Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Iran Launches Retaliatory Strikes as U.S. Hit Targets; Lindsay Clancy Trial to Continue Deliberations as the Verdict Impasse Remains. Aired 3-3:45a ET

Aired September 02, 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]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Welcome to our viewers around the world. I'm Polo Sandoval, live in New York.

And ahead here on "CNN Newsroom," Iran launches retaliatory strikes as the U.S. hits targets across the country. President Trump is warning as tensions escalate.

And a desperate effort is underway at this hour to reach people in the hardest hit areas of Nepal as the death toll there climbs. I'll be speaking live to a U.N. coordinator on the ground about these ongoing aid efforts.

Plus, President Putin claiming Russia is open to talks to end the war in Ukraine. But the reality on the ground, telling a much different story.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from New York, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Polo Sandoval.

SANDOVAL: Well, the U.S. and Iran have traded a new series of strikes. U.S. Central Command saying that they were prompted by, quote, "attempted attacks" on commercial shipping in the straits and on American service members in the region. They come after the first escalation in the region in a month, just days earlier.

(VIDEO PLAYING)

U.S. Central Command has released this video on Tuesday with a list of Iranian targets that had hit in the strikes, including air defense sites, radar systems and communication sites. And U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening Iran that, quote, "they will be hit again at a much harder and higher level if they retaliate." And the President later wrote that he couldn't care less if Tehran signs a, quote, "worthless agreement over the Strait of Hormuz and urged Iranians to rise up and fight."

Multiple strikes from Iran were reported on Tuesday. The Jordanian armed forces confirmed that it has intercepted at least 10 missiles that were launched from Iran and another three that fell in remote locations. Bahrain and Kuwait also reported intercepting Iranian drones.

Let's go live now to Abu Dhabi and CNN's Paula Hancocks tracking the latest out of the Middle East. So, Paula, the Iranian military previously vowed to respond with strikes of its own if the U.S. had taken such action. So, what's Tehran saying today?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Polo, what we're seeing here at the moment is a very familiar pattern of the U.S. striking military targets and then Iran retaliating by targeting what it says are U.S. military assets in the region. So, this morning what we saw was Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan being targeted by Iranian missiles and drones.

Jordan saying 13 ballistic missiles were incoming to Jordan. They managed to disable and intercept 10 of them, in Kuwait, we understand that there has been a fire in a residential complex, according to authorities, but they say there have been no injuries there, and Bahrain also intercepting incoming drones.

Now, what we've been hearing from Tehran itself is that they would retaliate if the U.S. were to carry out strikes against them. U.S. CENTCOM said the sort of targets that they were focusing on were Revolutionary Guard, the air defense sites, the radar systems, the ability of the Revolutionary Guard to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz and that was really what sparked this recent escalation in violence.

It has been a relatively quiet or at least calm few weeks in this region, but that was Sunday into Monday when we saw the U.S. military targeting what they said was Iran trying to lay more mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

Now, we did hear from Iran's Parliament Speaker, the Chief Negotiator, for that memorandum of understanding, which now appears to be fairly defunct, but he spoke about the Strait of Hormuz. Let's listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOHAMMAD BAGHER GHALIBAF, IRANIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER (through translator): Our military forces have full control of the Strait and do not allow it to be opened. Whenever they see movement from the enemy, they react with authority and precision and do not allow them to pass through the Strait.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS: Now, we're hearing something very similar from the U.S. President Donald Trump saying that the U.S. is in full control of the Strait of Hormuz.

[03:05:06]

He claimed just yesterday that some 30 vessels had been permitted to cross with the help of the U.S. Navy in the previous 24 hours with millions of barrels of oil being exported to the global market. He did say that he is not trying to force Iran to the negotiating table with this tactic, saying that "I like our position now much better. We have a total control of the Hormuz Strait almost and their economy totally collapsing."

Now, we had been hearing messaging from the Trump administration that they were moving away from the physicality of this war and they were going to focus on economic warfare with the Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying it would be an economic D-Day.

But what we're seeing now is an escalation without doubt. And of course, there are concerns that this could escalate further and we will really have to see what comes in the coming hours, Polo.

SANDOVAL: And we'll have to see if said economic pressures actually go anywhere. Paula Hancocks with that live report from Abu Dhabi, as always, thank you for your reporting.

