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U.S. Envoys Headed to Pakistan for Fresh Iran Talks; Israeli Operations in Lebanon Draw Comparisons to Gaza; Prince Harry Visits Ukraine, Tests Military Equipment; High Resale Prices for World Cup Tickets Draw Criticism. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired April 25, 2026 - 04:00   ET

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

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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Welcome to all of you watching us around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.

U.S. officials are preparing for talks that Iran says it hasn't agreed to. We have a live report from the Middle East with the latest.

A ceasefire is in place in Lebanon but Israel and Hezbollah continue to clash. We'll have a look at how Israeli operations there are drawing comparisons to Gaza.

Plus, Prince Harry calls for the U.S. to do more to end Russia's war on Ukraine. President Trump is responding just ahead of a major royal visit to Washington.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: We're getting mixed signals about whether to expect a second round of peace talks between the U.S. and Iran this weekend in Pakistan. Iran's foreign minister is there meeting with mediators but his spokesperson has denied direct talks are planned with U.S. representatives.

The White House says Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected in Islamabad today. Vice president JD Vance is on standby to fly out if there's movement in the negotiations.

Meanwhile, the U.S. continues to enforce its blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. The military released this photo appearing to show a destroyer intercepting an Iranian flagged ship. I want to bring in CNN's Leila Gharagozlou in Abu Dhabi.

So Leila, lots of confusion, as I said. Bring us up to speed on the latest.

LEILA GHARAGOZLOU, CNN PRODUCER: Yes. So, as you said, Abbas Araghchi, the foreign minister is in Islamabad. And Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are also expected to be there. The Iranians have been very clear that these are going to be indirect talks. They've said that the Pakistanis are going to be mediating in between.

They're going to be sending messages through the Pakistanis. So things really have not moved forward. I would say, in some ways, they've even moved back to where we were before this war even started.

Now the fundamental issue for the Iranians hasn't changed. They still have their red lines around their missile program, their nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz. And they're not sounding particularly optimistic now in terms of mixed messaging.

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt made a much more optimistic, struck a much more optimistic tone. Take a listen.

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KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president has decided to dispatch special envoy Witkoff and Jared Kushner back to Islamabad. The Iranians want to talk; they want to talk in person. And so, the president is, as I've said many, many times to all of you, always willing to give diplomacy a chance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GHARAGOZLOU: Now for the Iranians, this fundamentally comes down to trust. There's very little trust between the Iranians and the Americans. The Iranians have said time and time again that they have been burnt by the Americans. They have no faith in these talks.

They don't know if, when the Americans come, particularly when they come without JD Vance, if they're being serious. So that is why they're coming in quite cautiously.

Now we're going to have to see what happens in Islamabad. But given the complex level of issues that they have, it's very unlikely that we see something tangible come out of this beyond just a general framework.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. All right. We'll following -- we'll be following this to see if there are any developments. Leila Gharagozlou in Abu Dhabi, thank you so much.

Well, questions are swirling around Iran's leadership ahead of potential talks with the U.S. President Trump said on Thursday his administration doesn't know who the leader is in Iran.

He claimed on social media that infighting between Iran's hardliners and moderates has led Tehran to a very hard time figuring out who their leader is. The White House says it believes it knows who inside Iran would sign off on a final deal to end the war, even as U.S. officials detect internal divisions within Tehran's negotiating team.

Adding to the uncertainty, Iran's new supreme leader has been conspicuously absent. Mojtaba Khamenei hasn't been publicly seen or heard from in more than six weeks after he was announced as the country's new leader.

Instead, statements attributed to him have been read out on national television or posted on social media, including AI generated videos. So for more on this, I want to bring in political scientist and founder and director of the Center for Middle East and Global Order, Ali Fatollah-Nejad.

Thank you so much for being here with us.

[04:05:00]

I really appreciate it. I want to start off, if you can, trying to answer that question that president Trump asked. I imagine there isn't one simple answer.

But the question is who is actually running Iran right now?

ALI FATOLLAH-NEJAD, FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR MIDDLE EAST AND GLOBAL ORDER: Well, I believe that the one entity that is calling the shots in Iran is primarily the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC.

That is the prime military organization that is also in control of the bulk of Iran's economy and who has been part and parcel as the Praetorian Guard of the regime, of the power center before the start of the war.

But now, with the war, their standing has been certainly elevated. But it doesn't mean that IRGC in itself is also a monolith.

