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Source: Potential U.S.-Iran Deal Includes More Time To Negotiate; Kyle Busch Honored At Charlotte Motor Speedway Race; California Fire Chief: Crack In Unstable Tank My Reduce Explosion Risk. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired May 24, 2026 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:00]

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

Just moments ago, President Trump insisted that any peace agreement between U.S. and Iran will be a good one, adding he doesn't make bad deals.

Earlier today, in another Truth Social post, the President said, "I have informed my representatives not to rush into a deal in that time is on our side. The blockade will remain in full force and effect until agreement is reached, certified and signed."

On Saturday, the President said an agreement to end the war was largely negotiated, and the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened. But a short time ago, a senior administration official told CNN that no agreement between the U.S. and Iran is expected to be signed today.

Sources tell CNN, the proposed deal is expected to unfold in two phases, with the first focused on Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz to pre-war status, and the second phase involving 30 to 60 days of negotiations over Iran's nuclear issues.

But Iran's state affiliated news agency is disputing President Trump's characterization of the agreement, and says his claims about the Strait are not true and are inconsistent with reality.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond is in Tel Aviv covering reaction from the Middle East and from The White House, our Julia Benbrook. Let's go to you first, Julia.

Bring us up to speed on what we know about the status of these peace talks.

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, a senior administration official tells me that we do not expect to see an agreement signed today, that the details, the specifics are still being worked out and that at this point, it is still not clear if this draft will become a final agreement. This comes just the day after President Donald Trump expressed momentum toward a deal that could be imminent. He said that a deal with Iran had been, "largely negotiated," and that it would be announced shortly, that those details would be revealed shortly. Earlier today, he posted on social media on his Truth Social site, and he said in that that he was in no rush to come to a deal and that he believes that time is on his side. Moments ago, he posted another time about this ongoing conflict. I want to pull that up for you in full now, because in it, he starts by saying, "If I make a deal with Iran, it will be a good and proper one, not like the one made by Obama, which gave Iran massive amounts of cash and a clear and open path to a nuclear weapon." He has been highly critical of the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal.

He did go on to say this, "Our deal is going to be the exact opposite, but no one has seen it or knows what it is. It isn't fully negotiated yet."

So we went from yesterday hearing that it had been largely negotiated to Trump himself, saying today that no one knows what is in this deal. In recent remarks, hearing from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, he did say that some progress had been made over the last 48 hours. He reiterated some of those key points, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz and making sure that Iran does not have access to a nuclear weapon. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: What is the goal here? The goal here, ultimately -- the ultimate goal is that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon. The President has been clear about that. They will never possess a nuclear weapon, certainly not as long as Donald Trump is president of the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: now, as far as what we know about these negotiations, some of the details there, an administration official tells our colleague, Kevin Liptak that Iran has agreed in principle to reopen the Strait and to dispose of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Now, how that stockpile would be disposed of is still a part of negotiations.

And then when it comes to sanctions relief and unfreezing Iranian assets, that would follow only if the Strait reopens, and if Iran follows through on its commitment to negotiate curbs to its nuclear program -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Julia Benbrook at The White House, thanks so much.

Let's go to Tel Aviv now, Jeremy Diamond.

What is Israel saying about this possible deal or even how the President is now saying, you know, it will come when he thinks it is ready.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, it was only a few days ago that the Israeli Prime Minister was telling President Trump that it was a mistake to call off planned strikes against Iran. He was urging President Trump to return to all-out military action against Iran, not to fall for Iran's negotiating tactics.

But now, after President Trump indicated that a deal is nearly done, the Israeli Prime Minister is trying to cast away any notion of daylight between him and the President, insisting that he and President Trump had a good conversation last night, and that both of them agreed that any final deal with Iran must eliminate the nuclear danger that the country could potentially pose.

The Israeli Prime Minister also said that President Trump reaffirmed Israel's right to defend itself against "threats" on every front, including Lebanon and that is notable because on Lebanon, we've heard reports from Iran that Lebanon would be included in an end to the war agreement between the United States and Iran, which would mean an end to Israeli military operations against Hezbollah in that country.

[15:05:10]

But as we have seen during the ceasefire that still technically exists and has been in place for over a month, Israel has retained the ability to strike at Hezbollah, and Hezbollah has also been firing at Israel.

