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Trump: U.S. Should Be "Reimbursed For Protection" In Middle East; Counter-Terrorism Police Leading Widdecombe Murder Probe; States Sue To Block Paramount's Warner Bros. Discovery Takeover. Aired 4:30- 5a ET

Aired July 14, 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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LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: -- President Trump formally notifies Congress that military action has resumed in Iran. We'll go to the White House for details.

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KINKADE: Welcome back. President Trump says he wants the U.S. to be reimbursed for protection in the Middle East. He suggests that the U.S. would offer protection in the Strait of Hormuz for a, "20 percent charge on all cargo shipped." Iran's foreign minister agrees, but says 20 percent is too much and that Tehran is the guardian of the Strait and would, "be fair." CNN's Kristen Holmes reports from the White House.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Trump sent a letter to Congress alerting them that military action was resuming in Iran. Now, this is particularly notable, given this is the first time he's actually informed Congress of any sort of military action taken in Iran. Now, part of that letter, he wrote this. The United States ground forces are not involved in these strikes. These strikes are limited, measured, planned and executed in a manner designed to minimize civilian casualties.

Now, he did take questions in the Oval Office, where he said they were continuing to strike in Iran and said that the U.S. would eventually control the Strait of Hormuz. Listen to this.

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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're attacking them tonight. We're taking out all of their capability for anything having to do with the Strait, with the Hormuz Strait. And I think in the end, we will end up just controlling the whole thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now, President Trump also introduced this idea of getting reimbursed for helping ships go through the Strait of Hormuz. It's important to note because U.S. officials have said that any tolls or fees should not be imposed and that they would be incredibly difficult to actually impose on ships going through the Strait of Hormuz.

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Now, he believes that they -- that these countries that use the Strait of Hormuz on a regular basis should be in reimbursing the United States 20 percent. Unclear what that would look like. This is coming as President Trump has announced that they are putting the naval blockade of ships back into the Strait. We heard from U.S. military officials saying that would likely happen Tuesday afternoon. The U.S. believes this is one of the greatest, if not the greatest asset they have because it puts a financial chokehold on Iran and in the past has brought them to the negotiating table.

It seems as though President Trump still believes at least somewhere down the line there could be a deal. That's what he said when he was speaking to reporters. But his letter to Congress, given what he's said about these strikes and U.S. officials saying they're likely to go on for days, just seems like these are two very different things that are being written down and being articulated by the president at this time.

Kristen Holmes, CNN, the White House.

KINKADE: Earlier, I spoke to energy markets expert Vandana Hari on how the markets are responding to the renewed fighting in the Strait of Hormuz and the outlook for the price of oil.

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VANDANA HARI, CEO & FOUNDER, VANDA INSIGHTS: The market has been plunged into great uncertainty once again, similar to what we saw through the three and a half months of war. In some ways, probably worse. What we -- what the market does have to go by amidst all the unanswered questions is that the Strait of Hormuz is virtually shut again.

It did reopen for a few days after the memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran. Quite a bit of the stranded vessels, the stranded oil, close to 200 million barrels per day -- barrels of oil that was stranded has left and reached the markets. But the big question, as you imply in your question, is what happens going forward. If we continue to lose that amount of supply, you know, the reserves, global reserves, whether they're strategic reserves, commercial reserves have already been drained at unprecedented rates.

So it's increasingly looking like we are finally the market is going to hit that major wall of very, very short supply.

KINKADE: And of course, we keep hearing these two competing messages, the U.S. saying Hormuz is open, Iran saying it can effectively shut it down. From an energy market perspective, what matters more, whether the Strait is technically open or whether ships are able and willing to use it?

HARI: Absolutely. So that's an important point. There is all that rhetoric and noise that the market does have to pay attention to, but it's very hard to trade on that rhetoric. So what the market has been watching very closely since the start of the war and especially after the MOU and there were some positive signs because more number of ships had started transiting after the 17th June MOU.

But in the last few days, a number which peaked at about 70 ships a day compared with 130 before the war. But that has come off very, very steeply. The last couple of days, less than a handful of ships have transited. So as far as the oil market is concerned, the Strait of Hormuz is effectively shut, which means we go back to the same point, 14 to 15 million barrels per day of oil supply has just gone missing from the market once again.