BRUNHUBER: OK. So that would explain perhaps some of the mixed signals that the country is sending. I mean, just one example. We heard Iran's foreign minister declare the Strait of Hormuz was open. And then the IRGC basically overruled him within hours.

So what does that tell us about how much authority Iran's civilian officials actually have at this point?

FATOLLAH-NEJAD: Well, first of all, it's clear that the government that is headed by president Pezeshkian is not playing an important role. Pezeshkian has never been a part of the power center in Iran.

Now within the IRGC, I believe there are different camps. Even Araghchi, the foreign minister has an IRGC background. the chief negotiator from the Iranian side during the first round of talks with the United States in Islamabad, also has an IRGC background.

Ghalibaf, the speaker of parliament, was an IRGC navy commander. But there is also another camp, that, you know, is composed of the new generals into, you know, after the reshuffling of the power structure, after there have been important military decapitations and who view diplomacy with more skepticism.

So there is an -- there has been some kind of a factional infighting between a kind of pro diplomacy camp, but still connected with the IRGC, and another one that has been skeptical and also skeptical vis- a-vis Ghalibaf, that he might abuse the situation to elevate his own standing in Iran's domestic politics.

So there is some kind of infighting going on.

BRUNHUBER: All right. So you're describing these camps and factions that have these different views on diplomacy. Some of them are hardliners, some of them are more centrists who have a more positive view of diplomacy. Some of those things are quite specific in terms of the personalities that you're describing.

But I was talking to an expert in the region yesterday and she said this dueling, good cop/bad cop thing from Iran's leadership isn't new. They've been doing that for years.

What's your take on that?

FATOLLAH-NEJAD: No, that's absolutely true. I mean, this is not new. So one should not exaggerate the divisions because, after all, they are part and parcel of this same regime. They're, you know, also part and parcel of the IRGC.

But still there are different, you know, different ideas how to go about diplomacy. There are different, you know, for instance, the more hardline camp is seeing that Iran is winning the war. So this should be translated into onto the negotiating table so Iran could get maximalist, you know, concessions out from the United States.

Whereas the other one may be more realistic. So there are divisions but it doesn't mean that, you know, they are totally, wide apart from each other because, they do have the same kind of interests in having the main pillars.

The Islamic Republic is still there. They're going to -- they're both going to rely on the iron fist of repression against their own population. They have this kind of revolutionary belief of power projection. They want to rely on Iran's missile program, on the nuclear program, on Iranian regional proxies. So there are a lot of commonalities.

But since we're, you know, talking about a lot of subjects and each of those subjects had a lot of nuances, the question is, what is Iran going to do on the negotiating table?

And this is a matter that is, in my view, not settled yet.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. Well, let's end on that because I mean, the one sort of, you know, amongst all of this that we haven't really talked about all that much, is Iran's supreme leader, Khamenei.

You know, do you think that he has a lot of say in what's going on in terms of those negotiations?

Because there are reports that that basically there is only one person, Iran's commander is only -- the only one who has access to him.

[04:10:00] So how much input do you think he is having in all of this?

And what implications does that have for the for the negotiations?

FATOLLAH-NEJAD: We don't know, of course, for sure how his health is. But we can assume that he's severely injured and he, as like his father, has -- have had a very close relationship with the IRGC.

And I believe that the messages that we've seen from the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, being read on state TV, for instance, have been basically drafted by the top generals of the IRGC. So this is, I think, you know, how the current power structure in Iran is really working, with -- given the health conditions of Mojtaba Khamenei.

BRUNHUBER: All right. We'll leave it there. Really appreciate getting your expertise on this. Ali Fatollah-Nejad, thank you so much.

FATOLLAH-NEJAD: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: The fighting persists between Israeli forces and Hezbollah in Lebanon, despite the extension of a ceasefire. The Israeli military says it struck Hezbollah rocket launchers on Friday, a day after the three-week ceasefire extension was announced. And Hezbollah says it targeted an Israeli armored personnel carrier.

Israel's prime minister says his country will continue striking, quote, "any threat" in Lebanon as the terms of the ceasefire allow all necessary measures in self defense.

Hezbollah says the agreement, quote, "has no meaning" due to Israel's continuing attacks. Israel's operations in Lebanon are drawing comparisons with how its military conducts itself in Gaza. CNN's Jeremy Diamond reports.

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ISRAEL KATZ, ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER (through translator): All houses in villages near the border in Lebanon will be destroyed. According to the Rafah and Belt Hanoun model in Gaza. In order to permanently remove border area threats from the residents of the north.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: After leveling homes, neighborhoods and entire cities in Gaza, Israel is exporting that model to Southern Lebanon.

