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Iran Awaiting "Definitive" U.S. Response To Hormuz Proposal; Five Men Held On Suspicion Of Terror, Explosives Offenses; Nor'easter Weakening But Still Threatens Parts Of U.S.; Protesters In Madrid Demand Relief From High Housing Costs; Pope Leo XIV Begins Final Day Of France Trip. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired September 28, 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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[04:00:29]

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. And ahead here on "CNN Newsroom."

Donald Trump says talks between the U.S. and Iran will resume this week after rejecting Tehran's latest proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. We'll look at how Tehran is responding.

Plus, five men have been arrested in the U.K. near an air base used by the U.S. while they're being held on suspicion of terror and explosives offenses.

And severe weather warnings are in place in Nepal. As the Himalayan nation gets hit by more flooding. We'll have a live report from the region.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Hong Kong, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Kristie Lu Stout.

LU STOUT: And we begin with the tensions in the Middle East and the U.S. war with Iran. President Donald Trump says he expects Washington and Tehran to resume talks this week, as comments to "Axios" come after he rejected Iran's latest proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Tehran says, it's still waiting on a definitive response to its offer, despite President Trump's public response.

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations told CNN why President Trump said no to Iran's latest proposal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE WALTZ, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: The bottom line is they were asking for everything up front with a promise that they would then talk. And I'll remind everyone, once we got to the MOU from just a few months ago, the Iranians immediately violated it by attacking international shipping in violation of international law. And 146 nations have joined us in condemning Iran for those attacks.

So, just the president is just not confident that the Iranians are coming in good faith. And that will truly negotiate the end of their nuclear program.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: Meanwhile, Tehran's top diplomat says Iran won't back down from the U.S. even in the face of an apocalyptic war, but is ready for real diplomacy.

Our CNN's Paula Hancocks joins us live from Abu Dhabi with the latest. Paula, good to see you again. We also heard from Iran's foreign minister who said only a negotiated solution can resolve the impasse, but with an impasse there, how can it take shape?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kristie, the latest that we've heard certainly from the -- the U.S. side is that there could potentially be more talks this week. We heard that from President Trump speaking to "Axios" and it follows what we saw on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly last week that there were negotiations.

The Trump administration or one U.S. official told CNN that they were positive and they were constructive between mediators as well, certainly on hand to try and push things forward.

But at the same time, we are hearing that both sides say they are willing to go back to war if that is what it takes. You can really see the jostling for position, both sides trying to play up any leverage that they believe they have.

The latest proposal that we have heard from Iran, from the Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi, has been rejected by President Trump, but Tehran is saying that they are waiting to hear a definitive rejection through mediators themselves.

Foreign minister saying that they have heard a lot from the U.S. president, some of it positive, some of it contradictory, and so they're going to wait to get that definitive answer through the mediators themselves.

We also heard from the -- the foreign minister saying that Iran is waiting for any eventuality, is ready for any eventuality. Let's listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABBAS ARAGCHI, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: We care about our national interest. We are ready to negotiate as much as we are ready to face any challenge. We stand firm in the face of any challenge and any -- any aggression, sorry. We stand firm in the face of any aggression against us, even if it comes to a doomsday war. At the same time, we are ready for diplomacy.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HANCOCKS: The U.S. official that I spoke of earlier also told CNN that the Trump administration is not in a rush to try and secure a deal. That's something we've heard mirrored by Tehran as well.

But we did hear from President Trump that the deal that Iran is offering, at this point, may have been something they would have considered agreeing to a year ago, but that they believe now that Iran has overplayed its hand.

[04:05:03]

This proposal was effectively Tehran saying that if the U.S. agreed to its conditions, then within a week, the Strait of Hormuz would be open. They said that the conditions were nothing more than what was in the original memorandum of understanding so the likes of end of hostilities on all fronts, including Iran, unfreezing of frozen assets, easing of sanctions.

But the Trump administration has consistently said that the Strait of Hormuz is open and they are managing to get a significant amount of oil through the critical waterway. Kristie.

LU STOUT: And the longer the war drags on, the more complicated it gets.

Paula Hancocks, reporting live for us from Abu Dhabi. Thank you.

Now, in the U.K., authorities there are keeping five men in custody on suspicion of terror and explosives offenses. They were arrested in England on Sunday near an air base used by U.S. long-range bombers in the war against Iran. The men have not been publicly identified and a possible motive has not been disclosed so far.

Now, dozens of nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution as Army bomb disposal units continue to sweep the area. And the U.S. Embassy in London is now urging Americans in the U.K. to, quote, exercise caution.

