR: We currently have on campus in our program, 53 boys, 16 girls, and we've had four boys graduate into our international academy program and four boys in our educational pathway program. So we've seen a total of 77 come through the right to dream academy, whether currently in the facility or graduates.

GIOKOS (voice-over): Breaking barriers, the program gives equal opportunity to boys and girls across Africa.

MARIAM ABOUHEGAZY, HEAD OF THE WOMEN'S AND GIRLS' PROGRAM, RIGHT TO DREAM EGYPT: I believe right to dream has raised the standards for women's football in Egypt and even in Africa. The Mansour women's team being the first fully professional team in Egypt and raising the standards for what girls and women are given to compete in the sport they love.

MANSOUR: So thank you very much. And I salute you all and wish you all the best of luck. And it was great meeting you.

And let's go win. OK.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[03:35:09]

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BRUNHUBER: All right, this is your Business Breakout. Let's check some of today's business headlines.

[03:40:02]

New U.S. labor statistics show that job openings sank to their lowest level since the pandemic in 2020. The number of available jobs fell in December for the third row in a month to an estimated 6.5 million. News of the weakening labor market pushed the Dow, the Nasdaq and the S&P to close down more than one percent.

The artificial intelligence tool that sparked a tech sell off in the stock market this week just got a big update. But now tech giant Anthropic claims it has improved its co-work A.I. assistant with a new model said to work better at the office and with coding, tech companies are racing to build A.I. platforms for future workplaces. But it's not clear if the investments will pay off, stocks in legal and financial analysis software have plunged in recent days.

Well Trump administration's highly anticipated prescription drug platform is now up and running, TrumpRx.gov will connect patients with drug makers selling certain products directly to those who want to pay cash and forego insurance. It remains to be seen how much savings the site will offer, with some medications selling for the same price at local pharmacies.

All the Winter Olympics opening ceremonies are just hours away in Milan and Cortina, Italy. 29,000 athletes from more than 90 nations will compete. And for some events, all we've already seen, the games are already underway.

Now, the U.S. women's ice hockey team roundly beat the Czech Republic in their opening match. And the final score in that one was 5-1. And curling matches are also well underway.

More on the Olympics, last hour, I spoke with Tracy Holmes, who's with "The Sports Ambassador" podcast and Substack, and I asked her, among other things, what we might expect from the opening ceremonies later today. Here's what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRACEY HOLMES, "THE SPORTS AMBASSADOR" PODCAST AND SUBSTACK: Well, I think if you can go on the past record of the ceremony director, whose name is Marco Balic, he put on a very eclectic show back in 2006 when he was basically the master of ceremonies for the opening event there.

In Torino, he had Formula One cars whizzing around, he had Pavarotti singing. Yoko Ono was there. There was a rendition of "Imagine" by John Lennon.

And so I think you can expect maybe, you know, again, he will appeal to all of the senses in a way that appears to be quite ad hoc for many. But there's a method to his madness. And he said that the theme of the opening ceremony tonight will be all about harmony, which is much needed in today's world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Yes, should be fascinating. Can't wait to see that.

And that wraps this hour of "CNN Newsroom," I'm Kim Brunhuber. World Sport is next, and then stay tuned for Early Start with Rahel Salomon. And that is starting at 5:00 a.m. in New York, 10:00 a.m. in London.

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(WORLD SPORT)