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Trump To Welcome Lebanese President To White House. Aired 4- 4:30a ET

Aired July 21, 2026 - 04:00   ET

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

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[04:00:38]

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR: Hi everybody. Thank you so much for being with me. I'm Polo Sandoval live in New York and this is CNN Newsroom.

The U.S. attacks Iran for a 10th straight night. And this is Donald Trump vows to make Tehran pay for the deaths of three U.S. service members. Plus a Mexican drug lord sentenced to life in prison in the U.S. A look at Ismail "El Mayo" Zambada's reign of terror leading up to his arrest. And later, Palestinians and Israelis, they are at odds over an archaeological site in the West Bank. How its ancient past is shaping the fight over the future of the region.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from New York, this is CNN Newsroom with Polo Sandoval.

SANDOVAL: We do want to begin in the Middle East where an effort to de-escalate attacks between the U.S. and Iran is being one upped by, as one official puts it, President Trump's focus on making Iran pay. Earlier, U.S. Central Command announced the completion of the 10th consecutive night of strikes. Iran's state media reporting explosions in the country's southern region along the Gulf of Oman and near the Strait of Hormuz. And on Monday, the Pentagon confirmed that nearly 100 U.S. service members have suffered some injury in the past two weeks in the region. And the announcement coming after CNN reported that the U.S. military has been slow to disclose injuries to troops in this war.

And mediators between the U.S. and Iran, they have floated a 10-day ceasefire in an effort to get the two countries back to the negotiating table. But the White House wouldn't say if it would accept a pause in the fighting. But did it acknowledge that diplomatic efforts are still ongoing.

Let's go now to the region. Head over to CNN's Leila Gharagozlou live in Abu Dhabi.

Leila, so we know that the U.S. is increasing some of their assets there on the ground. What else do we know?

LEILA GHARAGOZLOU, CNN PRODUCER: Yes. So we're expecting to see a new set of U.S. fighter jets headed to the region to the Middle East as President Trump looks to figure out what he wants to do with this conflict, whether he wants to ramp up the war or look for de- escalation paths. Now, we have heard as you mention, that Qatari and Pakistani mediators have kind of stepped in to try to get the U.S. and Iran back to the table. Iran's interior minister is in Pakistan for bilateral talks. It's unclear whether this will also come up in those talks.

But people are really working to try to get both sides to de-escalate and come up with some sort of diplomatic solution because as we're seeing over the last 10 days, things are escalating and expanding rather quickly. Just last night, U.S. CENTCOM essentially expanded a list of targets. It said that it struck Iranian military Command Centers, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and air defense systems, all in an effort to degrade Iran's military capabilities.

So we're seeing things slowly start to widen out. And given that Iran has said that it will respond in kind, the escalation ladder is kind of picking up. So we're going to have to see what happens over the next couple of days. But things are really tense here. It's a very fragile situation and we're on tenterhooks to see which way things could go.

Polo.

SANDOVAL: Yes, so much uncertainty on that. Leila, thank you so much for that reporting.

Well, the U.S. president will welcome Lebanon's president to the White House today. Joseph Aoun is expected to present a plan for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from his country and also the disarmament of Hezbollah, which has been a critical part of this deal.

Presidents Trump and Aoun, they have never met face to face. In fact, today's visit, it will be the first by a Lebanese president in nearly 20 years. So what else does this mean?

Let's go now take you live to Beirut, joined by Mohanad Hage Ali is the deputy director for research at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center.

Mohanad, it's so good to see you. Thank you so much for joining us.

MOHANAD HAGE ALI, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, MALCOLM H. KERR CARNEGIE MIDDLE EAST CENTER: Thank you.

SANDOVAL: So help us look ahead to this meeting that's scheduled in just a few hours there in Washington, D.C. between President Donald Trump and his Lebanese counterpart. In your view, what will be Joseph Aoun's priorities when he arrives at the White House?

HAGE ALI: Joseph Aoun wants three things from President Trump. One, to try and push a timeline for an Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon. This hasn't been happening. Israel is committed to certain towns on the border region and they're not really the secondary towns. [04:05:15]

The second thing is President Aoun wants a more important town to start with in the pilot projects which are basically the main -- the main towns that Israel will withdraw from in the case of an agreement between both sides. So he wants a larger start, a bigger start which will help him gain the trust of parts of the Lebanese Shia community that Hezbollah has the support of at the moment. And thirdly, President Aoun wants a real ceasefire. What we have now is a ceasefire in which Israel can continue to strike and bomb towns on the Lebanese side. Hezbollah is not responding to them at the moment, but it's just a one sided ceasefire.

