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New Details Reveal the Cause of Death of Sen. Lindsey Graham; At Least 27 People Killed in a Fire at a Bangkok Pub; Russia Misleadingly Recruits Peruvians Into War. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired July 13, 2026 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

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SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR: Hello, and a very warm welcome to our viewers joining us from around the world and in the U.S. I'm Salma Abdelaziz, in London. Let's get into the headlines.

We're learning what likely caused the sudden and unexpected death of Lindsey Graham, a Republican giant who pushed for the use of military power overseas.

And the U.S. says dozens of targets are hit in the latest round of strikes on Iran, Tehran, targeting U.S. bases in the Gulf.

Plus, with the World Cup semis set to kick off, we're going to take a look at the future of Cape Verde's team and how they won the hearts of so many people around the world.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from London, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Salma Abdelaziz.

ABDELAZIZ: We begin with new details on the sudden death of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham. According to Graham's communications director, a preliminary finding from the medical examiner showed that the 71- year-old died following an aortic dissection.

Now, the longtime South Carolina Republican died Saturday night. That is shortly after he had just returned from a visit to Ukraine in Washington, where the Senate will be back in session today.

Flags are being flown at half-staff in Graham's honor, including at the White House. He was once a Trump critic that became a close ally of the U.S. President, who said he had spoken with the senator just hours before his death.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (on the phone): He's a great politician. He was a natural. There are very few of them.

He was a natural politician, got along with everybody. When he didn't, he was tough, you know, he's a tough cookie too, but he got along with everybody.

He was one of the 17 people that ran against me. And he was, you know, a smart guy, and it was a nasty campaign. He was tough and nasty, but I was nasty too, and it worked out fine.

And I got to know him by little drips and drabs and then we became friendly, and there was no better advocate. He was a fantastic advocate in the Senate.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: CNN's Jeff Zeleny has more now on the reaction from Washington.

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JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: The Senate returns to Washington on Monday, mourning one of its own, the loss of Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who died overnight Saturday into Sunday of what his office called a brief and sudden illness. Now, this was a shocking development to all of Washington and, indeed, to the White House. He was one of the most loyal allies of the President.

But Senator Graham's office on Sunday gave a little more information about what led to this untimely and sudden death. They said the preliminary findings from the medical examiner said that it was related to aortic dissection due to cardiovascular disease.

The senator's office went on to say this, "The death certificate will be pending until all toxicological and microscopic testing are finalized. And at that point, the death certificate will be updated to reflect the cause of death and appropriately classify the manner of death."

So many senators now are just beginning to take stock of what this will mean going forward. There was no one really who embodied the transformation of the Republican Party from the Bush era to the Trump era more than Lindsey Graham. Of course, he was a fierce critic, but then became a loyal defender of the President.

He's also the chairman of the Budget Committee. And there are very, there's a very slim majority in the Senate, of course.

So, this week was also scheduled to be the confirmation hearing for the attorney general, Todd Blanche. Of course, Senator Lindsey Graham is a top supporter of him.

Now, Republicans will be looking for to hold all the ranks there. They cannot lose a single vote on that, as well as defense spending measures as well.

So, even as the Senate is grieving Senator Lindsey Graham, some senators are calling on the Senate to pass sanctions again to Russia in his name, in his honor. Of course, he was traveling in Ukraine, then returned to Washington when this happened. That remains an open question. But from the White House to Capitol Hill, certainly to South Carolina, the grieving for Senator Lindsey Graham continues, even as South Carolina officials are looking ahead and likely having a special election for to fill his primary seat in just three weeks.

Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[03:05:00]

ABDELAZIZ: Now the medical examiner's preliminary findings point to a tear in Graham's aorta, which is linked to cardiovascular disease. Our medical analyst, Dr. Jonathan Reiner, explains how this can occur.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. JONATHAN REINER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: The heart transmits blood to the body through initially a very large artery called the aorta. So picture a vessel about twice the diameter of a garden hose and highly pressurized.

The pressure in your aorta is the pressure that your doc measures with a blood pressure cuff, so it's highly pressurized. And the aorta is a vessel that has three layers and the innermost layer of the aorta is called the intima.

