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U.S. & Iran To Take Part Separately In Technical Talks In Doha; NATO Chief Attends German Cabinet Meeting; Sources: Madison Square Garden To Host Swift-Kelce Events. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired July 01, 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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[04:33:11]

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR: We do want to get you now to these new developments in the Middle East where U.S. and Iranian delegations are expected to take part in separate technical talks with mediators from Qatar and Pakistan. CNN's Kristen Holmes is reporting from the White House.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Technical talks continue in Doha, but there are no high level meetings scheduled between the U.S. and Iran. Currently, the two countries are dealing with negotiators in Qatar, Qatari diplomats. We did hear some details of what was discussed between U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and those Qatari diplomats. There was a discussion particularly over the ceasefire in Lebanon. There has been an ongoing point of contention really causing major issues for the Iran deal.

We know that last week there was an announcement that Israel would pull out some of its troops from areas of Lebanon somewhat of as a sign of good faith and put the Lebanese military in those bases. This is something that the Iranians have really been fixated on. We've also learned that Iranian officials are going to be meeting with these Qatari diplomats. One of the key sticking points that they'll be talking about is those frozen assets. There's been an enormous amount of back and forth as to what exactly is happening with those billions in frozen assets.

We know that the Iranians have said that that money has started to be released, or at least half of it, which is about $6 billion. The Americans have said none of it has been released. And when it is released, it's going to be used by the Iranian government to then purchase American goods to feed and give to Iranian civilians. Unclear how all of that is going to work.

Now all of -- this is also coming at a time where we have learned from sources that Oman has given a new proposal over the Strait of Hormuz to the United States. This is in no way definite. But what's interesting about that is part of the proposal asks shipping companies to pay a service fee.

[04:35:07] Now that is very interesting in itself, given that we have heard over and over again that there will not be tolls that Iran charges in the Strait of Hormuz. So the White House is pushing back on that, saying absolutely under no circumstances will there be tolls.

We have heard from other sources saying that Oman is not trying to get payment in the Strait of Hormuz. But clearly, again, the Strait of Hormuz is still quite a sticking point. And right now, it is still unclear how much forward or more forward these talks are actually getting, because what we're hearing is a lot of conversation about the Memorandum of Understanding, but not necessarily about what is next for these negotiations.

Kristen Holmes, CNN, the White House.

SANDOVAL: And earlier, I did get the chance to speak to one expert in all of this, Abdulla Banndar Al-Etaibi, who's actually an assistant professor of international affairs at Qatar University, about these ongoing talks. And I asked him how future negotiations might possibly stabilize the ceasefire that's in place in Lebanon.

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ABDULLA BANNDAR AL-ETAIBI, ASST. PROFESSOR IN INTL. AFFAIRS, QATAR UNIVERSITY: Well, it's really chaotic. When you look at the Middle East and hold the regional architecture is I think this is what's being negotiated on basically, Polo. We see there is a memorandum of understanding, there is article one, or number one says stopping conflicts in all fronts. But you're still seeing some Israeli behavior, some Hezbollah behavior that is actually not keeping within the lines. And this is actually threatening the MoU in terms of Article 1.

And what makes this even worse is the Iranian bargaining chip of using Hormuz as always. So they're just throwing Hormuz in the middle, throwing the frozen assets in the middle and try to mix up things, make things more difficult not only for the U.S. but even more difficult for the mediators. The Iranians know that very well for -- when it comes to Hormuz, that a drone could disrupt the region. But when it comes to straits, you could disrupt the whole global economy.

When it comes to Lebanon, I think there is a framework now being signed by Israelis and the Lebanese government. And this is -- could be a step forward for the Lebanese government to practice their sovereignty over their -- over their land. But this is a long way to go. It has to do with U.S.-Israeli withdrawal first and has to do with practicing Lebanese sovereignty over every inch of their land. And this is including the southern Lebanon.

And this is where comes the complexity. So is it going to be Lebanon within the whole deal or is going to be a separate track? I mean, this is -- this is like two -- one of the main and major arguments, basically, Polo.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SANDOVAL: Our thanks to Abdullah for that conversation. Elsewhere, Ukraine is increasingly trying to take the war onto Russian soil, ramping up large scale drone attacks. In addition to targeting the Kremlin's oil refineries, Kyiv is again claiming that it hit one of Russia's largest satellite communication centers near Moscow. Russia yet to confirm that strike, but its defense ministry says that it shot down more than 400 Ukrainian drones overnight.