So he wants to bring to the table these three main things to peel off some of the Shia support from -- inside Lebanon to help him move forward on disarmament of Hezbollah.

SANDOVAL: Mohanad, on this soon to be implemented plan calling for the Lebanese army to take over what it's describing as pilot zones, specifically there in southern Lebanon, what do you see as the chances of success? We do understand that per that mediated framework that the Israeli military is supposed to pull back from the region so that then the Lebanese forces can then move in and potentially clear Hezbollah.

HAGE ALI: Yes, I mean the Lebanese army is going in now as we speak, into one of the towns, Zawtar and Zawtar al-Gharbiyah, the western Zawtar. And in that town the army is going to have checkpoints, control certain areas. And within the U.S. led mechanism, which is the mediating role that the U.S. is playing in this -- in this conflict or in this agreement is basically they will coordinate with the Lebanese army and the Israeli side to give information on certain locations that the Lebanese army needs to go in and remove arms or confiscate anything that's used in the conflict. And in that -- in that way, you know, there's -- there would be a regular work or set of tasks for the Lebanese armed forces --

SANDOVAL: Yes.

HAGE ALI: -- in these areas. I think there has been experiences in the past within the mechanism and these could be replicated and improved as we -- as we move forward.

SANDOVAL: Yes, of course the hopes would be that would be replicated on a broader sort of on a broader angle when it comes to the wider ongoing conflict in the Middle East with any deal obviously contingent on Hezbollah disarming, the group seems to be resisting. Can you just speak to the pressure that President Aoun could be under for the Trump administration? I mean, he clearly will has -- have his list of priorities as you just laid out.

HAGE ALI: Yes. He needs -- he needs local support for moving on and disarming Hezbollah. I mean, Israel is still bombing parts of south Lebanon. There is a sense of insecurity among the Lebanese, Shia. Many of them are displaced from their towns as massive destruction that you can see Israel has been implementing what it says is the Gaza model on parts of south Lebanon in which there's vast destruction. So he faces internal pressure. But from -- I think from the U.S. president, he will be asked to deliver more on the Hezbollah disarmament. And I think what he will -- what the president will try to make the case that he will try to make in the meeting is that he needs more from the United States, specifically more concessions from the Israeli side, a commitment to a withdrawal, a light at the end of the tunnel that he could present to his own people as he moves forward on disarmament.

SANDOVAL: Yes, certainly going to be a highly watched meeting here as we wait to see if this meeting in Washington will be at least a meaningful step towards long term calm for the people of Lebanon. We know that that level of peace is certainly badly needed.

Mohamed, thank you so -- I'm sorry, Mohanad, I should say. Thank you so much for your time and for your critical analysis. Appreciate it.

HAGE ALI: Thank you. Thank you.

SANDOVAL: A U.S. Army veteran is in custody after authorities say that he threw an incendiary device at a federal government building here in New York City on Monday. The building houses the FBI and also Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. CNN's Sherrell Hubbard, has more on the investigation.

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SHERRELL HUBBARD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An incendiary device was thrown at a federal building in Manhattan Monday. Authorities say they had the man responsible for it in custody.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So I see this guy throwing what looked like little canisters and just walked in front of the building, threw them out and set it on fire.

JAMES BARNACLE, ASST. DIRECTOR IN CHARGE, FBI NEW YORK FIELD OFFICE: He poured gasoline onto the ground. It ignited it with a lighter and an incendiary device. That device was a firework.

HUBBARD (voice-over): The FBI says 43-year-old Andrew Arrabaca then pulled out an airsoft rifle and fired five to seven pellets in the direction of the federal building before a Federal Protective Service officer took him down. The incident unfolded around 8:30 Monday morning at a federal building that houses offices for government agencies like the FBI and also Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The FBI says Arrabaca came armed with bad intentions.

BARNACLE: He had two axes, a hammer, a machete and three knives.

HUBBARD (voice-over): A law enforcement source says Arrabaca is pulling a cart containing two rifles, fireworks and anti-ICE materials as well. The NYPD says he had a sign that read "ICE off our streets." Once a U.S. army soldier serving 2001 to 2005, authorities now describe Arrabaca as an extremist. TOM HOMAN, WHITE HOUSE BORDER CZAR: This is another example of someone, you know, attacking ICE because of the constant mismessaging and vilification of the men and women of ICE.

HUBBARD (voice-over): Federal authorities say one civilian suffered injuries as well as two government employees.