And an aortic dissection is a tear in that innermost lining that allows blood to get into the actual wall of the artery. And many bad things can happen when that occurs.

So when blood moves into the wall of the artery, it can compress the channel that's actually carrying blood out to the body. And that creates a lack of blood flow to the heart itself, to the brain, to the major organs in the abdomen. And the other thing that can happen is when the aorta dissects, it can also rupture.

And this massive artery under high pressure can deliver a catastrophic amount of blood into the chest in a very short period of time. And when that happens, that's typically an unsurvivable injury. When the vessel is dissected but not ruptured, there is a relatively short window during which a patient can be salvaged.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: Lindsey Graham was a major supporter of Israel. And his death has shocked leaders there, especially Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called the late senator a great friend. CNN's Oren Liebermann has more on this from Jerusalem for us.

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OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: From the perspective of Israel, the passing of Senator Lindsey Graham is an enormous loss. Graham was an outspoken and very public supporter for the state of Israel. He advocated for more funding for Israel on missile defense and on other issues.

He brought Israel's perspective, especially on issues like Gaza, Iran, and Lebanon, into D.C., into Washington, and crucially, Graham himself was close to President Donald Trump. So even as we would see divisions between, for example, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump, Netanyahu knew that he could and would speak with Graham to make sure that at least Israel's perspective was known and understood in the White House. Graham would also visit frequently, not only since October 7, 2023, but even before that.

I've attended some of his press conferences here. I've been invited to many more. And it wasn't just the media he would engage with.

He would meet with politicians. He would go around the country. He made it a point to be here and to be here often, especially over the course of the last three years.

And that's why you see not only Netanyahu mourning his loss, but many others across Israel's political spectrum. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in a statement said, "America has lost a devoted patriot and Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. Lindsey stood with Israel through our darkest hours with courage."

Former Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said, "For years he stood by our side even when it required courage and even when it involved significant criticism." And former Prime Minister Yair Lapid put out a statement saying, "Lindsey had unwavering moral clarity, a deep devotion to the people of Israel, and a clear vision for a secure and peaceful Middle East."

You get a sense of how close Senator Graham was to all of these officials because many of them have also put out statements of their meetings with Graham.

Now in Israeli sources, Netanyahu is considering traveling to the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham when that's scheduled in the United States. That too would give him an opportunity and a reason to meet with Trump as well. Netanyahu and Trump had agreed to meet in one of their last phone calls soon, although a date hadn't yet been put on the calendar.

Now it seems, potentially, that meeting might happen around the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham.

Oren Liebermann, CNN, in Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABDELAZIZ: We're also learning more about the health of U.S. Senate Republican Mitch McConnell. Now, speculation over his condition has increased in the past few weeks. That is, after he was hospitalized on June 14.

His office has released a photo of the senator and his wife, the former U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. McConnell says he was hospitalized after he fell and was briefly unconscious. He says he's now in a rehabilitation center to regain his strength after a mild case of pneumonia.

Now, CNN did obtain video that shows an ambulance at the senator's residence, this was in June. But until now, no one knew what the emergency was. The lawmaker says he did not break any bones or have a heart attack or stroke. And a doctor's note attached to his statement also referred to his injuries as minor.

McConnell has a history of health issues. He is a childhood polio survivor and suffered a concussion from another fall that was just a few years ago.

[03:10:06]

I want to turn now to Iran, where the U.S. and Iran have launched strikes threatening a very fragile peace agreement. The U.S. military says it has hit dozens of Iranian military targets in yet another night of strikes.

While Tehran says its forces responded with a fresh wave of attacks across U.S. bases in the region. U.S. allies Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan all reported responding to aerial threats on Monday morning. And sirens could be heard ringing out in Bahrain, while the military in Kuwait says it dealt with hostile aerial targets.

Joining us now from Abu Dhabi is our Paula Hancocks, she is here on the latest. Paula, a second night of hours-long airstrikes carried out by the U.S. What was the U.S. military targeting and are we going to continue to see this level of firepower? Are we going to see a third night of strikes?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Salma, what we've heard from U.S. Central Command is that they hit dozens of sites overnight or in early hours of Monday morning here, multiple locations. We are seeing some similar themes of what exactly they are targeting, which is the radar air defense sites, drone and missile launch sites along the Strait of Hormuz or close to the water.