But it is just one of many potential disagreements here in terms of how the United States, on the one hand, and how Iran on the other, are casting this budding agreement.

We have already seen disagreements over exactly how the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened, whether or not Iranian blocked assets would be released to the country at the beginning or only after the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened, and a host of other potential disagreements, which is key because for two reasons.

On the one hand, it indicates that both sides are going to try and cast this in a different light to play to their own home audiences. But on the other hand, it also points to the fact that, as we understand, negotiations are still ongoing over some key wording points in this agreement. It also is a key reminder that this deal is not done yet, and it will not be done until all of the wording is agreed to.

And so, as much as there is significant momentum, a sense that this deal could be reached within a matter of days, it is not done and the whole region is waiting to see whether or not that happens -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Jeremy Diamond in Tel Aviv, thank you so much.

All right, so while the exact details of the proposed plan are yet to be finalized, some Republicans and Democrats have been critical of the emerging deal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): There are a lot of things that need to be explained. And as I have said before, any agreement with Iran that isn't subject to ratification by Congress is going, I think, going to be doomed to fail, just like the agreement we are trying to replace. SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NJ): He has got us in a situation that's worse than it was before, a more extreme regime, the Strait of Hormuz now is a leveraging point for them.

This weak nation has put America in a stalemate, and Donald Trump is being played as a fool that he is for getting us into this in the first place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: With me now to talk more about these developments is Margaret Talev. She is a senior contributor to AXIOS and the director for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship at Syracuse University.

Professor, good to see you. I always like saying that.

All right, so just a few minutes ago, you know, Trump sent out a Truth Social post calling critics of this plan losers. The criticism is coming from both sides of the aisle right now. In fact, the President reiterates that he doesn't make bad deals. But does this look like the U.S. is further away from actually making some sort of deal with Iran?

MARGARET TALEV, AXIOS SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR: Well, if you were tuning in yesterday in the middle of your Memorial Day weekend holiday, you would have seen headlines that suggested there was a deal and it was imminent, and it was about to be announced. And I think if you took a nap on your couch and then dialed back in today, you'd be like, "Wait, what?" So it turns out its not actually as close as was suggested yesterday with the initial announcement. And you are, to your point, seeing some real criticism, not just from Democrats. I think that would be to be expected, especially heading into midterms, but from Republicans who are concerned that this actually, leaves the U.S.' hand weaker against Iran than before the war began.

And so I think I look at this sort of pre-announcement that the President made yesterday in two ways. And the first is, is it going to lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz? A freer flow of oil? And as a result, maybe some relief over the course of the summer for oil and energy prices, because you can't forget about the timing of this. It is Memorial Day weekend.

This is the unofficial start of summer. People are filling up their gas tanks. They are not happy about it. Gas is around $5.00 a gallon. There is the inflationary prices. The war has polled very unpopularly and Republicans are facing headwinds in the midterms.

So I think if the message and even the prospect of a deal creates some at least temporary reassurances for Americans about gas prices, that could be a political win for the President. But this second question is, is this really going to do anything long term to reduce Iran's military posture and especially prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons? And I think even if this deal is inked, that is much more uncertain.

Again, Fredricka domestically, if you ask the average American, what do you know about, the war between Israel and Hezbollah or you know, talk to me about Iran's stockpiled enriched uranium. They are not going to have a lot of depth of awareness.

But if you say, what about gas prices and energy costs? That's a very resonant issue. So there are really two things going on here at the same time and one is domestic politics.

WHITFIELD: Yes, and then of course, we heard from the President today who said there is really no rush. He is not in a rush, you know, to get this deal going.

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So I wonder whether, you know, whether it is about the Iran War or the nearly $2 billion anti-weaponization fund for his allies, the President is now losing. I mean it is visceral. We are seeing it in real time, he is losing GOP support. I mean is this temporary or is this representative of a significant reversal of support when you've got Republicans in leadership on the Hill who are calling it utterly stupid or stupid on stilts?

I mean, maybe some Republicans felt like they were taking a real chance. You know, just look at, you know, Cassidy and Massie taking a real chance speaking out. But now in larger number, you have a lot of GOP members who are saying this is bad.

