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Trump: "Very Close" To Having A "Powerful Deal" With Iran; State Media: Xi & Kim Agree To "New Chapter" Of Relations; Growing Frustration Over Sky-High Ticket Prices. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired June 09, 2026 - 04:30   ET

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

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POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. President Trump signaling that the U.S. will be declaring total victory over Iran in the coming two weeks. The President is also vowing that the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports would remain in effect until a final peace agreement is reached.

His remarks, they come as both Israel and Iran say that they have halted strikes on each other. These live pictures out of Tel Aviv where it's about 11:30 in the morning Tuesday. And all of this after the two countries traded missile attacks for the first time since April. CNN's Kristen Holmes with more from the White House.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Trump and the White House breathing a little easier now that it seems the temperature has gone down between Israel and Iran after the two were trading fire during a tele-rally for Senator Lindsey Graham. President Trump suggesting the United States would be declaring victory over Iran within the next two weeks, though, of course, we've heard that timeline before several times over the past 100 or so days.

Now, we were told by a U.S. official that Bibi Netanyahu was planning a more significant attack on Tehran before President Trump intervened over the past 24 hours. President Trump and Netanyahu holding several phone calls in which the President basically told him not to retaliate against Iran. Netanyahu, of course, not heeding that advice and instead retaliating, although sources saying it could have been worse had President Trump not intervened.

Now, while the two sides were going back and forth, President Trump and the U.S. officials that we're talking to continue to stress that they believe they are on the precipice of a peace deal with Iran. But one thing that is incredibly clear right now, although the United States entered into this conflict side by side with Israel, President Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the two men, their clear objectives are not the same when it comes to this war.

[04:35:08]

And it seems as though we've come to somewhat of an inflection point as they diverge on what they want to see come out of all of this. President Trump continues to maintain that he wants to see no strikes. He does not want U.S. involvement in any kind of military involvement in Iran. Well, obviously, that's not what we're seeing on the Israeli side here. Again, U.S. officials saying they believe that they are close to a deal with Iran. That is something that we have heard now for weeks.

Kristen Holmes, CNN, The White House.

SANDOVAL: And in a CNN exclusive, a top Iranian official has said that he doesn't see, "serious will from the U.S. to reach a framework deal." We shared part of the conversation with Ebrahim Azizi earlier this hour. Well, he also told CNN that he has no problem pushing forward with peace talks with Washington. And that's as long as the U.S. is acting in good faith. Azizi spoke to my colleague Fred Pleitgen. A reminder that CNN operates in Iran only with the permission of that government, but maintains full control, editorial control over its reports.

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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: President Trump also says that an agreement between Iran and America is close for peace. Do you agree that it's close? And are the negotiations still going on?

EBRAHIM AZIZI, HEAD OF NATL. SECURITY & FOREIGN POLICY CMTE., IRANIAN PARLIAMENT (through translator): We don't think that he's honest, but we have said many times that we accept a negotiation as a continuation of the battlefield. We consider negotiations to be part of the battle.

If we could be convinced that there is sincerity in the Americans, especially in the President of the United States, and if we could reach confidence that they are people of negotiation and that they also submit to the rules of negotiation, then the Islamic Republic would have no problem with negotiating.

PLEITGEN: Will there be a peace agreement between the United States and Iran?

AZIZI (through translator): It depends on the behaviors that we observe from the other side. If these same behaviors continue, then no, we do not have any trust at all. And with this lack of trust, it's not possible for negotiations to continue. And naturally, when there is no possibility of continuing, there is no result either.

But if those conditions that the Islamic Republic of Iran has specified are fulfilled, and if, in practice, we see that reflected in the country's national interests, especially in the economic sphere, financial matters, banking, sanctions, and the issue of Lebanon, which is very, very important to us, we will by no means back down on the issue of the resistance front, its members, and especially Lebanon.

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SANDOVAL: All right, we do want to get you to Spain now. In the coming hour, Pope Leo will be departing the Spanish capital of Madrid for Barcelona on his next leg of his papal tour of Spain. These are some live pictures there. It's 10:30, Tuesday morning, as the pontiff addresses the faithful right now. The Holy Father expected to host a prayer vigil in the city's Olympic Stadium later this afternoon. Pope Leo had a very busy day on Monday, meeting with the prime minister and local bishops, as well as actually had a chance to address Spain's parliament.

And as Iran and Israel were trading renewed missile strikes, the Pope had this to say about the ongoing war.

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POPE LEO XIV (through translator): Every war constitutes ultimately a painful defeat of the capacity to negotiate, and also that common conscience of humanity that recognizes bonds of justice among nations.