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KINKADE: British counterterrorism police are now leading the investigation into the suspected murder of former lawmaker Ann Widdecombe. The U.K. Home Secretary says the officers are taking charge after new information and evidence was brought to light. Widdecombe was found dead in her home Thursday, but police believe she died at least one day earlier. One man has been arrested on the suspicion of murder. CNN international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson has more on the investigation.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: The U.K., unfortunately, has a sad track record over the last 10 years. Two other sitting MPs, Ann Widdecombe, of course, was no longer a sitting MP, but a formidable and former and long-serving MP for the Conservative Party. Two MPs over the past 10 years have been murdered. And that is an unfortunate track record.

But I think what is surprising people here is that it's taken the four days to decide to involve the counterterrorism police. And there are other aspects of this that are really catching people's attention here. Ann Widdecombe, she was popular. She was on a lot of popular T.V. programming towards the end of her political career with the Conservative Party. She, of course, became pro-Brexit, joined the Brexit Party, became a European MEP for the Brexit Party for a year, and had more recently joined the popular and populist right-wing Reform Party of Nigel Farage. And, in fact, she'd become a spokesperson for them on immigration.

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But she was really sort of retired in many ways from the political limelight. So it does make all of this a little bit of a surprise. But that factor that's catching a lot of people's attention here is that the person that's been arrested, a 28-year-old white British male, lived 270 miles from where Ann Widdecombe lived. That's about 430 kilometers. The Home Secretary, as you heard her say, don't sort of speculate about this case.

But what has again caught people's attention here is that just that morning when Ann Widdecombe was murdered, she'd been on television being interviewed in her capacity as a spokesperson for the Reform Party and defending that party and some of the things that the leader of the party was doing. And she had been due about five hours later to be doing another television interview in her capacity as spokesperson for that party.

And in that intervening period, this is, of course, what's helped guide the police to try to figure out precisely when she was killed. But in that intervening period, this is when they say she was brutally murdered. The other point, when the Home Secretary talks about prevent, about not being known to counterterrorism officials, prevent, of course, is that multi-agency government body that tries to de- radicalize, if you will, or guide people away from a path towards terrorism.

I think there's a lot more to learn about this. But at the moment, as you say, counterterrorism will bring their weight, speed, and knowledge to this investigation.

KINKADE: The World Cup semi-finals kick off later today in Dallas with a showdown between two heavyweights. Top-ranked France will put its star-studded offense to the test against a number three-ranked Spanish team. It's allowed just one goal in the tournament so far. The winner will earn a spot in Sunday's final. World Sports' Don Riddell has more from Dallas, Texas.

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: We're looking forward to an absolutely monumental World Cup semi-final match here in Dallas between Spain and France. And whatever happens in that game, the Spanish team has already been celebrating, marking not just one, but two birthdays within their squad on Monday, Victor Munoz, one. The other, the remarkable Lamine Yamal, who, would you believe, is only just 19.

And what he has already achieved in this game is quite remarkable. He's already played 13 matches in major tournaments. He's already a European champion of Spain. He's already won three La Liga titles with Barcelona. And he's already a runner-up in the Ballon d'Or. Spain entered this competition as pre-tournament favorites. They've barely put a foot wrong. They've only conceded one goal. They're riding high on a remarkable 36-match unbeaten streak in competitive games. And whatever happens on Tuesday afternoon, they all know they're going to be a part of something pretty special.

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ALEX BAENA, MIDFIELDER, SPANISH NATIONAL TEAM: We're really looking forward to the referee blowing the opening whistle. I don't think either they or we are afraid. It's a matter of respect for one of the best national teams in the tournament and in the world. And, well, we hope it will be a very, very tight match that will be decided by small details.

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RIDDELL: Well, maybe they should be a little bit afraid, because what France are doing in this competition is absolutely remarkable. They've set the place on fire, scoring 16 goals. They're just irresistible going forward with this kind of three-headed monster of Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise. The three of them just present so many extraordinary attacking threats, whether it's goals or assists. And, you know, the French are pretty hard to beat as well. They've won every game in 90 minutes. They're the only team that can say that. And they've only conceded two goals and none in the knockout stage. So, I mean, they are arriving at this stage of the absolutely on fire, as if they needed any more motivation. They have it thanks to their coach, Didier Deschamps, who's going to be stepping down at the end of this tournament.

He had to step away during the competition to attend the funeral of his mother back home. Just absolutely devastating for him, it seems to have brought himself and the players even closer together. So it's just so hard to pick any faults in the French team. But the same is true of the Spanish team. And this has been described as the final before the final.