Our CNN's Nic Robertson joins us live from just outside the airbase perimeter in Fairford, England. Nic, thank you for joining us.

Can you walk us through the incident and exactly what prompted these arrests?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: The arrests were prompted by a call from a local farmer. She came home with her husband from a -- a night out and evening out in the early hours of the morning.

The police say they received a call from her at 12:45 AM. She describes arriving at her farm sometime after 1:00 A.M. And when she got to her farm, she said that there were three white vans blocking the entrance to the farm, so she tried to go another way round and that's when she saw these masked balaclavared (ph) men running away. And she realized immediately that she needed to call and notify. Look, talking to a lot of local people around here, one of the things that stands out is that they know that this base has been used in previous wars. The Gulf War in 1991, the Gulf War 2003, the Kosovo War 1999, as -- as a base for long-range U.S. bombers to take off from the -- to bomb targets, as it was used earlier this year in March for the U.S. B-1 Lancer bombers to take off and bombed Iran.

So, there's a -- there's a local knowledge here that typically the security around this base would go up. And they weren't aware of that at the moment. In fact, they had become aware, over the past week, when the base was potentially on a -- on a lockdown because people hadn't been coming off the base, coming into the town. Locals describe it, the town as a ghost town over the past week.

So, there was a real sort of sense in this village around here that there was a heightened level of threat, a heightened level of tension. We heard from a local counselor as well who said, six weeks ago, the IRGC, the Iranian military group, threatened this base by name with attack based on the fact that it was being used by U.S. bombers to target Iran.

So, that was a sort of local knowledge. And that was really why this farmer called in this warning to the police, which resulted in that immediate action by the police arresting these five men. And -- and, of course, the questions now, did they have explosives? Were they viable devices?

And -- and what the men -- who've sent the men? Were they acting as lone individuals? Or were they there at the behest of a government or some other group?

LU STOUT: And thanks to that local knowledge, the incident was flagged and then that spurred this security response. You know, residents in the area were evacuated. I think that remote control robots were deployed.

I mean, Nic, could you tell us about the security response, the precautions that were taken when British police moved in?

ROBERTSON: Yes, it's very interesting because, you know, the warning went out to the police in the early hours of the morning by seven o'clock in the morning. The people in the village, about a mile or so, in that direction, were being evacuated because that's where the men were spotted. And the vans were discovered and they were evacuated a few miles away to a local leisure center where they are still. They can't return to their homes yet.

What we've seen here today is an increase of the security perimeter on some of the roads around the villages here, the base. The gates were at here is working. People are going in and out. There are, of course, there are security checks as there -- as there would be normally.

But I think, you know, when you try to sort of understand what's happening here right now, this investigation is very much ongoing, even in the field here.

[04:10:02]

Late last night or late yesterday afternoon, we were hearing controlled detonations potentially as the bomb squad going through finding perhaps, you know, objects that were not explosives, but it did appear that they were potentially being detonated.

And, of course, earlier in the day, there were helicopters flying overhead, keeping a view on the perimeter of the base. So, this is still very much an operation in progress from what we can see here.

LU STOUT: Nic Robertson reporting live from Fairford, England. Thank you so much for joining us.

Now, beaches and restaurants are closed along Mexico's northern Pacific Coast as Hurricane Polo approaches. This storm is set to make landfall in Baja, California Sur on Monday night, potentially as a category three hurricane. And it's likely to bring winds of more than 100 kilometers an hour to the popular tourist spot.

And moisture from Polo could collide with this low pressure system moving in from the West Coast of the U.S. And that brings the risk of flooding from Arizona East to Oklahoma over the next two days. And by Wednesday, the danger could reach northward all the way up into Wisconsin.

The brutal nor'easter that has hammered parts of the U.S. East Coast is slowly starting to ease up, but it is not done yet. This storm is still dumping additional rain on parts of the northeast. And it's not expected to fully leave the area for several more days. The storm will likely bring more headaches for air travelers into Monday. Flight delays are expected in parts of the Northeast as the storm continues.

Our Reid Binion has more on the aftermath of this powerful storm.

OK. Unfortunately, we don't have that report for you, but now is a good time for us to bring in Frank Pereira. He's a senior U.S. forecaster at the Weather Prediction Center. Frank, thank you so much for joining us here on "CNN Newsroom."

As we've been reporting, as you will know, the storm, the Nor'easter has weakened, but it remains a threat. So, tell us what should we expect in the coming days?

FRANK PEREIRA, SENIOR U.S. FORECASTER, WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER: Yes, like you mentioned, the storm is -- is continuing to weaken. It's stalled there off the Northeast Coast, off the New Jersey coast.