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SANDOVAL: Now to Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, as he wraps up his first visit to North Korea in seven years. State media says that he and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are pleading closer ties and also a new chapter of relations. That's how they describe it. The announcement, it comes as both countries face some strained relations with the U.S. over a series of global conflicts.

CNN's Beijing bureau chief, Steven Jiang, had been following this trip very closely. Steven, it's good to see you again. Tell us about this so-called new chapter, what it's supposed to entail.

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Yes. And Polo, the latest is Chinese state media just reported that Xi Jinping and his delegation have now returned to Beijing after what they describe as a complete success in terms of the state visit to North Korea. Now, the two leaders kept a very busy schedule on Tuesday, paying respects to Chinese soldiers who were killed on the battlefields of the Korean War, then visiting a school and planting a tree there together to mark the two countries' friendship before having lunch along with their wives.

And then, of course, just like the arrival ceremony, the North Korean leader and his wife went to the airport again to personally send off Xi Jinping and his wife. So all of those visual cues undoubtedly trying to reaffirm this special bond between the two countries, very much said to be as close as lips and teeth. Despite that narrative that North Korea's growing ties with Russia come at the expense of China.

[04:40:16]

Now, according to the Chinese readouts, Xi Jinping made a point of saying that no matter how the international situation evolves, this special bond will never change. And of course, given the state of the Russian economy, I think the Beijing leadership feels quite secure of their position as North Korea's most important ally. Now, they, of course, as you mentioned, have also pledged to deepen and expand bilateral coordination and cooperation on a whole range of issues, not only on the economic and trade front, but also on everything ranging from diplomacy to law enforcement to the armed forces.

But one thing that's not mentioned, of course, is the North Korean nuclear weapons program. That's interesting, since the White House has said during the Trump visit to Beijing, both Trump and Xi have agreed to denuclearize North Korea as a common shared goal. But most experts agree it seems China has all but accepted North Korea as a de facto nuclear power, even without saying so.

So at this point, it seems Xi just doesn't seem to want to spend any political capital on this topic. And if anything, some analysts have said China seems to be able to live with a nuclear armed North Korea as a buffer between itself and the U.S. forces in the region. Polo?

SANDOVAL: Steven Jiang, thank you so much for that live report.

And still to come here on CNN Newsroom, more than 90 percent of ballots in Peru's presidential runoff have been counted, but the race remains too close to call. What does this election mean for that South American country and the rest of the region? That conversation in a moment.

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SANDOVAL: FIFA has confirmed that a Somali referee has been denied entry into the United States and that he won't get to take part in the World Cup. Omar Abdulkadir Artan made it all the way to Miami, Florida, before U.S. Customs and Border Protection deemed him inadmissible. Now, no word on why he was refused. However, Somalia is one of 39 countries affected by President Trump's current travel ban. Artan was recently named Africa's top male referee last year.

And complaints are soaring over the astronomical cost of World Cup tickets and also what's been called an unprecedented money grab by FIFA. You see, in Mexico, it means that many soccer fans who thought they'd be able to watch in person, well, they may have to be sick at home watching it on T.V., as CNN's Valeria Leon reports from Mexico.

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VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For a country that lives and breathes soccer, this World Cup remains out of reach for many. Sky-high ticket prices and just a handful of matches on home turf, leaving many Mexican fans feeling left out. Francisco Ferreira compares access to Mexico's past World Cups to this one.

FRANCISCO JAVIER FERREIRA, SOCCER FAN (through translator): It doesn't feel the same. Back then, it felt like Mexico's World Cup. Now, it feels like it belongs to the United States. And the ticket prices, they're impossible.

LEON (voice-over): The opening match in Mexico City, with some tickets now selling for as much as $16,000 on official FIFA sites. And on resale sites, even higher, a staggering amount that puts this tournament far out of reach for all but the ultra-wealthy. LEON: In Mexico City, the average family earns just over $2,000 a year. Roughly the cost of a single ticket. And in a city where many local fans were able to attend World Cups hosted here in 1970 and '86, many feel they've been priced out.

LEON (voice-over): But the frustration started months ago. FIFA's lottery-style sales system, designed to manage global demand, left thousands without access, even at base prices.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I haven't been able to get tickets, but if I do, I'll be there.

MONICA, SOCCER FAN (through translator): I hope Mexico wins. But either way I just want it to be exciting, a good show of course.

LEON (voice-over): At this rate, the cheers of Mexican fans will mostly be heard outside the stadium.

Valeria Leon, CNN, Mexico City.

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SANDOVAL: And we'll be right back with more of your headlines in a moment.

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SANDOVAL: Peru's presidential race is still too close to call, but with about 95 percent of votes tallied since Sunday's runoff, leftist congressman Roberto Sanchez has taken a slight lead over conservative Keiko Fujimori by just one percentage point.

