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Iran Retaliates After U.S. Strikes, Defying Trump's Warning It Could Be Hit "Much Harder"; An Outbreak Of Diarrhea Caused By A Parasite Has Hit Thousands Of People; The Next Steps For A Weakened NYC High-Rise Are Up In The Air. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired July 09, 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]

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps says that it retaliated by again hitting U.S. military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. Iran's parliament speaker posting on X, quote, "America still hasn't learned that bullying and breaking promises are no longer cost free. If you strike, you'll get hit." CNN's Fred Pleitgen joining me live from Tehran. As a reminder, CNN operates in Iran only with permission from the government that does maintain full editorial control of its reports.

So, Fred, Iran had pledged that a strong response was coming if they saw any new attacks from the U.S. Well, here we are now where the U.S. military is now confirming that it struck at least 170 targets. What else is Iran's government saying?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Iran's government is indeed saying, Polo, they're going to strike that hard, that they have struck that hard. You mentioned some of the things that they said that they hit U.S. military installations, as they put it, both in Kuwait and Bahrain. They specified that later on, saying they were targeting with both drones and missiles, the Ali Al Salem air base, which of course one of U.S.'s main air bases in Kuwait, when that's frequently used when the U.S. conducts operations in the greater Middle Eastern area. And then also Bahrain, which of course is home to U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters. It's unclear whether or not these strikes on the Iranian part were successful when the targets were hit, but the Iranians certainly saying that they can -- are able to project power into these areas.

And I think that statement that you were talking about, but from the chief negotiator who's also the head of Iran's parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, saying that the Iranians will hit back if they are struck by the Americans. There was a second part to that statement that is also key to understanding how the Iranians feel about current situation in the Great of Hormuz. He said that the Iranians are going to be the ones who determine the transit corridor through the Strait of Hormuz. And if you look at the way things have been playing out over the past couple of days, the Iranians have been insisting that they are the ones who determine which ships and how ships go through the Strait of Hormuz and ships that don't adhere to Iran's rules a risk being fired at. That, of course, was one of the things that set all of this in motion.

It's unclear whether or not this is the end of it, whether the U.S. struck Iran and whether Iran has now retaliated, whether or not this is going to continue to escalate.

One of the key factors in all of that, of course, is exactly what you've just been mentioning, that right now the Iranians are in the middle of these funeral processions for Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed, of course, in the early stages of Israel and Iran's war again of Israel, the U.S. war against Iran on February 28th. His body has now arrived in Mashhad where the procession is going to take place to bring him to his final resting place, the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, which is the holiest place in all of Shia Islam in all of Iraq. And certainly for the Iranians it -- it's a key time. It's also something that angered them a great deal that there were these strikes overnights just hours ahead of this procession taking place.

And one of the things that the Iranians been playing big and state media is they're saying that two railway bridges were also hit by the U.S. That is the rail line from Tehran where I am right now to Mashhad. So many of the people who wanted to go to that procession have been held up and have not been able to complete that journey yet.

So all of that factoring into the all this, but one of the things that we can definitely ascertain, Polo, is that the situation here on the ground is still very, very tense as both sides seem to have a very different reading of what that memorandum of understanding that they've signed on to meanings when it comes to transiting the Strait of Hormuz, Polo.

SANDOVAL: Yes, Fred, as you were speaking, we're seeing those live pictures of those crowds gathering in Mashhad. Fred Pleitgen, thank you and all of your team for your reporting inside of Iran.

There are at least 19 U.S. warships taking part in the operations against Iran. Among them are two aircraft carriers, including the USS Abraham Lincoln. CNN's Pamela Brown was on that ship as the U.S. fleet was preparing for the latest round of strikes.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR & CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: This is one of two aircraft carriers in the region. And you see behind me what's called the bridge, the flight tower. This is where all the shots are called. And you see the planes here they are on this deck. There's F-35s, F-18, Prowlers, E-2s, all of them play certain roles in the conflict.

