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US-Israel War On Iran; NBA Finals; French Open. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired June 08, 2026 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Last week, we understand there was frustration that Netanyahu was going to strike the capital, Beirut. Now he pulled back from that after President Trump told him to. Now clearly this time around, he hasn't pulled back from it and this is what we're seeing, this escalation here.

But we're also seeing frustration among Lebanese leadership that Iran is trying to tie them in with this greater US-Iran deal. CNN's Christiane Amanpour spoke to the president just and I want to play you a part of that interview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEPH AOUN, LEBANESE PRESIDENT: Our people being killed, our people be, our houses being destroyed. They are using Lebanon as a bargaining chip in their negotiation with the United States. It's unacceptable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS: Now, we also heard the US President in a number of different Sunday interviews talking about Lebanon. He said to Fox News that he is not happy about strikes in Beirut, even at the same time as he's telling the FT that he is calling the shots when it comes to the Israeli prime minister. But what we're hearing still from the Israeli military is that they have every intention to continue their operations in Lebanon. Let's listen to that sound.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EFFIE DEFRIN, IDF SPOKESPERSON (through translation): The regime is attempting to create a new equation by carrying out direct fire toward our territory in response to IDF strikes in Dahiyeh. We will not allow this. The IDF will continue to operate throughout Lebanon and will intensify its actions against the Hezbollah terrorist organization.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS: And it'll be interesting to see what the US President says later today. We know on Friday he had claimed that there was progress being made when it came to Lebanon. There was this cease fire agreed between Israel and Lebanon that the US had mediated, which Hezbollah rejected.

They said they weren't part of it. They said it was a one-sided agreement. But this really has become a major sticking point Lebanon when it comes to the US trying to secure this deal with Iran.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: And on the prospect of a wider US-Iran deal. The US President has said in the past couple of days, I'm in the final stages of that deal. It's a good deal or agreement. I mean, of course we have heard this before from the US President.

But I just wonder what we have just seen over the past 24 hours where that leaves the prospect of any agreement as early as this week.

HANCOCKS: There's been no one more optimistic about the prospects of an Iran deal than Donald Trump himself. This has not been replicated by Tehran. We've heard from the foreign minister saying there are no formal negotiations. There are messages being exchanged back and forth, but there's no significant progress.

And yet over the past few weeks, we have seen this shifting timeline from the US President saying there will be a deal by next week, there will be a deal by the weekend. We're now hearing there will be a deal by later this week. So the optimism really does seem to be focused by the US President and not shared by others.

It's hard to see how this wouldn't have an impact on the on the wider US-Iran deal, but of course, it really depends on what happens in the hours to come. Whether this is an isolated escalation in these strikes or whether it can be brought back and held back somewhat.

ANDERSON: I mean, I think it's fair to say, and this is, you know, Donald Trump has said this himself that, you know, effectively and I paraphrase him here because he wouldn't use this language, but he wants to see the end of this conflict. I mean, one shot of it to a degree. I mean, there is a -- if you look at the sort of sequencing of events and his schedule, the World Cup kicks off, excuse the pun, on Thursday. This week is Donald Trump's 80th birthday.

Next week, there's a big UFC fight as part of the celebrations for Independence Day, the 250th anniversary of US Independence on July 4th. We see oil prices higher by nearly 5 percent today. That isn't going to look smart when the US markets open, although I have to say, I mean, US markets are looking mixed. The indication certainly from the futures markets indicating a mix open, which perhaps is a slight surprise given that what we've seen here.

But certainly it does appear that Donald Trump, you know, wants to see the back of this, but he wants a win out of this. He says he's in control. He says, you know, he calls the shots. Certainly, Benjamin Netanyahu doesn't call the shots. That's the language he used with reporters just over the weekend.

I guess the question at this point is, is this as much a sort of question of wills as it is, you know, anything else? Paula, thank you. Paula Hancocks is with me here in Abu Dhabi.

[04:35:08]

HA Hellyer joining us now from Cairo. He's a Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies, a regular guest for me. HA's insight and analysis is always extremely useful. It's good to have you this morning, HA.