Fujimori had been ahead during early results and exit polls, but Sanchez has been making some progress as ballots from Peru's rural areas are counted. Peru's electoral authority says that the full official tally may take until next month to be completed. Let's discuss now with Christopher Sabatini. He's the director of the Latin American program at Chatham House. Christopher, it's great to have you on.

CHRISTOPHER SABATINI, DIRECTOR, LATIN AMERICA PROGRAMME, CHATHAM HOUSE: Thank you, Polo. Great to be here.

SANDOVAL: So for viewers perhaps unfamiliar with Peru's efforts to elect its now 10th president in as many years, and before we talk about the candidates, just in a nutshell, what is defining this election?

SABATINI: Two things are defining this election. The first, as you say, is the number of presidents that have been drummed out of power. Really only three presidents since the transition of democracy have finished their terms in Peru since basically 2001. So you've had constant instability, and that has been driven in large part because of the once unicameral Congress, driven and largely dominated by Keiko Fujimori. They have consistently mounted impeachment campaigns against previous presidents.

Most of the presidents now that have left office are in prison over corruption charges. Some of those charges are large, some of them are small, but it's been really a pitched battle between the two branches of Congress. But by the same token, you have a collapsed political party system. Since effectively 1990, when they elected Keiko Fujimori's father, Alberto Fujimori, the Peruvian political party system has completely evaporated.

So what you've had over this time is just extreme amounts of electoral fluidity and even volatility from election to election and the growth of political parties. For example, in this election, there were 36 in the first round, 36 presidential candidates on the first round ballot. That was narrowed down to two, Keiko Fujimori and Sanchez. But what you're seeing here is, you know, even in those cases, there's no real voter identity with any political parties or even the candidates per se.

What they're doing is simply just responding to individual signals, and it changes literally from month to month in Peruvian elections. So that's what we're having. One more thing I'd add, Polo, is that you're seeing a deep division in the country that's become much sharper because of the absence of coherent national political parties, and that is the divide between the rural areas in the jungles and the mountainous areas of Peru and the urban area, primarily in Lima. And that is really also a deeply divided country by geography and also by ethnicity in those cases.

SANDOVAL: So based on what you mentioned, Christopher, especially when it comes to those candidates, how would you gauge the general satisfaction with these candidates among the electorate? I mean, it doesn't seem that the voting base was quite energized about their options this time around.

SABATINI: No, and we were looking at for a while, up until the second round, mass potential for basically abstention and the marking of ballots or spoiling of ballots. People aren't satisfied. There are two extreme candidates. Keiko Fujimori has run for president four times. This is her fourth time. The previous three times she's lost. The most recent time when she lost to Sanchez's mentor Castillo, she held protests announcing the results of the elections, which I suspect she will do if it turns out a month or so from now that she loses the elections.

[04:55:07]

She may find a very powerful ally who is the third ran in the first round of the elections, Lopez Aliaga, the former mayor of Lima, who's very close to Donald Trump. In fact, some of Donald Trump's campaign advisors had advised Lopez Aliaga, and he missed heading into the second round by a mere 21 -- I'm sorry, mere 12,000 votes. So now we're heading into this deeply polarized election.

On the other side, you have Sanchez, who was the mentee of Pedro Castillo, who basically tried to dissolve the Congress and stage a coup and was effectively impeached and is now serving time for a coup attempt. So you have a far left and a far right candidate heading into the second round are now heading into the final countdown for the election results, and there's very little room between them.

SANDOVAL: Christopher, I have about 60 seconds left with you. I'm wondering if you could just leave us with what this means regionally for the rest of South America and really for the rest of the world and the alliances that Peru may have with other countries.

SABATINI: In 60 seconds, two things. First of all, we're seeing a series of right-wing candidates outside of right-wing candidates, not even conservative but right-wing candidates. In the second round in Colombia right now, there's Abelardo de la Espriella, who's running against another far, I wouldn't say far leftist, but a left candidate who's a little bit far from the center. In Colombia, in Ecuador, you have a right-wing candidate. In Chile, you have a right-wing president.

Right now, I'm sorry, in Ecuador, right-wing president. Chile, the same. This is really lining up in Trump's favor, and Trump is very much in favor of these candidates of the right and the new presidencies.

SANDOVAL: Only you could encapsulate these complicated geopolitics in less than 60 seconds. Thank you so much, Christopher Sabatini.

SABATINI: Always a pressure to do it for you, Polo.

SANDOVAL: It's always a pleasure. Thank you for having me -- thank you for being with us.

SABATINI: Thanks.

SANDOVAL: Thank you so much for watching. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York. CNN Headline Express is next.

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