Now what we know for sure for a U.S. official I spoke to is that there will be defensive missions happening on the USS Abraham. And in fact, there has already been a shift in operational plans and the wake of the Iranian tax on those vessels. This ship left port early yesterday so that they could be out here at sea and ready to go in case orders are given.

So you can see some of that preparation happening right now. There's some maintenance happening over here on this helicopter. And then if we pan over here, you can see they pulled out some armaments, some missiles to put on the flight.

Now, I'm told that would be standard operating procedure because tomorrow is a flight day. But, of course, this takes on new meetings in the wake of the latest rhetoric from the president and the Iranians as well. So we'll have to wait and see. As one source said, it is a very dynamic situation here.

[04:35:17]

Pamela Brown, CNN from the USS Abraham Lincoln.

SANDOVAL: And oil prices, they surged after President Trump declared that the ceasefire with Iran was over. That announcement came from the president 24 hours ago. And you can see the numbers here, the result, Brent crude posted its biggest single day gain since April, rising above $80 a barrel at one point on Wednesday. You can see the latest numbers for the global and U.S. benchmarks as well.

So let's keep that conversation going, head over to Negah Angha, who's joining me live from London. She's a visiting fellow at King's College in London and also former senior advisor at the U.S. State Department, as well as -- also a National Security Council member under the Biden administration.

Negah, thank you so much for taking the time and good morning to you. 8:00 a.m. there in London.

NEGAH ANGHA, VISITING FELLOW, KING'S COLLEGE LONDON, AND FORMER U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SENIOR ADVISER, AND FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL MEMBER UNDER BIDEN ADMINISTRATION: Good morning. Thanks for having me.

SANDOVAL: So you heard some of the reporting right now from my colleague just a little while ago about the situation right now in the Middle East. What is your assessment of the status of the MOU?

ANGHA: Yes, look, I would say, you know, this isn't just a random sort of tit for tat. This isn't a random escalation thing where we are right now is sort of this dangerous phase of armed bargaining. I think there's a very clear logic that is playing out in the fight essentially is over the meaning of the language in the memorandum of understanding and very specifically on the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. position is very clear. It's freedom of navigation. Ships should move normally without any form of coercion or tools or any Iranian vetoes. And on the other side, Iran's position is much more closer to ships can move, but Tehran still needs to decide the terms of those arrangements.

And I think that's why, you know, I think I would describe right now what's happening is there's a lot of discussion over leverage and jurisdiction. It's not necessarily a very pure sort of military exchange.

Tehran essentially is saying that Hormuz is their most powerful pressure point. And it really is an immediate reaction by the U.S. and the world, given its economic impact, more so than the nuclear file, because it touches obviously oil flows, insurance costs, just the global market in general.

So I think I would just say, you know, where we are in the phase of things is really the current, sort of, 48 hours is really shaping diplomacy with force. They're not necessarily abandoning diplomacy, but just both sides are trying to rewrite the terms. I think President Trump, in his remarks over the course of the day in Turkey yesterday, you know, really did leave the door open for potential talks.

SANDOVAL: Ultimately, though, is this something that this collapsing of this MOU, I mean, is this something that you saw coming? I heard from another expert such as yourself earlier say it would have been more of a surprise if it actually would have held.

ANGHA: Look, I wouldn't say it's entirely dead. I don't think it's legally dead. I think, you know, there is still some room. But the reality is this wasn't a -- it was always sort of a bridge document, right? It wasn't a peace treaty, it wasn't a grand bargain.

And I think the reality is, you know, this is to be expected. These are -- these are the nuances and conversations that need to be had when you're in this phase of a memorandum of understanding. And unfortunately, when it's drafted in a way where there's ambiguity, you know, this is what you're essentially going to face.

SANDOVAL: Right. And back to those U.S. led strikes that we've seen the last 48 hours, Negah, what do you believe to be the objective of U.S. forces? What are they looking to debilitate as they set their sights on these targets, particularly along Iran's southern coast?