Now, to the latest out of Nepal, where more than 1,100 people have been killed, with thousands more still missing. And this after floodwaters overwhelmed the border region between Nepal and China last week. And those who survived are still wrestling with all of the devastation of the aftermath.

The scale of the destruction, it is still making it very difficult for many families to learn the fate of their missing loved ones. Nearly 12,000 people across Nepal have been rescued so far, and that's according to information from authorities. And that includes 119 people who were saved by the Nepali army on Tuesday.

Urgent search and efforts, they are still underway, trying to locate hundreds of workers trapped in the country's buried hydropower tunnels. And international aid agencies are also racing to reach flood zones that have been cut off by the damage to major infrastructure.

The United Nations says contact has still not been established with some of the hardest hit areas. The U.N. also estimating the disaster has left behind more than 2.4 million tons of debris.

CNN's Anderson Cooper is in Nepal and brings us a closer look at the reality that many people are having to face.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): It's been one week since disaster struck, and in Trisuli, this is the end of the road. Once a bustling market, now soggy and cement-soaked, it looks like a wasteland.

The river is running fast. The water is still high. Residents and visitors stand and stare.

UNKNOWN: This water source has been a life for people living here, and by that I mean they've been living here for generations and generations.

COOPER: Looking at the water today, does it look different to you? UNKNOWN: Yes, it does.

COOPER: In what way?

UNKNOWN: Well, it makes me sad. It makes me sad and emotional as well because this is one of the sacred water resources that we have.

You know, when you mourn for somebody in your family, once they have died, people go up across this river and then they do all the rituals over there. So this is kind of like a holy river for us.

COOPER (voice-over): Buddhist monks came from Kathmandu to pray and offer blessings.

Traffic snarls on broken roads. The jackknife truck is hardly noticed.

A local school bus driver, Chhiring Tamang, saved the lives of some 50 children, picking them up just before their school was destroyed and crossing a bridge before it was washed away.

CHHRING TAMANG, BUS DRIVER (through translator): After two minutes of me crossing the bridge, the flood came on my side. Kids started screaming after seeing the flood.

They were shouting. One kid fainted inside the bus. They were asking me to drive faster.

On the road, there were people running like ants to save their lives. After I drove near the uphill, I could see the flood is already ahead of me. I reached a higher location and I felt safe with the kids.

I took a long breath and then I continued my duty of dropping the kids, came back and parked the bus at the bridge station.

COOPER (voice-over): I asked him what it feels like to be a hero.

TAMANG (through translator): It's a sad time for me. I have lost my nephew. She was working in the same school.

I'm very sad that my nephew is dead. My nephew called me before I crossed the bridge. This was right after I informed the principal regarding the flood.

He told me, uncle, where are you? There's flood coming in the river. She was a helper at the school. He informed me to not go to the school.

[03:10:05]

He lives in the same school with his family. He has a daughter and his wife is disabled. They are safe now.

They have nothing left as my nephew was my only breadwinner of the family.

COOPER (voice-over): Later, he showed us a photo of his nephew. His name was Tridam Lama. There aren't many heroes here, but even they have heavy hearts.

Anderson Cooper, CNN, Trisuli.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: Let's get a live update now and head to Kathmandu. I'm joined by the United Nations resident coordinator for Nepal, Lila Peters Yahia. Lila, thank you so much for taking the time.

LILA PETERS YAHIA, UNITED NATIONS RESIDENT COORDINATOR, NEPAL: Thank you so much for inviting me, Polo.

SANDOVAL: It has now been a week of this, a week of sadness, as you point out, a week of celebrated rescues, but at the same time, a week of solemn recoveries of remains. If you could just start off with an update on what the U.N.'s priority is today.

PETERS YAHIA: Okay, so our priority, we're focusing on saving lives because this remains our huge priority, delivering water, sanitation, and hygiene, providing food, improving access so our partners and the United Nations can have access. So we're working with the authorities to find the best way to deliver aid.

We're looking into shelter. We have over 1000 people have been displaced, and we have to make sure that women and children and men are separated, that they have access to sanitation.