And Russian officials are also saying that a Ukrainian drone crashed into a home just southeast of Moscow. A rescue worker has reportedly pulled a family from the rubble, but sadly, a six month old baby died on the way to the hospital.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is continuing his tour across Europe ahead of next week's summit of allied leaders in Turkey. Right now Rutte is sitting in on a cabinet meeting in Berlin chaired by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. In the hours ahead, Rutte and Merz will be also hosting a joint news conference alongside Germany's defense minister.

So let's preview that and head over to CNN's Sebastian Shukla, who's outside the Defense Ministry in Berlin where that meeting is set to take place.

So, so, Seb, help us preview that. What do we expect to hear from these two leaders, from the German leader and also the NATO chief in a few moments?

SEBASTIAN SHUKLA, CNN PRODUCER: Yes, good morning, Polo. In the building behind me, the German Defense Ministry inside a room that's known as the submarine is this cabinet meeting which is taking place alongside the NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, who's sitting in on this meeting. And I think that's very poignant just given all of the diplomatic back and forth that we've seen pertaining to NATO in the last few weeks and as his final appointment ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara next week, Ankara, Turkey.

What I think the defining message that the German chancellor and the German defense minister would like to put out ahead of this is the importance that they are placing on appeasing the U.S. president and making sure that the summit goes off without a hitch, but also underscoring the importance that Germany has both to the alliance as a whole as a key and crucial member, but also the support that it offers Ukraine.

[04:40:18]

Germany outside of the United States has been the single largest contributor to Ukrainian defense capabilities since the war began. And I think that the -- a cabinet meeting and the minutes for this meeting are an indication of that. There is a discussion about the Ankara summit, the preparations for it. There is going to be a reminder to the U.N. secretary general about the changes that Germany is making militarily, both in procurement as well as posture, which underlies the support of NATO, as well as adhering to the messages that have come from the White House that have said that European nations were must be ready to support themselves without U.S. reliance.

We'll wait to hear what the three of those men, the German defense minister, the chancellor and the secretary general have to say about their meeting in what will be the secretary general, as I said, his final public outing before we see him alongside President Trump in Ankara. Polo.

SANDOVAL: CNN's Sebastian Shukla helping us look ahead to that meeting. Thank you, Seb.

Still ahead here on CNN Newsroom, Mexican fans, they are celebrating at this hour the very latest World Cup results and a look ahead to the next big showdowns.

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SANDOVAL: All right, it's official. Mexico booking its ticket to the Men's World Cup round of 16. The final whistle is blew about four hours ago and you better believe I'm sure the party's still going on in Mexico which is cohosting the tournaments. Well, they defeated Ecuador 2-nil. Ecuador drawing a late red card in stoppage time before being eliminated.

[04:45:11]

And this is how they celebrated that big win. Just look at all the joy. I mean this is the first time they win a knockout match in a World Cup in what, four decades. So you can bet there's a lot of excitement there. And CNN's Valeria Leon was right in the middle of all the action.

VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (through translator): This is the celebration of Mexico's victory over Ecuador. Thousands of fans are screaming "Long live Mexico."

SANDOVAL: And this is part of a hoe trend where they just hoist journalists up into the air.

And in New Jersey, France breezed through to the round of 16 after 3- nil victory against Sweden. And Les Bleus are now one step closer to their third consecutive Men's World Cup final. But first they have to take on Paraguay on Saturday.

And a late goal from who else but Erling Haaland was enough to see Norway through to the next round after a thrilling match against the Ivory Coast. Norway playing five time champ Brazil on Sunday. So good luck to them.

And later today there are three must watch matches. You see them there. England will be taking on the Democratic Republic of Congo. Belgium facing Senegal. And the United States men will be trying to advance past Bosnia and Herzegovina in a prime time showdown. Here's CNN's Coy Wire with more.

COY WIRE, CNN WORLD SPORT: The excitement around the U.S. men's National Team ahead of their match with Bosnia and Herzegovina continues to build. We have seen sold out stadiums, we've seen ticket prices exploding. Now we're about to see massive T.V. ratings. This will be the first knockout match that Americans have played ever in the prime time.

The story is no longer can America get out of the group. The story is now, will this become the summer America fell in love with its team? It's a big emotional narrative.

Had a practice behind me a bit ago. A few players told me they're fully aware of the magnitude of this moment. It isn't just survive in advance, it's more like inspire and advance, embracing how America is rallying around them. And they know how tough this match with Bosnia and Herzegovina would be. Listen to this.

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SERGINO DEST, U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM: It's a knockout round and if you want to win this, this trophy, the World Cup, you got to beat everyone, you know, and be able to beat everyone. So if it's from Europe or Africa, it doesn't matter. We just -- we just want to win.