Razing civilian infrastructure in towns and villages near the border to carve a buffer zone out of Lebanese territory, which the Israeli military says is aimed at distancing Israel's northern residents from the threats posed by Hezbollah.

But in one town after the next in Southern Lebanon, rows of homes have been flattened, shops torn to the ground, entire neighborhoods erased.

Over six weeks of war, the Israeli military systematically demolished the town of Aita al-Shaab, now practically wiped from the map. Along this street in the border town of Adaissah, which once held a pharmacy and auto repair shop, one building after the next has been reduced to rubble. Even the local mosque was not spared.

Steps away, an excavator and alongside it, a multi-story building, not yet destroyed. To Hassan Rammal, it represented plans for the future. A building he erected in his hometown, apartments on top with shops on the ground floor.

It had been partially damaged in a previous Israeli strike. Construction was underway just one month before the current war broke out. Those dreams dashed the moment that Rammal saw this video confirming the worst.

HASSAN RAMMAL, RESIDENT OF SOUTH LEBANON (through translator): Somebody sent me images and I saw that the building I was renovating has been destroyed. I felt that the hope that once existed had diminished. For you to build, only to be demolished. Build, demolish.

DIAMOND: There are countless stories like Rammal's in South Lebanon, a Shia majority area where many, like Ramal, support Hezbollah. In the town of Bint Jbeil, fierce fighting with Hezbollah militants soon gave way to controlled demolitions, razing the city's old quarter and buildings beyond.

Such massive destruction of civilian infrastructure is considered to be a violation of international law and a potential war crime. The aftermath is both apocalyptic and yet terrifyingly familiar, revealing the same kind of systematic destruction Israel carried out to create a buffer zone in Gaza.

And like in Gaza, the fragile ceasefire in Lebanon doesn't mean Israel will cease demolitions. Israeli officials say they will continue. In videos filmed by nearby residents post ceasefire, the ruins of this Lebanese village give way to more destruction.

Excavators working to tear down more buildings. Lebanese communities within this roughly five-mile wide buffer zone now controlled by Israeli troops are facing more of the same.

[04:15:00]

That buffer zone means Rammal hasn't been able to return home but he remains defiant.

RAMMAL (through translator): Israel can say whatever it wants. There will not be a further buffer zone.

DIAMOND: And refuses to give up on his dreams of homecoming.

RAMMAL (through translator): This land is dear and precious. Even if we only build a tent I will return, so I can smell the sole of my village. This is my village. Until I buried there, until my last breath.

DIAMOND: Jeremy Diamond, CNN.

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BRUNHUBER: All right. We're showing you live images there of Gaza. Palestinians in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza are heading to the polls this weekend in the enclave's first vote of any kind since 2006.

Palestinian officials say the city was chosen because it suffered less damage than most other parts of Gaza. Roughly 70,000 people are eligible to vote at a dozen polling centers, including makeshift sites and open fields and tents.

It's part of Palestinian municipal elections happening simultaneously in the West Bank. Analysts say Gaza's first election in two decades is seen as a barometer of public opinion on Hamas.

Prince Harry continues his tour of Ukraine. After the break, the messages he's sending the U.S. and Russian leaders about the war.

Plus, how much would you pay to go to the FIFA World Cup final?

Next, the staggering amount some resale tickets are fetching online and the response from fans. Those stories and more coming up. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Ukraine says Russia has launched a wide scale attack overnight, primarily targeting the city of Dnipro, as well as critical infrastructure. It's the largest assault in recent months, involving more than 600 drones, nearly 50 missiles. That's according to Ukraine's air force.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy says at least four people have been killed and more than 30 injured. Rescuers have been searching for people thought to be buried under the rubble. People were also wounded in Kyiv and Odessa. Romania reported the debris from a Russian drone even damaged property there.

Earlier on Friday, it was a day of celebration after a prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine secured freedom for 193 prisoners of war for each country. The Ukrainian soldiers cheered and hugged each other once they got off the buses in their homeland.

President Zelenskyy said some of the soldiers had injuries, while others were facing criminal prosecution in Russia. Russia's state-run Tass news agency credited the United States and the United Arab Emirates for mediating the swap and bringing 193 Russian soldiers back to their motherland.

Meanwhile, Britain's Prince Harry continues his visit to Ukraine. He toured the capital city of Kyiv, where he tested military equipment, including drones. I want to bring in CNN's Barbie Latza Nadeau from Rome.