I'm Sherrell Hubbard reporting.

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SANDOVAL: And the fatal shootings of two men by ICE agents have renewed scrutiny of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. More than three dozen U.S. senators, they are demanding significant reforms after the deadly shootings in Texas and Maine this year. In a letter to Secretary Markwayne Mullin, they are calling on DHS to follow through on its earlier commitment to equip every ICE arrest team with at least one body camera within the next 60 days. And the senators also want to know how new ICE recruits are vetted. Both fatal ICE shootings happened during traffic stops earlier this month and the agents involved were not wearing body cameras.

Here's border czar Tom Homan.

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HOMAN: I'm a supporter of body cameras. You know, I know that body cameras exonerate officers almost 90 percent of the time. I want the American people to see where that agency is. You know, you can have cell phone cameras from across the street or cameras from the side or city cameras. I want the American people to see what that ICE officer sees when he takes action.

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SANDOVAL: Well, today Andy Burnham is set to hold his first cabinet meeting since becoming British prime minister. He has wasted no time in making bold promises to the public, pledging to make politics work better as he put it. And one of his first actions is to cut taxes on electricity bills come October in an effort to lower the cost of living. CNN's Max Foster has more on his plans for change.

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MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Britain's new prime minister, the seventh in just over a decade of political turmoil arriving at Downing Street on Monday with a promise of change.

ANDY BURNHAM, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I know people at home are fed up with politics. I hear you and I want to be honest with you, we have not been good enough and we need to be better. We will be.

We will make this moment a circuit breaker for Britain, bringing forward the biggest changes in the last 40 years.

FOSTER (voice-over): Doing away with the traditional Downing Street speech lectern, Burnham pledged to restore faith in government, bring down the cost of living and end rough sleeping.

BURNHAM: I will put the care of people at the heart of everything I do.

FOSTER (voice-over): It came after a warm goodbye to the former leader Keir Starmer, earlier on Monday.

KEIR STARMER, UNITED KINGDOM FORMER PRIME MINISTER: My work is done.

FOSTER (voice-over): His resignation making him the shortest serving Labour Prime Minister in history.

STARMER: I go with good grace. I go with a smile and I go proud of everything that we have achieved.

FOSTER (voice-over): It was less than two years ago that Starmer led his party to its biggest majority in Parliament this century. But the British public soon soured on him and ultimately it was pressure from within his own party amid lagging poll ratings that led to his exit and this moment.

STARMER: As I now pass the baton to Andy Burnham, I wish him every success. He has my full support.

FOSTER (voice-over): After leaving Downing Street, Starmer traveled the short journey to formally offer his resignation to King Charles at Buckingham Palace. Burnham then seamlessly stepped into his place as he was invited to form a government by the monarch.

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FOSTER: For Andy Burnham, this is actually a return to Westminster. He was a Member of Parliament here for 16 years. He was a member of the cabinet as well before going on to Greater Manchester where he became mayor and one of the most popular politicians in the country.

Now he's urging everyone, his supporters and the general public to get behind him as he takes on his biggest job yet, the biggest job in the country.

BURNHAM: I will give this my all and I ask you all to pull with me. Let's build a new national sense of unity, of common purpose and positivity. Let us make this the moment when Britain starts to believe again, the moment we bring back hope.

FOSTER (voice-over): But as the man dubbed the King of the north takes office behind the shiny black door in Westminster, the difficult decisions both at home and abroad begin.

Max Foster, CNN, Downing Street, London.

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SANDOVAL: And still to come here on CNN, a leader of the notorious Sinaloa cartel sentenced to life in a U.S. prison. When we return will tell you what message he had for young people. Plus, online influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate. They have appeared in federal court. The U.K. charges at the center of the case in a moment.

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SANDOVAL: Welcome back. Sinaloa drug cartel boss Ismael Zambada, known as "El Mayo," has been sentenced to life in prison in the United States. He pleaded guilty last year to trafficking millions of kilos of cocaine over decades. And during the sentencing on Monday, the man described by the DEA as one of the most violent traffickers in the world. He urged young people not to follow in his steps.

Well, his sentencing, it ends one of the most significant drug prosecutions since the trial of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, "El Mayo's" associate.

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JOSEPH NOCELLA, JR., ATTORNEY FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK: "El Mayo" and "El Chapo" corrupted numerous officials in Mexico to protect their criminal empire. And when corruption did not work, they used horrific violence, including torture, kidnapping and murder.