ANGHA: Again, it's targeted strikes. And this is why I sort of try to frame this as sort of armed bargaining, right? This is very clear sort of targets along essentially military assets in the southern coast. So it's all focused on the Strait of Hormuz, it's targeting IRGC boats, it's targeting sort of these types of assets that can attack ships on the Strait of Hormuz. So it's a very clear message that this isn't, you know, we're not entering an all-out war phase.

What we're entering into is, you know, again, a reaction to Iranian attacks. And we go back to this sort of bit is that the fight is over the meaning of the MOU and the terms around the Strait of Hormuz. And I think that is, you know, the U.S. has maintained and restrained itself on focusing on just that.

[04:40:15]

And again, I think, you know, where we lead from here is probably more sort of back channel diplomacy and conversations, less so of those public overtures that we saw in Switzerland a week or so ago, and try to bring back some sort of normalcy to the diplomacy and get those technical talks underway.

SANDOVAL: Negah Angha, a pleasure having you with us. Thank you so much for your perspective.

ANGHA: Thanks for having me. SANDOVAL: A multi-state stomach bug leaving hundreds sick for weeks. Still ahead, what doctors believe is behind this outbreak. You're watching CNN.

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SANDOVAL: Welcome back. A parasitic illness is making hundreds of people sick across the U.S. The stomach bug can cause weeks of severe diarrhea as well as other symptoms. Health officials in several states, they are reporting an uptick in their cases. CNN Health Reporter Jacqueline Howard tells us how you can try to prevent it.

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: Here's what you need to know. In some cases, this illness has been tied to eating fresh produce, and the illness that we're talking about here is called cyclosporiasis. It's caused by the parasite Cyclospora, and health officials are investigating cases across several states. In some of those states, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas, cases have been linked to eating fresh produce from Mexican style restaurants, local chain grocery stores, and catered events. Some examples of produce potentially include cilantro, onions and cucumbers.

Now there are at least eight additional clusters of cases that are still under investigation in several other states as well. And cyclosporiasis, it causes intestinal illness, so symptoms include watery diarrhea, in some cases explosive diarrhea. And these symptoms can last for weeks.

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The illness can be treated with antibiotics, but it can be a very miserable illness, so you want to avoid getting sick in the first place. To do that, avoid food or water that may be contaminated with feces. Experts say that's how this parasite can spread. Also, make sure you thoroughly wash any fresh fruits or vegetables that you have. If you have firm fruits like melons, scrub them with a brush and basic hygiene goes a long way.

Wash your hands with soap and water, especially before preparing food. Back to you.

SANDOVAL: Well, forecasters say that a powerful climate pattern is developing this year and it could intensify into what's been as a super El Nino with devastating consequences around the globe. You know, there's a new study out in the journal Science Advances which explores one possible solution. It's called marine cloud brightening. So that involves the spraying particles, often times salt water into ocean clouds so that they reflect sunlight away from Earth and back into space.

Well, some experts do worry that that could lead to unintended consequences or have to be done indefinitely. But the study shows that the technique could possibly weaken El Nino's impacts, including severe heat, fires, floods. And scientists are saying that the earlier it's deployed, the more effective it could be. I spoke earlier with Kate Ricke, an associate professor of climate science at the University of California in San Diego. She explained how researchers used a real life situation to study marine cloud brightening.

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KATE RICKE, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR: The 2019- 2020 bushfires in Australia emitted a ton of smoke into the atmosphere and had a diverse set of effects on the atmosphere as a result. Material that was released during those fires made its way from the lowest layers of the atmosphere up until the stratosphere. And a study that my co-author on the study that was released today did a couple years ago showed that that whole suite of effects from the bushfires was connected to the La Nina that followed the fires, that the La Nina was made much more probable because the fires occurred.

The suspicion was that this cloud brightening, that all -- was observed as a result of the fires, had something to do with that La Nina event. Basically, when little particles from the smoke make their way into these low marine clouds, they do a couple of things. One is they split the cloud into more smaller droplets and those more smaller droplets, they reflect more sunlight back to space before it can be absorbed by the Earth, and so it has a cooling effect.

The other thing they can do is increase the lifetime of the cloud because those smaller droplets take longer time than to accumulate and precipitate. And so the cloud stays reflective for longer because it it's lifetime is longer.