We also understand that they were trying to target small boats, CENTCOM saying that the reason they're trying to do this is they want to degrade Iran's ability to be able to threaten vessels in that critical waterway. And they say that it comes after Iran did strike yet another vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.

Now, when it comes to Iran, we are hearing from Iranian officials that they say that they have targeted U.S. military infrastructure in the Gulf. There were residents in a number of different Gulf nations woken up early this Monday morning by emergency alerts. There was Bahrain, Kuwait, also Oman, which was hosting the Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Aragchi, just on Saturday to talk about the Strait of Hormuz.

So what we are seeing is an increase in the number of tit-for-tat strikes. As you say, this is the second night that we have seen this kind of operation by the U.S. but we are seeing more countries being struck by Iran. We know Jordan also said that it fired and intercepted four missiles which were incoming to its territory. Now, we have heard from the U.S. President Donald Trump as well. He

called in to Jake Tapper on Sunday during his show. This is what he said about the latest in Iran.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

TRUMP (on the phone): We hit it very hard last night, so I don't want to talk about it, but I will say we hit them very hard last night.

We had a deal with them yesterday, they were giving up everything. And then all of a sudden, two hours after that, they hit a ship with a drone. And I said, these people, there's something wrong with them.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

HANCOCKS: So that was on Sunday, and of course, Sunday into Monday, there was a second round of strikes which lasted hours, according to U.S. Central Command. Now, this does all center around the Strait of Hormuz, as you heard there the U.S. President saying Iran had targeted another vessel. We heard in that same interview with President Trump that he believed the Strait of Hormuz is open.

As far as he is concerned, we're hearing something very different from Iran, saying that they cannot give permission for vessels to be able to transit the Strait at this point because of the U.S. strikes. What we are seeing, though, is a trickle that is still managing to get through. It is very minimal compared to what we would see 110 vessels a day was the average from the pre-war time.

But we are seeing a very small trickle still managing to get through, many of them choosing to take what has become known as the Omani route or the southern route, so as far away from the Iranian coastline as possible, and a route that Tehran says should not be used as it believes that the Memorandum of Understanding stated that Iran should be in control of the Strait. So this really is becoming the major sticking point at this point.

We know that Pakistan and Qatar have had their mediators try and bring the diplomatic track back online. But what we saw is Qatar has also been targeted over the weekend. In fact, three people were injured, according to Qatari officials, including one child from drone interceptions.

[03:15:06]

So at this point, there is no public diplomacy that we can see, but certainly we know that mediators are trying to get things back on track. Salma?

ABDELAZIZ: Paula Hancocks there. And of course, that major issue now in the conflict, the key roadblock, control over the Strait of Hormuz. Thank you so much for that update.

China could be signaling to the U.S. that it remains combat-ready amid simmering tensions over Taiwan's sovereignty. Now satellite imagery shows what appears to be a full-scale replica of a U.S. warship constructed in a remote Chinese desert. Analysts suggest it might be linked to Beijing's attempts to refine its hypersonic missile testing.

CNN's Will Ripley has the latest for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At first, it looks like any American warship at sea. Then you notice the sand. More than a thousand miles from the nearest coastline, hundreds of miles from any major city deep inside the western Chinese desert, what appears to be a full-scale mock-up of a U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke- class destroyer.

Look at it side-by-side with the USS Fitzgerald. The resemblance is striking, both are around 510 feet long. At the back, the helicopter flight deck, used to launch and recover naval helicopters.

Next are the vertical launch systems, cells used to fire guided munitions like the Tomahawk cruise missile, heavily used in the conflict with Iran. This is the bridge and command area, where navigation, communications, and combat operations are controlled. At the front is the deck gun, used for surface targets, air threats, and shore bombardment.

Together, the details suggest a carefully built, full-scale replica of one of America's main guided missile destroyers. Workhorses of the U.S. Navy fleet, more than 70, sailing in oceans around the world. If conflict ever erupts over Taiwan, these destroyers would likely be among the first U.S. warships deployed.