[04:45:01]

We could easily see this being the title match. It's going to be the semi. Unfortunately, one has to go out, but it should be a magnificent occasion. Back to you.

KINKADE: Our thanks to Don Riddell.

The new lawsuit looks to block a mega merger in the media business. Ahead, a look at the high stakes antitrust battle over Paramount's takeover of CNN's parent company, Warner Brothers Discovery.

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KINKADE: Twelve states are now suing to block Paramount's takeover of Warner Brothers Discovery, CNN's parent company. The antitrust lawsuit was filed Monday in California. CNN's Brian Stelter has the latest.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: The fate of one of the biggest mergers in American history may now be in the hands of a federal judge. That's because the 12 states that are suing to block the Paramount Warner Brothers Discovery merger have asked the judge to step in and issue a temporary restraining order.

That request was made late Monday night, and if a judge grants it, it would pause everything and stop the companies from completing the merger while the legal process plays out. A judge in Northern California will likely have to weigh in on this sometime in just the next few days. This is the latest dramatic twist in Paramount's nearly year-long quest to take control of CNN and the rest of Warner Brothers Discovery.

Monday's lawsuit filed by those 12 states could slow down or even stop the merger altogether. But first, there's going to be a titanic legal battle, and Paramount is vowing to vigorously contest the charges made by the states. Now, these 12 state attorneys general, all Democrats, say the Trump administration is failing to enforce antitrust law.

Last month, the Trump Justice Department gave Paramount the green light for the merger, an approval that came under criticism over Paramount's cozy relationship with the President. So these states are stepping in, charging that Paramount's takeover of Warner will hurt Hollywood and hurt consumers. Paramount rejects all that.

It says the states are distorting antitrust law and says the deal, "Strengthens competition." Here's a part of Paramount's statement, "As numerous antitrust authorities around the world have already concluded after months of review, this transaction creates a stronger competitor against dominant streaming and technology platforms who have harmed the market for theatrical exhibition and jobs in the entertainment industry."

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So Paramount is saying that Netflix is hurting movie theaters and taking away jobs. And Paramount is saying it has to be able to get bigger to compete with the likes of Netflix and Amazon and Apple and other technology giants. But the states are refuting that and saying this deal would violate antitrust law. And the impacts, as detailed in the lawsuit, are mostly about the entertainment industry.

But California Attorney General Rob Bonta also alluded to the concerns that many people have about Paramount taking control of CNN and potentially merging it with "CBS News." Bonta said, "This merger will mean fewer journalists informing the electorate." He said the deal is bad for democracy. His comments certainly underscore the high stakes of this merger and now the high stakes of this legal battle.

Now, when some of these same states filed a similar lawsuit last spring against two owners of local T.V. stations, Nexstar and Tegna, a judge sided with the states and stopped the merger from taking effect, basically freezing Nexstar and Tegna in place. So is this case the same or is it different? Some analysts have said that the case against Paramount might not be as strong as the case against Nexstar and Tegna.

Paramount certainly believes so. But these states have spent months investigating this proposed merger. They believe they have a winning hand. And soon we will see what a judge says.

Brian Stelter, CNN.

KINKADE: We're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back.

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KINKADE: The count of the royal swan population is underway in Britain. The 800-year-old tradition is called swan upping, and it takes place along the stretches of the River Thames. The sovereign swan marker and his team take the census of all the swans that King Charles owns. It was once about preparing for hunting season, now it's focused on education and conservation.

This year's San Fermin Festival is coming to a close in Pamplona, Spain. Despite the jubilant atmosphere, some thrill-seekers found that if you mess with a bull, you do in fact get the horns. On Monday, at least six people were injured during one of the festival's famed bull runs through the historic city's streets. A total of 51 runners have now been injured since the start of the week-long festival.

A black Labrador got a little too high on a hike in the U.K.'s tallest mountain, and we're not just talking about the altitude. Five-year-old Tokyo became ill and lost consciousness near the peak of Ben Nevis in Scotland after reportedly consuming too much cannabis. A mountain rescue team was later called to help carry the 53-pound dog back down the trail. The vet who treated Tokyo believes the dog had scavenged food and perhaps even human waste containing cannabis. She has since made a speedy recovery. Her owner, Christina, says she'll definitely be more careful about what Tokyo gets her nose into in the future.

Thanks so much for watching. I'm Lynda Kinkade. CNN Headline Express is next.

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