So Barbie, take us through this visit, what the prince has been saying and president Trump's reaction.

BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. You know, this was an unannounced visit. And Prince Harry said that he was going as a fellow soldier. You know, we saw those images of him flying the drones. He also visited an anti-land mine organization.

That's something that was, of course, very dear to his mother, Princess Diana. He also gave some unsolicited advice, first to the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, telling him it was time to stop the war.

And he also gave advice to the U.S. administration, telling them that they should do more. And that's not something that really sat well with the U.S. president Donald Trump. Let's listen to what he had to say.

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TRUMP: Prince Harry?

QUESTION: Yes, sir.

TRUMP: How's he doing?

How's his wife?

Please give him my regards. OK?

No, no, I don't know. I think I know one thing, Prince Harry is not speaking for the U.K. that's for sure. I think I'm speaking for the U.K. more than Prince Harry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NADEAU: And, you know, Kim, I mean, it is true that Prince Harry does not speak for the royal family. And it's also true that the royal family generally does not wade into politics.

But one thing that he does align with is the support that his father, King Charles, has for the Ukrainian people. And all of this comes ahead, of course, of a very crucial meeting by King Charles and his wife, Camilla, to the United States that is scheduled for April 27th. That is seen to be a very, very important state visit indeed. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Absolutely. We'll be following that with interest here in the U.S. CNN's Barbie Latza Nadeau in Rome, thank you so much.

An immigration policy backed by U.S. president Donald Trump has been shot down in a federal appeals court. The administration had been trying to unilaterally remove the right for migrants to claim asylum at the southern border. The three judges rejected the plan by a 2-1 vote, with a Trump appointee the sole judge supporting the president.

The administration is left with two options: either have the case heard by the full appeals court or appeal to the Supreme Court.

And World Cup ticket prices are back in the spotlight after four tickets for the final were put up for resale on FIFA's official website. The price: more than $2 million each.

Tickets for the July 19th final are seated behind one of the goals. Seats just two rows away are fetching a mere $16,000. The lofty prices are adding to concerns about what was supposed to be a more affordable World Cup. CNN's Brynn Gingras reports.

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BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I mean, who doesn't have $2.3 million for a seat in the final of the World Cup?

It's absurd and fans are letting it be heard. I mean, their people are calling extortion. This was a games that was being pegged by FIFA as the most affordable World Cup in history and it's starting to feel like that is anything but the case.

These particular tickets, they're four seats together behind the goal near an exit row on the lower level in that category one ticket. But basically, it's insane. Almost $2.3 million for each of these tickets. To give you a little bit of perspective, for the 2022 final in Qatar, tickets were about $1,600. So a huge difference.

And FIFA does make some money off of this resale marketplace.

[04:25:00]

Fifteen percent comes from the buyer, 15 percent comes from the seller. So they profit 30 percent if that ticket actually sells for that much money.

Now FIFA is just basically saying in response to all this anger about it that listen, don't hate the player. Hate the game. They say this they're just basically going in line with the industry standards that are set in the United States.

This is not the case in Mexico where tickets cannot be sold for higher than the face value or it just got passed in Ontario for Canada's games those tickets also cannot be priced higher than the face value.

So it also kind of gives the U.S. A bad look. So another price tag that we are hearing about that is way higher than what people think it should be, particularly when the World Cup is about fans from all over the world coming to one place to celebrate the game and celebrate their countries -- Brynn Gingras in New York -- back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Well, the first round of the NBA playoffs is heating up in the Western Conference. LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers won in overtime against the Houston Rockets.

King James scored 29 points, including a game-tying three-pointer with seconds left in regulation. The Lakers could sweep the series with a win Sunday in Houston.

The San Antonio Spurs beat the Portland Trail Blazers to claim a 2-1 series lead. The Spurs were playing without unanimous defensive player of the year Victor Wembanyama.

In the east, the Boston Celtics held on to beat the Philadelphia 76ers. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each scored 25 points. Final score Boston 108, Philadelphia 100. Boston now has a 2-1 lead in the first round series.

Finally, a newborn fawn is making her public debut in California. Have a look at this.

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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): The little cutie is the world's smallest species of deer. She was born last weekend at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Now these types of deer are native to South America and will stay small as adults.

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BRUNHUBER: All right. Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Kim Brunhuber. "CNN CREATORS" is next. Then I'll be back with more news at the top of the hour.