Han Su analyzes China's military for Taiwan's top defense research institute.

RIPLEY: Why would China go through all the effort and expense to build this?

HAN SU, DIRECTOR, INSTITUTE FOR NATIONAL DEFENSE AND SECURITY RESEARCH: The Chinese try to compare everything from A to Z.

HAN (through translator): The Chinese military has ballistic missiles that can attack from high angles, and cruise missiles that can attack horizontally, so they're trying to combine both and enhance their anti-access and area denial capability.

RIPLEY (voice-over): He says they're trying to improve the accuracy of China's newest hypersonic anti-ship missiles displayed at Beijing's military parade last year. The 3D replica is covered with antennas designed to simulate the radar signature of an American warship, helping China detect, identify, and perhaps target the real thing.

It's located in Xinjiang, the same area where the People's Liberation Army built 2D flat mock-ups of U.S. aircraft carriers and destroyers several years ago, even putting them on tracks, analysts say to move at the speed of actual ships.

RIPLEY: Have they ever built a 3D mock-up before?

HAN: It's the first time.

RIPLEY: Open source intelligence analyst Joseph Wen first spotted the mock-up when it was still under construction about a month ago.

JOSEPH WEN, OSINT RESEARCHER, TAIWAN INSPIRATION ASSOCIATION (through translator): I do think this is quite surprising. The scale of the construction is really massive.

RIPLEY: What message are they trying to send by building this?

WEN (through translator): The message that they are sending is China is always preparing for war.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Under leader Xi Jinping, China has poured billions into modernizing its military, from aircraft carriers and nuclear weapons to artificial intelligence. The PLA has also long trained using mock-ups of everything from U.S. military assets to Taiwan's presidential office.

On China's tightly controlled social media, censors are allowing comments like these. "The U.S. military's premier escort warships, long regarded as a source of pride, have now become designated targets for Chinese missiles."

"They are nothing more than targets sitting in the desert, waiting to be hit."

RIPLEY: We've reached out to the Pentagon, the U.S. Pacific Fleet, and China's Defense Ministry. No response. But we do know China's military modernization continues on multiple fronts.

We saw it just after the 4th of July when Beijing conducted that submarine-launched ballistic missile test into the Pacific, although missile tests are pretty routine for nuclear powers. What makes these desert mock-ups unusual is really their level of detail.

You don't need a realistic 3D replica to simulate a warship's radar signature. That's why many believe these mock-ups may be doing two jobs at once, helping the PLA physically prepare for a future fight, while also sending a psychological warning to anyone watching from above, especially the U.S.

Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABDELAZIZ: Some sad news just in to CNN. Film and television actor Sam Neill has died at the age of 78. Neill is most known for his starring roles in the "Jurassic Park" films and, more recently, "Peaky Blinders."

[03:20:03]

Through social media, his family shared it was a sudden and unexpected death. The New Zealand actor had battled a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer, but revealed in April that he was cancer-free. Now Neill spoke with CNN's Lynda Kinkade in 2023 about how acting was not his original plan, but it ended up sticking.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAM NEILL, FILM AND TELEVISION ACTOR: I think I've made close to 100 movies and maybe 50 TV shows or something. I've lost count.

I think the highlight for me has been I never expected to have a career in film at all or even as an actor, but it kind of happened and no one's more surprised than me. It's been a very happy, surprising life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: Sam Neill's family says they'll share more details about his passing at a later date.

A fire at a bar in Bangkok leaves over two dozen dead and many more injured. After the break, the latest on this fire as the investigation into its cause continues. This and more right here on CNN.

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[03:25:00]

ABDELAZIZ: A fire at a bar in Bangkok, Thailand has killed at least 27 people and injured dozens. Officials say the fire was reported at around midnight on Saturday night. Now, the country's prime minister said many of the victims were found in the restrooms at the back of the pub.

I want to bring in now CNN's Mike Valerio. He is live in Beijing on this tragedy. Good morning to you, Mike.