TALEV: Yes, in some larger numbers, but I think each of the three Republicans you were just alluding to, whether its Thom Tillis in the Senate or Massie or Cassidy -- these are members who are either not running for reelection or who have just lost their primaries at Donald Trump's hands.

And so there are some Republicans in the House and Senate who are feeling emboldened or what is the old cliche about freedom? It is just another word for nothing left to lose, to speak out against him, but you have not seen these like, mass breakaway numbers.

Look at overall polling among Americans, Americans overall, including Independent voters, as well as Democrats have turned against the President on the economy. They don't like the war in Iran. They are frustrated with deflation.

But among the Republican base, you are still seeing a lot of the Republican base sticking with the President, and that has been apparent in these primary campaign strategies that the President has been largely successful in so far to push out Republicans who have turned against him.

So, it is a mixed bag. How many more Republicans will break? I think we will keep watching it, to be sure, a President with lower poll numbers is weaker overall, but his strength in the base has been fairly sustained so far.

WHITFIELD: All right, we will leave it there. Margaret Talev, thank you so much, Professor.

Good to see you.

TALEV: Thanks, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, still to come, Ukraine President Zelenskyy is calling on the world to respond to Russia's massive overnight assault on Kyiv. CNN teams are on the ground capturing the aftermath of this brutal attack.

Plus, the push to redistrict congressional districts raises fresh concerns about minority representation. We will take a look at how this ongoing gerrymandering effort could impact the upcoming midterms.

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WHITFIELD: All right, flags flying at half-staff at the Charlotte Motor Speedway since Saturday morning in honor of the late racing superstar, Kyle Busch. Busch's family announced that the NASCAR Cup series champion died after complications of severe pneumonia that progressed into sepsis.

Busch was scheduled to race at the Coca-Cola 600 today. His car was still unloaded, as you see right there yesterday ahead of the race.

CNN correspondent, Rafael Romo joins us from outside the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina.

Rafael, how is the racing community reacting to this huge loss?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, huge loss, indeed, Fredricka, as you can imagine, a lot of sadness, but also gratitude for everything Kyle Busch did for the sport of racing. This would have been a weekend for Kyle Busch to show the world once again, why fellow racers like Dale Earnhardt, Jr. call him one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history.

The two-time NASCAR Cup series champion, who died Thursday at the age of 41 was set to race in Saturday's truck series event and again today in the Coca-Cola 600 here in North Carolina.

Busch's legacy, Fred, has been honored throughout the weekend here at the Charlotte Motor Speedway by fans, competitors and others. We've seen people waving flags showing number eight, his most recent racing number, and Charlotte Motor Speedway painted Busch's number inside the track itself.

Now, on Saturday, Busch's family issued a statement saying the 2005 Rookie of the Year died from complications of severe pneumonia that progressed into sepsis. The Associated Press reported earlier that Busch was testing out a racing simulator on Wednesday, when he became unresponsive and was transported to a hospital in Charlotte, citing several unnamed sources familiar with the situation.

Fans here at the Charlotte Motor Speedway described today's event as a somber occasion as they reflect on the legacy of the man they admire for his dedication to the sport and his many achievements.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTER SHERRILL, KYLE BUSCH FAN: I mean, it was hard to lose him so unexpectedly. I want everyone to know and respect him. Rowdy Nation. He is someone that will never be forgotten, like Dale Earnhardt. I think that's my generation's loss like that, it is going to be hard to forget. It is going to be hard to continue on with the sport. It is going to be different.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: The Las Vegas native was in his 22nd full season in NASCAR's top division, credited with 63 victories over 762 race starts, which ranks ninth on the all-time wins list. His two Cup Series title came in 2015 and 2019, while with Joe Gibbs Racing, but he had been with Richard Childress Racing at the time of his death.

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Fred as a driver, Busch often reveled in playing the villain and was given the nicknames "Rowdy" and "Wild Thing." We've seen a lot of people here outside the racetrack wearing the Rowdy Nation t-shirt very proudly today, just in honor of the memory of Kyle Busch.

Now, back to you.

WHITFIELD: Yes! He was incredibly loved and admired. All right, Rafael Romo, thank you so much.