SANDOVAL: Fascinating.

RICKE: And so that has some --

SANDOVAL: So essentially, the cloud acting as a -- as a sort of -- as a sort of mirror, the cloud itself brightened by these particles acting as a mirror reflecting that light.

Kate, how, how could that concept then be replicated by scientists? Is there the technology to do something like that?

RICKE: Yes. So the proposal is called marine cloud brightening. And the idea is that instead of a wildfire or unintentional pollution or natural sources like dust or sea salt, we would put particles ourselves into the lowest layer of the atmosphere over the ocean where there are areas with a lot of what's called marine stratocumulus. It's these low clouds over the ocean that are, like you said, they're mirrors.

Different clouds in different parts of the atmosphere, they are -- some are reflective, some are not. These ones reflect a lot of sunlight. And so the idea with marine cloud brightening is by making them more reflective and last a longer time. We could use that to reflect sunlight and cool the earth.

(END VIDEO CLIP) [04:50:00]

SANDOVAL: And five runners were hospitalized after the third edition of this year's bull-run in Pamplona, Spain. Several people tripped and fell as 12 bulls charged through the city streets on Thursday morning. One was said to have been injured by a bull's horn.

And the running of the bulls. It is one of the central events of the annual San Fermin Festival. Despite the injuries, the bulls will run again every day until Tuesday.

A massive construction project may soon be able to resume at an unstable New York City high rise, just ahead. What crews have been doing to stabilize a skyscraper in Manhattan.

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SANDOVAL: In New York City in the coming hours, crews are expected to finish stabilizing parts of a high rise that experience structural damage during a massive renovation project this week. Construction workers have installed shoring. They've also put some beans in on several floors to try to reinforce this building. Sherrell Hubbard brings us the latest.

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SHERRELL HUBBARD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A Manhattan high- rise at risk of collapsing is getting a temporary fix. These images show beams that are being added to each floor. Large cart loaded with supports were lined up outside the Midtown building Wednesday. The building and surrounding area were evacuated Tuesday after columns buckled and the floor sagged.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And now, new columns are being brought in. Now these old columns were built, I believe in -- when the building was built in 1960 or thereabouts. Now we're going to have even stronger 50 grade steel or stronger steel being put in its place.

HUBBARD (voice-over): New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said no additional movement has been observed, but four buildings in the area remain under full evacuation orders.

MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI (D), NEW YORK CITY: As the DOB commissioner said, the building is stable and yet we are going to continue to prioritize the safety of all that immediate area.

HUBBARD (voice-over): A New York City Fire Chief previously said there was a concern about a possible localized collapse. The developer behind the skyscraper said faulty support beams were to blame. The New York City Buildings Commissioner said crews were originally working to add 11 floors above a 22 floor section of the building, converting the commercial office building into 1,600 residential apartments, the largest project of its kind in city history. MAMDANI: We are going to be conducting a full investigation as to how we got to this point because this is not a necessary consequence of an office-to-residential conversion. This, however, is clearly a breakdown in that process.

HUBBARD (voice-over): I'm Sherrell Hubbard reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: And the New York City Department of Buildings said in a full -- that a full investigation into the structural failure at the former Pfizer building will help determine how this failure happened, what led to it and also how similar incidents can be avoided in the future.

Well, the nominations for the 78th Emmy Awards, they are out honoring the best in television. And it's a pretty good day to be a cast member on "The Pitt." The medical drama scoring 25 nominations, the most of any project nominated this year. And those categories included Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama, three nods for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama, and four for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama.

"Hacks" isn't far behind the comedy, receiving 24 nominations for its final season, including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy and also Outstanding Supporting Actor and Actress in a Comedy. Both "Hacks" and "The Pitt," they stream on HBO Max, which is part of CNN's parent company.

It was also a good year for Apple TV, the network's horror comedy "Widow's Bay" racking up 19 nominations for its first season. That still gives me nightmares.

Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York. Our coverage continues with "CNN This Morning with Audie Cornish."

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