And, yes, the good news is that it is expected to continue to weaken, but we are still looking at the potential for some additional rough surf hazardous beach conditions, especially across portions of the Northeast.

There is also the continued concern for some coastal flooding. We still have some warnings and -- and advisories for coastal flooding all the way from the Mid-Atlantic up to the Northeast. But again, the good news is that that system will continue to weaken and with time is going to start to move off to the Northeast. We're expecting it to gradually work its way off the New England coast later on today.

And by the time we get into Tuesday, Wednesday, it should start to move southeast of Atlantic Canada.

LU STOUT: Got it. So, the nor'easter is weakening, but continued concerns in regards to coastal flooding, as well as storm surge.

And I also wanted to ask you, how does this storm compare with previous major nor'easters or even past major coastal storms like Superstorm Sandy?

PEREIRA: Yes, we didn't quite see the impacts that we saw from Sandy, but certainly, you know, there were widespread significant impacts all the way from, you know, we saw, you know, beach erosion, road closures, infrastructure damage, all the way from the North Carolina Outer Banks and now all the way up into the Northeastern U.S.

So, it certainly is going to rank as a significant storm, not -- probably not to the magnitude that we saw with Sandy, but certainly significant.

LU STOUT: A significant storm and intense and it was also a life- threatening nor'easter. What gave rise to it? What has been stirring up this storm?

PEREIRA: Yes, we're getting into the time of the year where we start to see, you know, cold air coming down from Canada. The jet stream starts to reorient and it's bringing the other colder air down into the warm waters. The waters off the Atlantic Coast still remain warm. So, you got these clashes of air masses coming together.

And that's when we start to see, you know, the development of these storms. Again, this is the time of the year where we start to see these nor'easters develop. And then we'll continue to likely see several more of these as we go -- go forward to the remainder of the fall into the winter months.

LU STOUT: So, the storm was fueled by clashes of -- of air masses. So, what's next? I mean, is this nor'easter just the first of several to come that will hit especially the U.S. East Coast?

PEREIRA: Yes, it's hard to say how many for sure we're going to see. But again, this is the time of year where these -- these type of systems start to increase in frequency.

You know, with September is the time of year where, you know, we start to see more -- more storms like this develop. So, this early in the year is not unheard of, for sure. But, yes -- yes, as we go forward, which were more likely to see more of these develop.

[04:15:02] LU STOUT: OK. Thanks for the heads up on that. Frank Pereira from the Weather Prediction Center. Sir, thank you so much for joining us and take care.

PEREIRA: All right. Thank you.

LU STOUT: There's much more to come right here on "CNN Newsroom."

Still to come, we're going to bring you all the details of Pope Leo's last day in France, what he's accomplished on the trip so far, and what's next.

Plus, a look into the outrage over housing costs in Spain and how the plight of an 87-year-old woman sparked massive protests there.

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LU STOUT: Welcome back. Now, the elderly Spanish woman who was forcibly evicted from her Madrid apartment this week is urging supporters to fight so they can avoid her fate.

Over the weekend, protesters filled the streets of Madrid and other Spanish cities, and they were demanding solutions to the country's housing crisis.

CNN's Pau Mosquera reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAU MOSQUERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): No signs of backing down in Spain. Protesters are pitching tents in central Madrid and demanding housing reform. They say skyrocketing rents are pricing them out of their homes.

SERGIO RECALDE, PROTESTER (through translator): We want people to realize that houses are for living in, not for speculation or making a profit.

[04:20:06]

MOSQUERA (voice-over): Some protesters say they will stay in this encampment until the government takes action to protect tenants and then evictions without alternative housing.

Demonstrators filled the streets on Saturday. The crowds galvanized by the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal, who could no longer afford her apartment after living there for seven decades, when an investment company tripled her rent to more than 1,600 euros a month.

It reflected a reduction from the company's initial ask, but it was still too much on her pensioner's salary.

In a video post by the Madrid Tenants Union, which organized Saturday's rally, Maricarmen encouraged people to join the protests from her hospital bed, where she was taken after she was removed from her home on a stretcher. Her plight has struck a nerve in Spain. NATALIA NAVARRO, PROTESTER (through translator): I'm here because the housing situation is unsustainable, because there are many people who, even with the minimum wage, cannot afford a room in cities like Madrid.

People looking for work, working class people who just need a place to lay their heads, and because they have just evicted an elderly pensioner.

MOSQUERA: Analysts say factors like corporate investment, tourism and immigration have increased demand in Spain's housing market, but it's not just older people who are suffering. The average age for living home in Spain is 30. Many young people say they simply can't afford to live on their own.