Still to come, new fears today in Southern California, where 50,000 people remain under evacuation orders. What officials are now saying about the dangerously unstable tank of toxic chemicals.

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WHITFIELD: Welcome back.

Fire officials in Southern California say they have new information on the unstable chemical tank that is at risk of exploding. Last hour, I spoke with the interim Orange County Fire Chief, and he explained that specialized teams saw a potential crack near the top of the vessel, which lessens the potential for an explosion, he says.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF T.J. MCGOVERN, INTERIM FIRE CHIEF, ORANGE COUNTY FIRE AUTHORITY: After last night, when we had our firefighters in there and get visualizations, we noticed a potential crack towards the top and what that showed us was that it could not be as high pressure as we thought it could with the crack.

We had a reading where one of the triggers went off, so we had to abort the mission. But what we got was significant intel for us to come back and vet and validate that information on that operation we did last night. It was a very high risk, low frequency operation, but we got positive info.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: For more insight on the toxic chemical inside and the threat to the surrounding community, I want to bring in Dr. Elaine Bernal, a lecturer in Chemistry and Biochemistry at California State University in Long Beach.

Dr. Bernal, great to see you.

DR. ELAINE BERNAL, LECTURER IN CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY AT CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY IN LONG BEACH: Good afternoon, Jericka.

All right, so we just learned last hour from the Interim Fire Chief there that there is a crack at the top of this tank, which they say is decreasing the risk by releasing some of the pressure. Do you agree with that assessment?

BERNAL: Yes. And to add to that, as the authorities have been cooling down the tank, that is also an opportunity for the MMA to solidify and then also the MMA as it solidifies, it takes up less volume. So, those two factors do contribute to less pressure within the tank. Therefore, buying time for the authorities to assess properly.

WHITFIELD: So how long does it take for the contents of this tank to solidify?

BERNAL: It really depends on the temperature. This is why I is so important for the authorities, for OCFA, for Hazmat to keep monitoring the temperature. How stable that is, also the pressure because that gives insight as far as how they can respond to what is happening with the tank.

WHITFIELD: What if the temperature doesn't go down significantly? Because yesterday there were peaks of, you know, temperature being in the 90s after it was in the 50s and then we understand that the optimal temperature would be in the 50s.

So if it is, you know, rising at one degree per hour, which is what one of the officials assessments was yesterday, if it remains in the 90s, as you know, today even, is that concerning to you?

BERNAL: I think that -- I think the focus should be what is the trend? Is the temperature increasing? Is it -- does it keep increasing or is it stable throughout the last few days? And also the next few days will be very important to monitor.

WHITFIELD: What will you hope to hear? What needs to be, I guess publicly shared at this juncture. It has been quite a few days. Some 50,000 people have been evacuated. People -- regular folks have kind of expressed their concerns about smelling certain things in the air, looking at their television screens and seeing these vapors. Yet officials are saying, you know, those vapors are not toxins that are escaping. I mean, what needs to be said to allay people's fears?

BERNAL: I think what needs to be said to allay people's fears is to be transparent with the air quality monitoring data. My understanding is that there are 24 air monitors throughout the area, and also to share what is the current temperatures, current pressures and how -- and what the trends are to alleviate the fears of what has been happening with the tank, and to show how it is being stabilized.

WHITFIELD: And what can you say about this chemical? Yes, there is an additive being put in there to cause like a gelling effect to solidify, but what can you tell people about this chemical? To, I guess better inform them about the potential risks involved, especially if it doesn't solidify or I mean, heaven forbid, there is some sort of you know, explosion because, you know, that's one of the worst things that can happen and it is still a possibility, isn't it?

BERNAL: I think what to pay attention to is as this -- so as this process with the MMA being solidified, something to pay attention to is definitely the air quality. MMA is what is called a VOC, volatile organic compound. And then so that creates -- that means that as MMA reacts, it creates vapors.

[15:30:10]

So, it is definitely something for the public to pay attention to, which is important for authorities to release and to continue informing the public of what the air quality is and what those, MMA VOC levels are.

WHITFIELD: Okay. Thank you so much. Very helpful. All very important information. Dr. Elaine Bernal, thank you.

BERNAL: Thank you so much.