These images of the aftermath of this fire are just heartbreaking. How did this fire happen and what is being done right now to support the victims' families?

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It seems as though a short circuit from an air conditioning unit that was attached to the ceiling, Salma, is what started this fire. We don't know how it accelerated and as you were saying a couple seconds ago, it seems as though all those people were in the back of the pub because they were trying to get out of there.

They were trapped. There were no more exits. So we're going to play a piece that lasts for about a minute and a half.

You will see that fire accelerate quickly in the first couple frames and we'll talk more about what's being done to help the victims on the other side. Let's watch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VALERIO (voice-over): A huge fire tore through a popular pub in Bangkok early Monday morning, killing at least 27 people and injuring dozens more. Witness video shows violent flames raging as terrified patrons ran for their lives. Thick smoke gushed out of the entrance, the fire engulfing the building in minutes.

Firefighters from multiple Bangkok stations rushed to the scene, taking about half an hour to bring the fire under control. But by then, the damage was devastating.

CHAKRIT KHONKOM, LEAD FIREFIGHTER (through translator): The fire was not that aggressive, but the smoke had engulfed 100 percent of the venue. Once we knew there were a number of victims inside, we sent in a search and rescue squad and found that a lot of them were inside the toilet. Most of them were trying to escape to the back because they saw that the flames were at the front.

SUKANYA WONGWONGWAI, FRIEND OF MISSING PERSON (through translator): My friend who's a singer singing on stage said at first they noticed the smell of something burning. Then a little after, they saw the ceiling was on fire.

VALERIO (voice-over): The blaze broke out around midnight at the Natlat Phao Brewery restaurant, a popular live music venue in Bangkok's Chatuchak district. Footage of the aftermath shows scorched interiors, collapsed furniture, and blackened walls. Authorities are working to identify victims, with many of their I.D. cards unable to be found.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Chanvirakul visited the site in the early hours and directed agencies to assist victims' families. Investigators are now working to determine the cause of one of the deadliest pub fires Bangkok has seen in recent years.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VALERIO: We're going to bring in the Thai Prime Minister again, Anutin Chanvirakul, and he has ordered, Salma, ordered that as much be done as possible to help the victims who are in the hospital, in terms of identification of those who have died, and also identification of those who have survived. And from our reporting from our super producer, Kocha Arlarn, who's based in Bangkok, there are 16 people who are in the hospital right now who cannot be identified as either man or woman because of the grievous nature of their injuries.

So, the Prime Minister is certainly involved here, and this harkens back to 2009, 2022, when there were similar disasters. Reporting targets are going to try to see over the next few days, Salma, whether any changes are made for safety regulations to try to prevent this from happening again.

ABDELAZIZ: Mike Valerio there on an absolute tragedy in Bangkok and the efforts to help the families of victims. Thank you so much.

When we come back, the U.S. and Iran are making conflicting statements on the status of the Strait of Hormuz. We're going to bring you the latest on what's happening in that crucial waterway and how the markets are responding. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:30:00]

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ABDELAZIZ: Welcome back, I'm Salma Abdelaziz. Let's take a look at today's top stories.

Politicians in the U.S. and around the world are paying tribute to the late Senator Lindsey Graham as we learn new details about his death. According to Graham's communications director, a preliminary finding from the medical examiner showed the 71-year-old died following an aortic dissection. Now, the longtime South Carolina Republican died Saturday shortly after returning from a visit to Ukraine.

And a fire at a pub in Bangkok, Thailand, killed at least 27 people and injured dozens. Officials say the fire was reported around midnight. The country's prime minister said many of the victims were found in the restrooms at the back of the pub; the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Plus, Iran says it has launched new strikes targeting the U.S. military bases in the Middle East. This is as U.S. Central Command says it hit dozens of Iranian military targets in a second night of strikes. CENTCOM says it is to degrade Iran's ability to continue attacking international shipping flowing through the Strait of Hormuz.

As the fighting between the U.S. and Iran escalates, we're hearing very conflicting messages about the Strait of Hormuz. Joining me now is Amina Bakr, she is the head of Middle East Energy and OPEC-plus Insights for Kpler. Good morning to you, thank you so much for joining us.