FOLARIN BALOGUN, U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM: We know we're going to need to be creative. We know we're going to need to be intense like we have been, you know, so far. And you know, there's no doubts we can go out there and win.

GIO REYNA, U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM: We have very high expectation for ourselves for the rest of this tournament. And, yes, we don't want this to be over.

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WIRE: Now the U.S. hasn't beaten a European opponent since 2021. It's been 12 matches since they beat, guess who, Bosnia and Herzegovina in a friendly. Now, this is a huge coaching moment for Mauricio Pochettino. He's won big club matches. Can he now guide America deeper than anyone has in 24 years? He got annoyed with a line of questioning about their loss to Turkey.

They won their group and he's had to make some strategic decisions. Christian Pulisic, the engine that makes this American attack hum (ph) coming off an injury, he played about 30 minutes on Thursday against Turkey. And now Pulisic would probably play 180 minutes if they'd let him. Pochettino's job is making sure he doesn't have to. Some of his players told us that coach has instilled an unrelenting belief and has made this team feel more like a family.

Here's more of what the team had to say about the type of person their coach is.

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TIM REAM, U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM: Intense, focused, but at the same time very personable.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Passionate. I think that's the word that comes to mind.

BALOGUN: Fierce. You know, he's intense, you know, and he wants -- he wants that to show in the way we play.

REYNA: Brings a very, very sort of fun and positive vibe every single day.

MILES ROBINSON, U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM: He brings that intensity and that courage with him in every step of the way. And I think, yes, he's great for this group.

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WIRE: All right. Whoever wins this match will advance to the round of 16. America is favored to win. They're looking to move one step closer to their first quarterfinal since 2002. For Bosnia and Herzegovina, a win in front of a massive pro American crowd would be legendary. Nothing says we've arrived quite like knocking out the host nation.

We'll soon find out whose dream continues and whose comes to an end. Back to you.

[04:49:39]

SANDOVAL: All right. Still on the way, Swiftie fans, heads up. Possible clues are now emerging about one of the biggest events of the year. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding celebrations. We'll tell you what we know.

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SANDOVAL: LeBron James will be playing in a record 24th NBA season, but he won't be doing it with the Lakers. You see, his agent confirms that James will enter free agency and leave Los Angeles, where he's played for the past eight seasons. In a post on X, the Lakers called James, quote, "one of the greatest athletes in history." He led the team to a championship in 2020.

And now the rumor mail is already swirling about where King James may end up next. What's your guess?

And sources have now revealed to CNN the location of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's highly anticipating wedding celebrations. After much speculation, well, we are now told that the festivities will be held at the world famous Madison Square Garden later this week. And the plans have been shrouded in rumor and plenty of secrecy, as Gloria Pazmino reports.

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right. You know, there had been so much speculation since last August when the couple got engaged about where the wedding would be, would we get to see it, would get to attend. But more and more clues have emerged over the past few days that the location, the celebration is going to be right here in the heart of Manhattan, inside Madison Square Garden, the world's most famous arena, where Taylor Swift has performed eight times. Now, here's what we know. The celebrations are expected to begin on Thursday with what sources are describing to us as a rehearsal that will include about 100 guests. Then the big celebration, a wedding celebration is expected to take place on Friday. That will kick off in the afternoon with a cocktail party as most good weddings begin with. And it will go on until late, very late into Saturday morning at 4:00 a.m.

[04:55:24]

Now, throughout the day on Tuesday, we saw a lot of activity outside the garden, equipment being moved in and out of the loading docks and one specially telling clue, a worker who was wearing a T-shirt that read Taylor Swift Carpenters. I do think it's worth perhaps a word of warning about all these clues and Easter eggs and little breadcrumbs perhaps meant to throw us off the scent, it's been done before. We're talking about Taylor Swift here. But our sources familiar with the plans tell us these two events are set to happen Thursday and Friday. The last important point about this major event which, you know, people are describing as America's Royal Wedding, it's going to be taking place over July 4th weekend, the nation's 250th birthday, which is also going to be happening what -- during what could be a historic heat wave here in New York City.

It's at a very famous venue that is located in a very busy intersection of Manhattan. Madison Square Garden is right on top of Penn Station. And of course, the World Cup is still underway. So this is going to be a very busy stretch of New York City, at least for the next few days.

Gloria Pazmino, CNN, New York.

SANDOVAL: So a Knicks championship season and the marriage of America's royal couple. What a summer for Madison Square Garden.

Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York. Our coverage continues with CNN "Headline Express."

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