WHITFIELD: All right, still to come, after touting gains with minority voters, Republicans are now facing accusations that they are trying to redraw Black political power out of the map. What this could mean ahead of the midterms.

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WHITFIELD: All right, new today, growing bipartisan opposition to President Trump's anti-weaponization fund after the Justice Department announced last week the creation of a nearly $1.8 billion fund giving payouts to those who claim to have been the target of a so-called weaponized government.

Two Congressmen, Republican Brian Fitzpatrick and Democrat Tom Suozzi are teaming up to block it. Suozzi says he plans to force a vote on his bill, predicting it will receive what he is calling overwhelming support.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. TOM SUOZZI (D-NY): Nobody supports this idea, especially in the context of all the problems Americans are facing with the cost of living. They don't want to see a $1.8 billion fund to pay people that beat up cops. So it is wrong. It is stupid. Whatever you want to pick.

But it is our job in the Congress and the Senate and the House to hold the Executive Branch accountable. Now, people have been clamoring for that for a while. I think the dam is finally starting to break the closer we get to the elections, and the more people see that they are going to be held accountable to the voters. The voters don't want this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Turning now to this year's midterms as redistricting wars are threatening a significant, if not historical, loss of political representation for Black Americans. A new CNN analysis finds Republican gerrymandering may push out at least six members of the Congressional Black Caucus, and that could affect states across the South, including Alabama, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida, and the impact could reach more states during the next presidential election.

CNN's senior political analyst, Ron Brownstein is the author of this analysis. He is joining us right now.

So, Ron, great to see you.

You call it the stampede to erase Black majority districts and it is marking a striking contrast to the GOP's claims that after 2024, President Trump contributed to historic breakthroughs among minority voters. So why this reversal?

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes, you know, it was only two years ago that Republicans came out of the election arguing that Trump had engineered a lasting realignment, a multiracial working class coalition. But here we are, heading into 2026, and as you note, after Callais decision by the Supreme Court, essentially eviscerating Section II of the Voting Rights Act, we are seeing the likelihood that at least half a dozen and maybe a little more Black seats now held by Black democrats will be erased, and won in almost all cases by White Republicans.

That would be the single largest reduction in Black political representation in any single election in American history. Even during the violent dismantling of reconstruction in the 1870s and 1880s, the most seats that were lost in any one election was four. And, Fred, what is really important to note is that in the states that are moving to eliminate these minority held congressional seats, virtually all of the population growth in the last 15 years has been among minority citizens.

Texas, Alabama, over 90 percent; Florida, nearly 90 percent; North Carolina, 80 percent; and so what you've got is as many experts, I think see, an uncomfortable echo of the dynamic during slavery and Jim Crow segregation, where southern states are relying on large Black populations to inflate the number of congressional seats and Electoral College votes they get, and then effectively denying them the opportunity to participate in the political process that is an echo of some of the darkest racial injustices in American history.

WHITFIELD: Yes, and this echo and this wave is happening very fast in real time right now. And, you know, I wonder too, you know, recently, longtime Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz announced that she will run in Florida's 20th congressional district, which is majority-minority under the states newly redrawn congressional map.

That apparently is upsetting some Black Democrats, and that really is an understatement. So what potentially is next in this process, whether it is in her run or in her support or lack thereof?

BROWNSTEIN: Yes, so this is a variation on the theme. In most cases, what we are seeing, as I said, in those states, Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Missouri, Texas is Republican legislators unraveling majority Black or majority-minority districts, dispersing their residents into multiple seats where they will essentially be submerged under White conservative votes, and thus the seats will flip from Democratic to Republican and from Black to White.

[15:40:10]

This is a variation on the theme.

In Florida, what happened is Wasserman Schultz's Democratic district in Broward County was essentially dispersed and unraveled and she is moving next door to a majority-minority district that is still more favorable for Democrats.

It is a difficult situation for Democrats in the state, but it is kind of at the periphery of what, you know, it is not the core issue of what is happening.

And by the way, you know, you noted Mississippi and Georgia as states that may go further in this direction before 2028. In addition, there was a hearing last week in the Senate Judiciary Committee where a Republican senator and an analyst for a conservative legal group argue that under the Supreme Court decision, the Justice Department should sue to start dissolving Black majority districts in blue states as well.