First of all, I want to ask you, I know we're in the middle of these back-and-forth strikes, but there's still this attempt at diplomacy to resolve the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz. And Oman has put something on the table. They have a proposal, not yet approved, to essentially split the Strait.

You would have a southern route, which would be managed by Oman. You would pass freely, as before the war. And then there would be a northern route, where Tehran would deal with the permissions, but there would be no fees charged either.

Would that work in your mind?

AMINA BAKR, HEAD OF MIDDLE EAST ENERGY AND OPEC-PLUS INSIGHTS, KPLER: Well, I think it's really down to Iran wanting to keep the Strait as leverage here. And what we maybe kind of looked past is that this MOU that was signed didn't really resolve the political differences between the U.S. and Iran.

We did see a resumption of flows to some extent when the MOU was signed. You got some stranded vessels exiting. But what we really look out for are empty vessels coming in to load. There were some, but overall I would say that confidence has eroded, especially after last week, where we saw several vessels being attacked.

[03:35:04]

So the proposal that Oman has maybe would, you know, return some level of flows to the Strait. But, again, I don't think it would really be something that Tehran would accept, given the fact that they want to keep this leverage.

ABDELAZIZ: And speaking of that confidence, because that's what it comes down to, of course, for the shipping industry, for oil companies, even as Iran and the U.S. have been trading fire. And this really surprised me. The U.S. Navy has insisted that the southern route through the Strait, the Omani route, remains open and that U.S. forces were willing to maintain freedom of navigation.

Would any shippers even buy this? I mean, who do they trust at this point to feel safe enough?

BAKR: They don't feel safe enough. And to rebuild that confidence, it's really going to take a really long time. And seeing any vessel or even the threats coming from the IRGC radios to the crews of some of these vessels is enough to stop anyone from risking their vessels, risking the lives of the crews from passing.

So I think this confidence level hasn't, you know, been repaired. Even in June, I mean, post the MOU, we saw flows return to an average of something like 5.8 million barrels a day, that's still very low compared to what it was pre-war, we were talking about 20 million barrels a day. So we're still very far away from anything becoming normal.

ABDELAZIZ: For President Trump and his administration, they sort of have this attitude that once an agreement is reached, such as the MOU, you saw President Trump say, let the oil flow as if it should all be resolved in a day. But as you said, that confidence is at an all-time low. So how can that confidence be rebuilt?

BAKR: Well, there's another piece to the puzzle, too, okay? You can, at the first stage of recovery, is having the stranded vessels pass and, you know, when we don't have constant attacks on vessels, the threat of attacks, that needs to stop completely for the stranded vessels to come out. And then you need empty vessels to come in to load.

And then there's a third part of the recovery, which I think a lot of people kind of dismiss, is that we need to see production from the Gulf states that have stopped some of the output during the conflict resume that production to pre-war levels. And maybe the UAE and Saudi Arabia are able to return this in a matter of weeks. Other countries are not able to do so.

And we're talking about months till we return. And the longer we wait, the longer the recovery takes. And we're in a very different place where we were in February.

February, we had some global stock levels. Today, those stock levels haven't been replenished. So I would say, overall, the energy ecosystem is a lot more fragile.

ABDELAZIZ: Amina Bakr there, thank you so much on the very complicated and long-term efforts to rebuild that confidence in the Strait of Hormuz. Thank you so much.

A group of Peruvians say Moscow is luring their loved ones into war by promising them jobs in Russia, but instead sending them to the frontlines in Ukraine. They've been demanding answers for weeks outside the Russian embassy in Lima. CNN's Jimena De La Quintana has more details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIMENA DE LA QUINTANA, CNN EN ESPANOL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When Norma watched her son board a flight to Russia, she believed he was taking on a job as a military cook. The 31-year-old Peruvian had answered an online job ad promising good pay, Russian citizenship and work far from the frontlines.

But once, when he arrived, she says he was handed military gear and sent to fight in Ukraine.

This was the last time she ever heard from him. We are not publishing Norma's full name or that of her son to help protect them from possible retaliation.