We're looking into issue of protection, but we are also supporting the management with our colleagues from the Federation of the Red Cross, how you manage remains, human remains, how you do DNA tests. We are also looking into supporting resuming life because people are asking for their livelihood. We're looking also on how we are supporting agriculture to make sure that they will be able to harvest, but also mental health care.

You know, this is such a tragic event for Nepal, but also for the international community. So we are still praying. The government is continuing to do, obviously, search, rescue, but also recovery, and those are going to be difficult moments.

But like you said, over 12,000 people have been rescued, so we need to get aid to those people. We have 84,000 people have been affected.

SANDOVAL: 84,000, that is a tremendously telling figure, and I was going to say, I'm so glad that you highlight also that critical need of making sure that there is an emotional support available as well, not just for the survivors, but those critical first responders and the many crew members that are out there working to find answers or, in many cases, closure for so many of the families of the missing.

Tell us about this humanitarian flash appeal that you agreed to along with the government of Nepal. What do you hope that it provides, especially in those hard-hit areas?

PETERS YAHIA: Well, what we're hoping is through the flash appeal that we will be able to provide clean water, that we will be able to manage cleaning up. You have a lot of also animals who've been lost, so we're very worried about infectious diseases, so this is our top priority.

We're going to be looking as well into shelter. We need to make sure. It's going to be winter in October, so we need to make sure that people are able to protect themselves for the winter, that they have a roof where to stay.

We're going to be looking into food security, to making sure people have access to food, looking into health, but also, like I say, mental health care, so counseling children. We have to make sure that children can go back to school. A lot of the schools are being occupied by the IDPs, the displaced persons, so it's going to be very important.

We have to go, and this, we have just about four months, so it's going to be a four-month flash appeal that I'm hoping with the government, we are hoping to launch it very soon.

SANDOVAL: I'm glad you also mentioned the thousands of people that are still seeking shelter right now in schools. Lila, what still needs to happen in order to try to expedite services for them, to try to get them in more long-term housing? Obviously, as your personnel on the ground will recognize, this recovery is going to take months, if not years.

[03:14:57]

PETERS YAHIA: Yeah. We're talking about the Himalayas, and access, it's mountainous. It's very difficult.

The government is working day and night to open the roads, so one thing they're going to be looking, and also this is what we're putting also on the appeal, is we're looking into putting bridges, because there's absolutely no access, there's no road.

The roads are gone, the bridges are gone, so the government has been looking into the trekking roads, so we're going to also be looking into using porters to provide this delivery. The access is the biggest issue, but also we have enough supplies. We're looking into equipment, we're looking into people with expertise, but non-food item, we have enough of it for the moment, and I'd like to really thank all the contribution, all the generous support we have received.

We need very specific supplies, and to find ways to facilitate access and delivery of aid, we're going to be looking also how we coordinate, because you have to coordinate, and the government has put of aid leading, has put a coordination mechanism, and we, the U.N., will be supporting that and reinforcing that capacity.

SANDOVAL: And we thank you and the many other U.N. personnel and other humanitarian workers that are there in the middle of the devastation to try to assist all of those affected. Lila Peters Yahia, do stay in touch. Thank you so much for that live update.

PETERS YAHIA: Thank you.

SANDOVAL: And there's so much more to come here on "CNN Newsroom," including Russia's president claiming that he's open to substantive peace talks, and this as his forces continue to batter Ukraine's capital with some deadly airstrikes, plus Germany saying that Russia launched a attack on one of its airports. We have the details for you in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:20:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANDOVAL: Welcome back.

Vladimir Putin claims that Moscow is open to concrete peace talks. It's a recurring message from the Russian leader. This time he says that he wants to end the war and achieve lasting and complete peace throughout Ukraine and Europe.

Of course, those comments come the day that Ukrainian children started the new school year in bomb shelters under air raid sirens. In fact, one school in Kyiv has moved its classrooms underground so students will no longer have to run to safety during Russian air assaults.

And Ukraine's President visited another school where children had to rush to a shelter. He says that it shows that Russia has no qualms about involving children in this war, that Russia's relentless attacks have killed at least 53 people in the Kyiv region since Thursday. 12 people were killed overnight on Tuesday after Moscow launched a barrage of jet-powered drones and ballistic missiles.