So we may be just at the beginning of what could be an historic rollback of Black political representation to a degree that, as I said, is unmatched even during the unraveling of reconstruction and the imposition of segregation in the late 19th Century.

WHITFIELD: Yes, all quite extraordinary.

Ron Brownstein, thank you so much.

And of course, you can read Ron's piece at cnn.com.

All right, straight ahead, could we see an American lift the trophy on the clay of Roland Garros? A preview of the French Open, next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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WHITFIELD: All right, today, the first round is underway at the French Open in Paris and the highest ranking American woman, Coco Gauff, will hit the clay court on Monday to defend her Roland Garros title when she faces off against fellow American, Taylor Townsend.

CNN's sports anchor, Don Riddell is with me.

That is going to be exciting.

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT HOST: For sure.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

RIDDELL: Huge moment in Coco Gauff's career last year when she beat Aryna Sabalenka in the final and Sabalenka is going to be hurting as a result of it.

WHITFIELD: She is on fire.

RIDDELL: Yes, I mean absolutely. But I mean, I think the women's draw is pretty open this year. But honestly, I think Sabalenka must be the favorite. This is the one she wants. She has had a great season. She has won the Sunshine Double and you know, she is just on great, great form.

So yes, I think it is going to be -- it is going to be another good tournament. Rybakina is in there. I think Iga Swiatek who has this four times already. Don't count her out.

It would be great to see if Coco Gauff can defend her title, but i think Sabalenka is probably the favorite.

WHITFIELD: All right, what about the dudes? What are the guys doing?

RIDDELL: Well --

WHITFIELD: Who is in? Who is out?

RIDDELL: I mean, I think a lot of people are just handed Jannik Sinner the title already. I mean, this guy has had an absolutely extraordinary season. I think he has only lost twice. He hasn't lost since February. He has just become only the second man to win every Masters series tournament and he did it six years quicker than Novak Djokovic did.

This is the one he needs to complete the career grand slam. And I think, as I said, everybody is just expecting him to do it partly because he is red hot, but also because his great rival, Carlos Alcaraz, who has won Roland Garros the last two years, is out with a wrist injury and he is also out of Wimbledon, too.

WHITFIELD: Oh my God! So you mentioned Djokovic, he wants it back. RIDDELL: Well so the feeling is that Sinner is just going to have the run of the place. All this situation with one of those two guys being out would normally have been a dream situation for Novak Djokovic, who for years now has been trying to win his 25th Grand Slam title. He is stuck on 24, which is tied for the record with Margaret Court.

WHITFIELD: Still not bad.

RIDDELL: Right, so you would think this is his time because he has been saying in the last few years he can still win big matches. He just can't win back-to-back five set matches. And so he always has had to beat both Sinner and Alcaraz.

Now, Alcaraz is out, so maybe this can be his time. But Djokovic has really struggled this season. He is only -- I mean he has only played one match on clay and he lost it. He has only played three tournaments this season. I think he has just decided, I am going to come into this one cold. But at least fit, fresh, strong and let's see how that works.

It is going to be fascinating to see if he could do it this time.

WHITFIELD: Right, and having a lot of heart, because that's what it takes, too. I mean, if he can envision it, right? You know, if he is coming determined, then maybe, you know, maybe this is his year.

RIDDELL: I mean, I don't want to say this as a sort of middle aged man myself, but Novak Djokovic is no spring chicken anymore.

WHITFIELD: Right.

RIDDELL: So, we will see.

WHITFIELD: Okay. We will. That's very fun. Okay. Can't wait to be tuning in, Don Riddell, thank you so much.

All right, beyond the tough physical demands players face at the French Open, mental fitness also plays a crucial role. Even for Rafael Nadal, whose dominance brought an amazing record of 14 titles at Roland Garros.

Well, now retired, the Spanish tennis legend sat down with CNN's Christiane Amanpour for a wide-ranging interview where he addressed his struggle with the mental pressure and anxiety of battling injuries at the highest level of competition. Here is a look at part of that discussion.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Tell me about the level of anxiety and stress having to go out, for instance, at one point with a bottle of water the whole time, you know, and how you work through that.