NORMA, MOTHER OF PERUVIAN RECRUIT (through translator): I have faith in God, but it's been two months and eight days. My faith is shaking, but I keep saying to myself, I have to stay strong.

[03:40:02]

DE LA QUINTANA (voice-over): Norma isn't alone. Dozens of Peruvian families say their loved ones were recruited through misleading job offers and ended up fighting in a deadly war. CNN reached out to the Russian Minister of Defense for comments.

The Peruvian government has made hundreds of formal requests to Moscow seeking information about the recruits, while authorities are investigating the local recruiters in a possible human trafficking case. Several Peruvian recruits told CNN they were connected to Russian contacts through Pocho Wilson Pinto Pena, a reserve officer in the Peruvian military.

POCHO WILSON PINTO PENA, PERUVIAN MILITARY RESERVE OFFICER (through translator): Regarding the alleged crimes, I've seen mentions of human trafficking, which is absurd. It is absurd. In my case, I am not involved in human trafficking in any way because I am an honest, straightforward, sincere and highly professional man.

DE LA QUINTANA (voice-over): Pinto denies recruiting soldiers. He says he only passed along the contact details of another Peruvian recruiter in Russia whom he refused to identify and warned the men they could end up in combat. His name does not appear on any of the Russian recruitment contracts reviewed by CNN.

PENA (through translator): Initially, he told me he needed personnel for work there, but he didn't specify exactly what. However, since the country is in conflict and speaking as a military man myself, if I'm being taken to such a country, I naturally know where I'm going.

DE LA QUINTANA: But there is a difference between being in a war zone, guarding people at the embassy or a similar location and actually fighting in the front lines.

PENA (through translator): He told me they would be Russian military personnel, that they would wear the uniform and work as soldiers. He didn't say they were going to work in a shop or a factory.

DE LA QUINTANA (voice-over): For Norma and many other families, the investigation offers little comfort. They are still waiting for the same thing they have hoped for since the day their loved ones left a call saying they're coming home.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABDELAZIZ: With affordability a growing concern for many Americans, restaurants across America are trying to strike a balance between absorbing higher costs without raising prices for their customers. We're going to see how some restaurants in New York are faring just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ABDELAZIZ: Let's take a look at how markets in Asia are doing on their first day of trading since the escalation of fighting in the Middle East. Japan's Nikkei is slightly down there, just around two percent, you have the Hang Seng slightly up and the KOSPI there down just around nine percent.

In this era of economic uncertainty, New York's fine dining scene faces rising costs along with growing scrutiny over the prices paid by consumers. CNN's Richard Quest spoke to some of the owners of these restaurants to find out how they're faring.

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RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS EDITOR-AT-LARGE (voice-over): It is a tale of two cities in New York's restaurant industry, but nowhere is it the best of times.

In one of the city's wealthiest neighborhoods, the Upper East Side, Chef Daniel Bouloud's restaurant, Daniel, has a Michelin star and loyal diners. And in his several decades in the industry, he's been through a crisis or two.

DANIEL BOULOUD, CHEF AND OWNER, THE DINEX GROUP: I mean, late 80s, I wanted to leave New York City.

QUEST: But it's difficult now.

BOULOUD: Yes, but what makes me happy is that it's even more difficult in Europe, more difficult other places.

QUEST (voice-over): Further uptown to Harlem and Susannah Koteen has owned Lido for 15 years, its prices are more mid-tier. It's elegant and comfortable in her words, but running the business side of the restaurant is anything but comfortable.

SUSANNAH KOTEEN, OWNER, LIDO RESTAURANT: Tomato prices have gone up like 25 percent, but it's not only tomatoes, it's vegetables, it's avocados, it's limes, everything, everything is going up.

QUEST (voice-over): The CEO of Bouloud's restaurant group, Sebastien Silvestri, says they're seeing the same rising costs, high meat prices and increasing labor costs. And while a meal here can cost well into the hundreds of dollars, he says consumers won't accept simply paying a little bit extra.

SEBASTIEN SILVESTRI, CEO, THE DINEX GROUP: There's a lot of sensibility on the price, so that doesn't mean that if the food costs increase that you can pass it on to the customers. But I think ultimately it still comes down to the experience, the quality of the cuisine, the hospitality, the service. This we cannot touch it, we just have to manage the business tighter.