And Germany says that Russia is responsible for a drone attack against Leipzig airport just last month. In August, a drone was discovered inside a secure area of the airport. U.S. officials had assessed that the explosive-loaded drone belonged to a Russian intelligence service. Later, another flying object hit a cargo plane near the airport and authorities are investigating a third drone incident.

In response, Germany has ordered the closure of Russia's consulate in Bonn and Russian cultural center in Berlin. German officials are saying, "we are not at war, we are a daily target of hybrid attacks." Russia says the claims, Russia says claims that it was responsible are, quote, "absurd." Here's what Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday about this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I believe this is primarily linked to the domestic political situation in Germany. The chancellor's domestic political position is precarious. He does not enjoy the trust of his citizens and it is clear why.

He does not defend national interests but trades them away. Economic miscalculations are evident. Businesses are closing, people are losing their jobs, the standard of living is falling.

It is unclear why all these accusations are being made, yet there is only one explanation, the need to counter an aggressive Russia. But where is the evidence? Well, they have planted the evidence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: To South America now, where officials say that the ELN guerrilla group is responsible for Monday's deadly attack in Colombia. One person was killed there and 15 others were injured when a car bomb exploded near a police station in Norte de Santander.

The injured included seven police officers as well as eight civilians. Authorities are currently offering a $15,000 reward for any information leading to arrests.

Well, there's still so much more on the way here on "CNN Newsroom," including the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln. It has finally reached a port of call, but the latest on where the aircraft carrier has docked after nine months at sea.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:25:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANDOVAL: Hi, welcome back. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York and these are today's top stories.

U.S. President Donald Trump says that an agreement with Iran, isn't worth the paper it's written on. And he's now urging Iranians to rise up and fight. And this comes after the U.S. launched a new round of strikes on Iran on Tuesday. Iran retaliated with strikes over Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait.

Russian President Vladimir Putin claiming that Moscow is open to calls to open to what he calls concrete peace talks. And those commitments come as Russian forces continue their deadly bombardment of Ukrainian cities. Airstrikes have killed at least 53 people in Kyiv and around that city since Thursday, 12 people were killed overnight on Tuesday after Moscow launched a barrage of jet-powered drones and ballistic missiles.

[03:30:04]

Rescue efforts have not stopped. One week after a massive landslide triggered deadly floods across parts of the Nepal-China border, authorities are saying that more than 1100 people have been killed between the two countries and at least 4500 people remain unaccounted for.

Neocraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln arriving in Thailand, its first port of call in more than eight months at sea. Its long deployment in the Middle East has raised some concerns and questions about the crew's well-being. CNN has reported that it led to morale issues as well as supply shortages on board.

There was at least one possible suicide attempt among the crew of 5000. President Trump had dismissed concerns about the lengthy deployment saying that it was not long enough.

President Vladimir Putin says that Russia is seeking to provide Iran with help it needs as the ceasefire with the U.S. remains unstable. He spoke during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization this week.

CNN's Clare Sebastian with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Russia's President Putin is now openly talking about providing material support for Iran as the war with the U.S. escalates, adding further evidence that this is a partnership that's deepening.

PUTIN (through translator): We welcomed the conclusion of the Iranian- American ceasefire memorandum in June of this year. Unfortunately, this truce has proven unstable and too fragile.

During this difficult time, we are trying to provide you with the assistance you need. We have already spoken with you about it and we are supplying you with the necessary goods.

SEBASTIAN: Speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Kyrgyzstan, President Putin also said that Russia stands in solidarity with the Iranian people in its fight for its national interests. It was already clear that Russia was helping Iran.

CNN reported back in March that Russia had provided intelligence on locations of U.S. troops and assets in the Middle East, but the necessary goods suggest perhaps more concrete support than that. Concerning for the U.S., of course, though, Trump has tended to play down Russian assistance for Iran and even more so for Ukraine.

Because as Putin was given this international spotlight, shaking hands with world leaders, President Zelenskyy visited children in Kyiv, forced to celebrate the first day of the new school year in a bomb shelter. Tuesday, the sixth straight day of almost nonstop attacks in Kyiv and beyond, many of them involving relatively new jet-powered drones, much upgraded versions of the original Shahad drones supplied to Russia, of course, by Iran.