RAFAEL NADAL, FORMER PROFESSIONAL TENNIS PLAYER: Probably because I went through a lot of injuries, a lot of pressure, and a rifle moment that I mean, you in some way, you are not able to handle all of this.

And even if, in my mind, I was able to handle all of this, arrive to a point that your mind fails, you know, and that's what happens.

[15:50:18]

So when okay, I always thought that I need to fix things for myself in terms of mental strength. But right from when I was -- my feeling was, okay, I cannot go out on the street without a bottle of water on my hand. So yes, that's a big -- that's a big deal. So I need to find help.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Wow. So revealing. You can watch the full interview on Christiane Amanpour's show 1:00 P.M. On Thursday. And "Rafa" premieres on Netflix, May 29th.

All right, still to come in the CNN NEWSROOM, President Trump says there is no rush to strike a peace deal with Iran, even after calling an agreement largely negotiated. Now, with no deal expected today, what is actually on the table in the latest round of talks.

Coming up next week on CNN, Comedian Craig Ferguson hits the road going coast-to-coast to uncover what it really means to be an American today, exploring the country's chaotic, triumphant and controversial 250-year journey with his sharp insight and signature humor.

Craig Ferguson, "American On Purpose" premieres next Saturday, 9:00, right here on CNN and streaming the next day on the CNN app.

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WHITFIELD: European leaders are responding after Russia launched one of its biggest attacks on the Kyiv region since the beginning of the war.

French President Emmanuel Macron condemned Russia's use of Moscow's new hypersonic ballistic missiles, saying it signifies an escalation; and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the use of the powerful weapon reckless and reiterated Germany's pledge to stand firmly at Ukraine's side.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited civilian areas damaged by the Russian strike and had this to say.

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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: We do it only on military targets. You know, it is about military or drones production on Russia or its energy when they sell energy, you know, they support their Army.

And these are civilians goals -- the museums, schools, just apartments. The museum of Chernobyl, which was built, by the way, on 40th anniversary. It was built just one month ago. So they attacked. They saw this museum. They attacked this exactly to the museums. Just crazy assholes.

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WHITFIELD: Zelenskyy added its vital Russia does not go unpunished from this attack.

CNN's Sebastian Shukla walks us through the bombardment of the capital city.

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SEBASTIAN SHUKLA, CNN PRODUCER: A devastating night for the residents of Ukraine's capital as Moscow launched one of the largest attacks the city has ever seen. Six hundred drones and 90 missiles, including the highly kinetic and powerful Oreshnik cruise missile, one of the deadliest in Russia's arsenal, was launched at the city.

This attack appeared to be a retaliation strike ordered by President Putin that called on his generals to come up with an attack plan following a Ukrainian attack on Moscow claimed struck a college dormitory, killing 18 people. Moscow called that attack a terrorist incident, but last night's attack left at least four people dead and 60 people injured, according to Ukrainian officials, with the focus being of this attack on the capital city.

The brutal nature of these attacks was also captured by CNN's teams on the ground, which speaks to the brutality of the attack with plumes of smoke visible across the city from various different vantage points terrifying the city's residents.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I was so scared. Honestly, I thought it was my last day.

The building shook, my windows were blown out, and only then I started running away. I reached the bathroom to hide myself, at least there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The bathroom is intact, but every other room was destroyed. The windows were blown out together with their frames. If I had stayed in the bedroom, I could have been crushed just like that.

I tried to get out. The doors were blown into the staircase. I had to climb over them. And then I saw the second floor had caught fire.

SHUKLA: Attacks like these are becoming more prevalent as the war in the east in the Donbas grinds to an attritional phase, neither side is able to make small gains, let alone take huge swathes of territory.

Ukraine, though, has been recently able to inflict insane amounts of damage on Russia's oil and gas facilities, with Western Intelligence officials telling CNN that they have managed to wreak billions of dollars of damage on those facilities.

Sebastian Shukla CNN, Berlin.

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WHITFIELD: Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me this Sunday. I am Fredricka Whitfield.

President Trump is lashing out at critics of his emerging deal to end the war with Iran and insisting he doesn't make, "bad deals." Just a short time ago, he vowed in a Truth Social post that, "If I make a deal with Iran, it will be a good and proper one." And he added, "Don't listen to the losers who are critical about something they know nothing about."

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