Paula and I just discussing, you know, where what we have seen over the past sort of 24 hours in this region leaves the prospects for any US-Iran agreement anytime soon. Your assessment, if you will.

HA HELLYER, A SENIOR ASSOCIATE FELLOW, RUSI: Thank you so much, Becky. Always a pleasure to be on your program.

ANDERSON: Doesn't look as if --

HELLYER: See here is whether or not the Iranian --

ANDERSON: Keep going.

HELLYER: -- that the United States didn't allow for this attack to actually (inaudible). And I'm not sure that that's actually --

ANDERSON: All right.

HELLYER: -- see in Tehran itself.

ANDERSON: It does sound as if we're having technical issues with HA. Let's see what we can get him back -- Yeah, it does sound as if we're having technical issues. HA, apologies. We'll see if we can sort that out.

Let's get you back to Polo Sandoval first in New York for some other news.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Becky Anderson, thank you so much for leading our coverage there of the war in the Middle East. Let's get folks up to speed on some of our other stories. President Trump planning to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals here in New York City tonight. But the extra security, it also means perhaps more headaches for some Knicks fans. Details on what they can expect just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:40:00]

SANDOVAL: Welcome back. You're watching CNN Newsroom. And with New York about to host its first NBA Finals game since 1999, it's also getting ready for another historic moment.

The first sitting US President to attend an NBA Finals game. Donald Trump's presence at Game 3 between the Knicks and Spurs on Monday night. It will mean even tighter security at the Madison Square Garden venue.

A retired federal agent is standing by to assess the security measures in place ahead of the game. But first, Gloria Paziino reports some Knicks fans have to change their plans now that the President is on his way.

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's going to look very different outside Madison Square Garden on Monday night, and that's because this area is going to be closed off to traffic and to pedestrians. So we're not going to see the usual scenes of celebration and fans gathering at the game that we have been seeing in the last few games, and that's because the watch party has officially been canceled. The reason for that is the presidential visit.

Trump is expected to attend Monday night's game. And that means there's going to be intensive security protocols going into the event. For anyone who is attending this game, they're being asked to arrive at least two hours early. They will have to go through double layers of security, essentially airport style security. So arrive early, arrive prepared, and just know that this area is going to be very hard to access unless you have tickets to attend the game.

The fact that the watch party is canceled, surely a disappointment for a lot of fans, for a lot of Knicks fans who have been relying on the watch party to watch the games and attend the celebrations. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LANCE THOMPSON, NEW YORK KNICKS FAN: Personally, I think it's kind of a shame. I really would like it, you know, because we've been waiting for this for, like, how long? And, you know, a lot of people can't afford to get into the game, I'm one of those people. So I was actually looking forward to going to one of these watch parties.

MALLY WIGGERTON, NEW YORK KNICKS FAN: This is a monumental day in New York City and you're going to cancel it. It's all right, we going to find a way, OK? If you guys know real New Yorkers, we going to find a way.

ROSS MEYERSON, NEW YORK KNICKS FAN: And, you know, like, he could say he's a native New Yorker, but he doesn't live here and he's kind of pooped on us for a while and, you know. So, like, I think this is our time and he's distracting from our time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't need that negativity. We need nothing but positive vibes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: Now this massive law enforcement presence that we expect to see tomorrow, we're seeing it today. Barricades have already been put in place. All of this is going into effect just a few days of another major security event happening in the area. And that is, of course, the start of the World Cup happening in New Jersey, in the Tri State Area and other host cities around the country.

Law enforcement officials working on the security plans for over a year they've been preparing for what is expected to be an unprecedented moment in terms of the challenges and the demands for public safety. Gloria Pazmino, CNN, New York.

SANDOVAL: Our thanks to Gloria Pazmino. Joining me now is retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent Richard Kolko. Richard, it's always great to have you. Thank you for joining us.

RICHARD KOLKO, RETIRED FBI SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT: Thanks, Polo. Glad to be back.

SANDOVAL: So, Richard, you just heard inglorious report, there is no shortage of disappointed Knicks fans that won't have the opportunity to be as close as possible to the action as they have been for the first two games. But overall, you know, given your law enforcement expertise, do you think it's a good idea to block off access to the streets and sidewalks around Madison Square Garden?