QUEST (voice-over): Through that strategy, Berlude's empire can endure. They have more than 20 restaurants around the globe, ranging from mid-tier to fine dining expensive.

BOULOUD: I'm a chef, I know how to cook. I can make you a dish that doesn't have to be expensive to be delicious.

QUEST (voice-over): For Koteen in Harlem, the business margins are a lot thinner, leaving less room to absorb higher costs without raising prices.

KOTEEN: I mean, we do our best.

It's a real balancing act. We've been here a little over 15 years. The last few years have been by far the hardest.

QUEST (voice-over): All of these issues, of course, extend far beyond New York. The James Beard Foundation report found that diners across the United States are feeling affordability concerns. Restaurants are facing a price ceiling where customers aren't willing to withstand continuous price increases, even if ingredient costs do go up for the restaurant.

This is an experience, Koteen says, she's seen first-hand. KOTEEN: We all know inflation is a really big deal and people are more

conscious of that. And therefore they either go out a little less or they're more price conscious when they do go out because their money has to just stretch that much further.

QUEST (voice-over): Today's troubles are, of course, not as severe as the pandemic. Still, without government support and public sympathy, today's restaurant owners are forced to deal with the challenges all on their own with whatever ingredients they may have.

Richard Quest, CNN, New York.

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ABDELAZIZ: We'll be right back after the break.

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[03:50:00]

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ABDELAZIZ: Just four teams remain in the battle for football's biggest prize. The World Cup semifinals kick off on Tuesday and France will put its star-studded offense to the test against a Spanish team that's allowed just one goal in the tournament so far. And on Wednesday, one of the sport's greatest rivalries will play out yet again when defending champions Argentina meet the Three Lions of England on the pitch in Atlanta.

The island nation of Cape Verde entered its first World Cup tournament as a tremendous long shot, with the team representing a country of just over half a million people left as fan favorites, earning supporters from around the world with the determination and courage that they showed on the pitch.

World Sport's Patrick Snell looks at the future of football in Cape Verde after the team's World Cup success.

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PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT (voice-over): Cape Verde's football team have gained unexpected fame around the globe after emerging as a surprise fan favorite at the World Cup. With a population of less than 600,000 people, they became the smallest nation ever to reach the knockout round of the tournament, but their fairy tale run ended after a thrilling 3-2 defeat during extra time to reigning champions Argentina. This was Cape Verde's World Cup debut, though they have long been preparing for their chance.

The country's football association has run youth development programs for years, often funded by FIFA.

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SILVERIA NEDIO, COACH, CAPE VERDE ACADEMY (through translator): The aim of football is, first of all, to form good citizens, to keep them away from trouble with the law through football, the main passion for every child in Cape Verde. And that's why we decided to turn the project into a football training school.

SNELL (voice-over): FIFA says it's invested more than $5.7 million into the country across 17 FIFA forward projects. The investments have included new artificial playing fields and stadium upgrades, along with national team development programs. A couple of the Blue Sharks, who played on the history-making World Cup team, trained with the program.

MARIO SEMEDO, CAPE VERDEAN FOOTBALL FEDERATION PRESIDENT (through translator): Yes, I believe we have indeed made real investments. Take our own example.

We have four players in the national team who received all their training here at the federation's training center through the Bola Para Afronte program. This center is clear proof that investing in training is a priority for us.

SNELL (voice-over): If Cape Verde's success at the World Cup shows anything, it has the talent and an enthusiastic fan base. One of the biggest obstacles so far has been money, but the country is expected to receive a payout of over $20 million for reaching the round of 32, which could be a game changer for its football program.

NEDIO (through translator): The future of football in Cape Verde, both women's and men's, is strong. It is big. From this World Cup moment, things can change, not only in football, when people are in country, but in the whole structure.

SNELL (voice-over): Patrick Snell, CNN.

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ABDELAZIZ: Thank you so much for watching, I'm Salma Abdelaziz. I'll be back with more news right after a quick break.

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