BLANCA, PROTESTER (through translator): We the youngsters see the impossibility of leaving the nest and how politicians not only do nothing, but make it worse. I think we came to a point where we're all so tired of this that we decided to put our foot down.

MOSQUERA (voice-over): Spain's Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, has pledged to take action on the housing crisis, invoking Maricarmen's case while urging lawmakers to back an emergency decree.

PEDRO SANCHEZ, SPANISH PRIME MINISTER (through translator): I call upon the parliamentary groups to make one final effort to ensure it is ratified by the national parliament for the sake of Maricarmen and the millions of Spaniards suffering from the housing crisis, because this is not a matter of ideology, it is a matter of humanity.

MOSQUERA (through translator): Sanchez's cabinet plans to meet on Tuesday. Protesters camped out in Madrid say they won't budge until the government delivers real change.

Pau Mosquera, CNN, Madrid.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Police in South Africa are searching for suspects in three deadly shootings. The separate attacks happened on Saturday night. More than 30 people are dead and, so far, no arrests have been made.

One of the shootings took place at a tavern outside of Johannesburg. Seventeen people were killed and 15 others were wounded there. The same night, 10 people were fatally shot at an entertainment venue in the Western Cape and another grisly crime scene with four deaths was discovered in the same area. One police commissioner said a business dispute could be driving the violence.

Pope Leo XIV has just arrived in northeastern France on the last leg of his four-day trip to the country. And in the coming hours, he will meet with political leaders and celebrate mass before heading back to Rome.

Pope Leo's trip marks the first official papal visit to France in nearly 20 years. And besides visiting significant Catholic sites and leading mass, the pontiff has also addressed the massive clerical abuse scandal that has shaken the church's standing in the country.

Now, CNN's Melissa Bell joins us now live from Paris. Melissa, Pope Leo wrapping up his four-day pilgrimage to France with a visit to Metz. He's now on the ground. What's on the agenda there?

MELLISA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the plan is here, Kristie, for this fourth and final day of this trip that has seen so much Catholic fervor on the streets of France. It's been quite remarkable.

All those images from the Champs-Elysees on Saturday and then in Lourdes again yesterday. And we expect to see more of that today in Metz. He has a meeting with other religious leaders from the Protestant Church, Judaism and Islam. Then he's making a big speech about Europe.

And I think this is interesting, Kristie, because his point is going to be that it is the European project that has brought peace to the European continent and that it is something that should be celebrated. So, not at all what you hear from other American global leaders these days about Europe.

And he's going to tie the European construction to the idea of Christian values, the idea that justice is what limits force and that this is something to be celebrated. So, I think that will be an important and very political speech.

[04:25:04]

After that, we're going to have this last mass which will happen in Metz, which is expected to draw once again huge crowds.

And the French president, until now, he'd greeted the pontiff on his arrival at Orly. He'd received him at the Elysee, but he hadn't been to any of the big masses including the huge one on Saturday which saw 600,000 people line the streets of the Champs Elysees all the way from the Arc de Triomphe down to the Place de la Croix-Garde.

They stood there, Kristie, for hours in the hope of seeing or hearing the pontiff. Many of France's political classes went Emmanuel Macron didn't, so I think he's now changed his schedule, given the controversy, to make it to this mass, but it's expected to draw another huge crowd.

The -- the -- the figures, the numbers of people on the streets this weekend, their enthusiasm has really been quite a thing to see, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Yes, a huge reception across France to the Pope's visit.

And -- and also, Melissa, emotional wounds have been front and center with this tour, especially in regards to the church abuse scandal. Has Pope Leo been able to restore public trust in the church during this tour?

BELL: I think that must have been a big part of what he was doing, meeting, as you mentioned, with victims of church child sex abuse. And that was an important symbol.

But he's also made a point throughout this trip, beyond the big masses, the visit of Notre Dame, the big public and very religious moments. He's also, for instance, visited a migrant center, spoken also to the fact that in this country, which is much more famous, frankly, for its secularism than it is for its Catholic faith, there has been this resurgence in baptisms and praising the fact that the young are coming back to the Catholic Church.

And, of course, that kind of reckoning with the past is an important part of that. And I think this trip, whether it was the religious aspect or the -- the fact of looking at some of the more difficult past, has been very carefully thought through. And frankly, looking at the reception of the press, a resounding success, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Melissa Bell, reporting live for us in Paris. Thank you very much indeed.

Negotiations between the US and Iran could resume this week, where the White House stands ahead of these potential talks. That's next.

And a pair of giant pandas have landed in Atlanta. We've got details on their 15-hour journey from China and their new home, just ahead.

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