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SANDOVAL: CNN's Maria Santana has more on how El Mayo and the Sinaloa cartel became some of America's most wanted drug traffickers and the attempts to dismantle their massive organization.

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MARIA SANTANA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For decades, he evaded U.S. and Mexican authorities. But Ismael Zambada, known as "El Mayo," was finally captured on July 25, 2024, the co-founder of the infamous Sinaloa Cartel was arrested alongside Joaquin Guzman Lopez, one of the sons of Sinaloa's other co-founder, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.

MERRICK GARLAND, THEN-U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: El Mayo and Guzman Lopez join a growing list of Sinaloa cartel leaders and associates who the Justice Department is holding accountable in the United States.

SANTANA (voice-over): "El Mayo" started the Sinaloa cartel decades ago with "El Chapo." And under their leadership, the group became a criminal empire that trafficked cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and other drugs to the United States. They corrupted officials to expand their business and ferociously protected their gains through brute force and mass murder. "El Chapo" was captured in 2014. He later escaped and was recaptured in 2016.

He's since been extradited to the U.S. where he's been tried, convicted and sentenced to life in prison. "El Mayo's" more secretive profile allowed him to remain at large for another decade. He was finally captured two years ago. "El Mayo" claims he was tricked by "El Chapo's" son, Guzman Lopez, into boarding this plane in Mexico and then flown to the U.S. The aircraft is now part of an exhibition in a New Mexico museum on loan from the FBI. And a note next to the plane claims the whole operation was orchestrated by the U.S. despite public denials from Washington. Last year, "El Mayo" pled guilty to his federal charges.

PAM BONDI, THEN-U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: El Mayo was one of the most prolific and powerful drug traffickers in this world. They brutally murdered multiple people and flooded our country with drugs. Their reign of terror is over.

SANTANA (voice-over): But with the cartel's leadership gone, violence has skyrocketed in the areas under its control as rival factions continue to battle for control.

Maria Santana, CNN, New York.

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SANDOVAL: Online influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate, they will remain behind bars in Florida. The brothers appeared in handcuffs in federal court on Monday and this is they fought an extradition request from the United Kingdom where they face a total of 59 criminal charges between them. Federal court filings released on Monday night detail allegations by women who accused the men of sexual and physical abuse. The brothers have denied all allegations against them.

CNN's Carolina Peguero with more.

CAROLINA PEGUERO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: From being known worldwide as social media influencers that travel the world and have very controversial stances, the Tate brothers were seen today in court in prisoner jumpsuits, shackles and surrounded by U.S. marshal officials as they were facing several charges in court today. And those charges include sexual assault, rape and also human trafficking. This as well as a request from the U.K. of an extradition transfer to the country as their investigation has been ongoing, very complex and extensive, including seven victims that they are reporting abuse in England and in London during the years of 2010 and 2017.

Now, the Tate brothers were arrested over the weekend here in Miami as they were attending a boxing event. They were approached by U.S. marshals and later seen in handcuffs. Their lawyers now say that this is a political motivated arrest, that they're going to do everything in their power for them to be free. And if they need to take this up to the Supreme Court, they will.

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JOSEPH MCBRIDE, ATTORNEY FOR TATE BROTHERS: It's garbage. It's a stitch up job. They're after us to punish us with the process. The process is the punishment. When you drag somebody's name through the media, when you slander them, when you defame them, when you accuse them of heinous and terrible allegations, the process becomes the punishment until you can clear your name.

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PEGUERO: Andrew Tate is facing 42 charges while his brother Tristan is facing 17 charges. And it's important to mention that they as they have two cases, criminal cases that they're facing overseas. They're also involved in a civil defamation case here in Florida. The judge now has decided that they will remain in federal custody until the next briefing for the lawyers, which is expected on July 27th.

Carolina Peguero, CNN, Miami.

SANDOVAL: We still have a lot more for you, including this.

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ZAID AZHARI, SEBASTIA HISTORIAN: This is everything for us. I cannot imagine Sebastia without the archaeological site. It's like your children. You cannot like leave one of them.

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SANDOVAL: For one Palestinian community, these ancient ruins are more than stones. They're a connection to history and identity. Why that connection is now at the center of a growing dispute in the West Bank.

Plus, we also have some joy on the streets of Madrid as Spain celebrates its second time winning the Men's World Cup. We'll join the celebrations after the break.

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SANDOVAL: U.S. Central Command says that its forces have completed their latest wave of strikes against Iran. They were launched just hours after President Trump warned that Tehran would pay for the recent --

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