Clare Sebastian CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: Jurors in Lindsay Clancy's murder trial expected to start their fifth day of deliberations in just a few hours, and this after they failed to reach a verdict on Tuesday. Clancy's defense is arguing that she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and is not criminally responsible for killing her three children back in 2023. While the 12 jurors deliberated for about six hours on Tuesday but could not come to a decision.

Here's Jean Casarez reporting from Massachusetts.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: On Tuesday morning, the jury had been deliberating for about 45 minutes when Judge Sullivan in open court made the announcement that the jury had a note. As jurors filed in, our producer in the courtroom noted that a female juror was looking at the defense table and the defendant and then the prosecution table. One male juror was rubbing his face with his hands.

The judge proceeded to read that note and to talk to the jurors saying, I understand you cannot reach a verdict. Let's listen to that moment in court when Judge Sullivan addressed the deliberating jury.

JUDGE WILLIAM SULLIVAN, PRESIDING OVER CLANCY TRIAL: Members of the jury, I've got your question and the question is after many hours of deliberation we are unable to come to a unanimous decision. I brought you back out because I know that this was a long trial, all right.

I know there were over 80 witnesses, there were over 300 exhibits but because of that, I'm going to ask you to go back out keeping in mind all the instructions that I gave you to go out and to continue your deliberations at this time, all right. And so with that, I'm going to ask you to go back out.

Like I said, keep in mind the instructions I gave you, reviewing the evidence and I'd ask you to resume your deliberations at this time.

CASAREZ: At that point, the jurors were excused. They went back to the deliberating room.

They deliberated for the rest of the day. There was not another note. There was no communication that we know of from that jury but they did ask to leave at 3:30 in the afternoon which was a bit earlier than yesterday and actually one hour earlier than they can deliberate.

[03:35:06]

Tomorrow they will reconvene in court right here in Plymouth County, Massachusetts for more deliberation.

In Plymouth County, I'm Jean Casarez for CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: Thank you Jean. And there's still so much more ahead here on "CNN Newsroom" including the Trump administration as it moves to finalize what it's calling the biggest oil deal in world history.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:40:09]

SANDOVAL: Welcome back. Here are your business headlines.

Oil prices are surging amid the new U.S. strikes in Iran. Oil futures climbed another 2 percent on Tuesday morning after a jump on Monday. Brent crude, the global benchmark, is trading around $95 a barrel and the U.S. benchmark WTI crude, that's above $90 a barrel. The renewed strikes in Iran also increased concerns that the Federal

Reserve and other central banks could raise interest rates next month. Global bond yields rose on Tuesday to their highest levels in decades. Investors are currently dumping bonds which pushes yields higher as they assess the outlook for inflation and central bank interest rates.

Inflation has jumped again in the 21 nations that make up the Eurozone and that could lead to another interest rate increase by the European Central Bank. Eurozone inflation rose 3.3 percent in August and that's up from 2.9 percent in July. That uptick mostly due to higher energy costs for natural gas and crude oil.

Happening right now, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Reitz in Caracas, Venezuela hoping to finalize what the White House has been touting as the biggest oil deal in world history. The Venezuelan National Assembly did back that agreement in a vote on Tuesday. And it would give the U.S. a majority control of more than 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan oil reserves and it would also significantly expand America's current reserves.

An update on this story later today.

And the Trump administration also says U.S. oil giant Chevron plans to expand its operations in Venezuela. Company officials are expected to join Reitz on his visit today.

And at the U.S. Open in New York, tennis star Naomi Osaka channeling a legend from a different court. That came as she emerged onto the court in this outfit. It was inspired by former NBA player Allen Iverson.

Osaka is a two-time U.S. Open champ, known for her pretty fashionable entrances onto the court. And on Monday she wore a long white skirt and a gray hooded robe featuring newspaper clippings about her. Osaka then revealed a black outfit and her hair styled in cornrows.

She called Iverson a trailblazer who merged culture and sport. Osaka went on to defeat unseeded Russian player Anastasia Zakharova to reach second round.

I'm Polo Sandoval in New York, thank you so much for watching. "World Sport" is next and I'll be right back with you at the top of the next hour with more of your headlines here on "CNN Newsroom."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WORLD SPORT)