KOLKO: Well, in reality, Secret Service, NYPD, FBI, they've got a, they've got a game plan themselves for this kind of event. Happens all the time, as you know, in New York, presidents, world leaders are always visiting. You have the United Nations General Assembly, so they're used to these big type events where these folks show up.

There will be a lot of inconvenience for the people, But what they're looking forward to is the game. But right now, this early in the morning, they're already staffing it up. You heard that some of the roadblocks are already being set up. Police, law enforcement, Secret Service are checking the area out. They're looking for any suspicious cars, suspicious people.

And if there's any threats online, they're already tracking them down. So it's already a very, very busy time.

SANDOVAL: It is such a busy part of Midtown Manhattan. I can only imagine what it's going to look like tomorrow. And that's why authorities are recommending people that show up with at least two hours before the start of the game, especially for some of those folks who may not necessarily be prepared for those waits.

And given the previous threats that we've seen on President Trump's life, Richard, give us a sense of the enhanced security measures that will be in place come game time.

KOLKO: Well, they're both visible and invisible. There's a lot of things going on. The Secret Service has a very active intelligence division. They're tracking down every threat that might exist out there.

They're scouring online. They're checking sources. They're knocking on doors. If somebody's made some sort of threat, you can trust that Secret Service or NYPD, or FBI, if it's in a local area, is knocking on doors.

[04:45:04]

But it could literally be anywhere around the world that these threats could come from. There may be people that are doing some sort of recruiting, looking for somebody to go there and cause some havoc. So they're tracking all that down.

They're down now. Cars are out driving, unmarked cars, unmarked officers are looking for any suspicious people. This wouldn't necessarily be the kind of thing if somebody was going to carry something out that they would do at the last moment, they would already be setting up as well. So the command post at the Secret Service, at FBI, at NYPD, they're already up and running.

You'll have SWAT teams, negotiators, medics, snipers, counter snipers, weapons of mass destruction teams, canines, the bomb sniffing dogs. Everybody's going to be out and about wherever the President is going to land. The route has already been secured. There is so much going on, cameras being monitored, things that you don't see.

But that's what it takes to make sure that this goes off safely. Because as we heard from some of the viewers, they might not have been happy about this visit, but everybody wants it to be safe.

SANDOVAL: Now, we were showing where you're speaking to Richard. We were showing our viewers the incident at the White House Correspondents Dinner. That's a reminder of just some of the security measures that are in place that quickly activated at any sign of any potential danger.

And I do have to ask this. If the series makes it to game six, which my Knicks fans will say they won't even entertain that. But if game 6 is played at the Garden on June 16, that would be the same day that there's a World Cup match that's scheduled in neighboring New Jersey. So, what are authorities doing to make sure that they're not stretched thin?

I mean, you mentioned the NYPD experience and their over 33,000 law enforcement personnel that they already have ready to move.

KOLKO: Well, they've already been planning for a year, as we've heard, so they've got those people, personnel and efforts place. I'm sure the budgets are going to be severely stretched with overtime from law enforcement, firefighters, many other people that are involved in this, providing the security for these special events.

Happens each time right around the corner is again that UN General Assembly. Always another very, very busy time for law enforcement. But tonight is going to be crazy. We'll see what happens. If there's a game 6, you got Yankees and Mets that are playing baseball. I mean, it's always a busy time in New York City.

I was an FBI agent in New York City. This is all happens. The people that run this for the FBI, they're called the special events coordinators. They work with Secret service, work with NYPD. So they are always busy and it looks like 2026 is going to be an even busier year.

SANDOVAL: But you're in Virginia now, so you're in neutral territory mask, who you'll be rooting for, Richard?

KOLKO: I grew up in about 80 miles from New York City as a Mets, Jets and Knicks fans. So I am very hopeful that the Knicks will go on to win this and I'm pleasantly surprised they're up 2-0. I didn't quite expect that coming out of Texas up 2-0, but hoping they continue to head down that trail.

SANDOVAL: They have been nail biters and there's certainly so much energy in the city right now and there will certainly be --

KOLKO: Who are you pulling for? Who are you pulling for, Polo?

SANDOVAL: All right. You're asking a proud Texan that very happily lives in New York City. But I would say that I do suspect that the Spurs could be on the brink of elimination this time tomorrow, but we'll see.

KOLKO: All right.

SANDOVAL: Richard Kolko, always a pleasure. Thank you so much for your analysis.

KOLKO: Thanks.

SANDOVAL: Also there's a new lawsuit that hopes to stop an ultimate fighting match on White House grounds next week. The suit claiming that the fighting ring that's being built at the site is not authorized without congressional approval. The event is billed as part of the nation's 250th birthday celebration, but it will happen on Donald Trump's 80th birthday.

A weigh in for the fighters, it is set for a day before at the Lincoln Memorial. A lawsuit plaintiff and retired Air Force Sgt. Paul Romano said in a statement, "The Lincoln Memorial is sacred ground, and it honors everyone who has ever worn this country's uniform. Using it as a backdrop for a for-profit cage fight so the President and his friends can make money is a desecration."

And for a long while now, Alexander Zverev has actually been considered one of the best tennis players to ever -- to actually never win a major title. But that time may be over. Details on the way.

[04:49:49]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANDOVAL: This is a great story here. The kindness of a stranger in Maryville, Tennessee, it has helped generate a small fortune for an elderly movie theater employee.

Twenty-one-year-old Brooke Greene (ph) posted this video on TikTok questioning why an 85-year-old woman, Mary Erin (ph), was still hauling trash at her age. Greene (ph) later encouraged her viewers to donate to a GoFundMe account that could help Erin retire.

Well, the initiative went viral and has already raised more than $146,000. When presented with the outpouring of support, Aaron became emotional, saying, I'm overwhelmed and certainly blessed by the Lord and you wonderful people. That's great. And just like women's finals, Just like the women's final, the day before Sunday saw a first Grand Slam champion crowned at the French Open. Here's CNN's Don Riddell.

DON RIDDELL, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: They say the best things come to those who wait, but it has been an agonizing wait for the German tennis player Alexander Zverev. However, he can now finally say that he's a major champion.

On Sunday in Paris, Zverev played in what was his fourth Grand Slam final and he likely knew he'd never have a better chance with the biggest stars knocked out or injured. His opponent was Italy's Flavio Cobolli, and the one-sided opening set suggested this could easily be Zverev's day.

[04:55:00]

But once Cobolli's nerves had calmed down, he made the best of it, winning the second set and then the fourth with a superb forehand here down the line. So now it was all to play for in a decisive fifth set. If Zverev had any concerns that another one might slip through his fingers, he didn't show it. Regrouping and storming the set by six games to one. And his emotion was absolutely palpable.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEXANDER ZVEREV, 2026 FRENCH OPEN MEN'S CHAMPION: This court is so special to me in so many ways. I've had the best moments of my life on these courts, I had the worst moment of my life on these courts. I was laying in that corner over there four years ago with seven broken ligaments and two fractured bones. I lost a Grand Slam final here two years ago, but now, finally, it's a happy end.

And I just want to say thank you to everybody because, to be honest, we've been through so much. We've been through injuries, we've been through heartbreak, we've been through losses. We've been losers at times as well, in the most important moments. But at the end of the day, we're Grand Slam champions now, and that's what counts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIDDELL: You know, I said it had been an agonizing journey. Zverev just mentioned how painful it was. This was the scene in 2022, and it took him a long time to recover from that. He was sidelined for seven months.

Let's talk about the heartbreak. He's lost the US Open Final, that was in 2020. He's lost the Australian Open Final to Jannik Sinner. He was a French Open semifinalist three years in a row, and then he lost the final here to Carlos Alcaraz.

But this is where the story ultimately led, finally, a Grand Slam champion. His career has been impressive. He's also an Olympic champion, but it was always missing a little something until now. Well played, Sascha Zverev, back to you. SANDOVAL: Thank you, Don. And from Becky Anderson and I, thank you so much for watching. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York, our coverage continues with CNN THIS MORNING with Audie Cornish.

[05:00:00]