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Iran's Supreme Leader Pledges "Revenge" For His Father's Killing; Europe & U.S. Battle Heat Waves, Soaring Temperatures; Four New York Times Journalists Subpoenaed Over AF1 Reporting; Judge To Decide Whether Charlie Kirk's Alleged Killer Face Murder Trial; Kirk Family Demands All Evidence Be Made Public In Murder Trial; Satellite Images Show Iran May Be Rebuilding Some Nuclear Sites. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired July 11, 2026 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

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VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to CNN THIS MORNING. Here's what you need to know today. Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz is slowing because tensions are rising. And now, new diplomatic talks are set to begin.

Plus, exclusive new satellite imagery obtained and analyzed by CNN reveals Iran may be rebuilding its suspected nuclear sites. Also, three men who witnessed the deadly shooting of a man in Houston during an immigration operation say the federal version of what happened is not what happened.

Plus, the Trump administration is now subpoenaing several New York Times journalists over new reports about security concerns regarding his new Air Force One.

Saturday, July 11. Good to start the weekend with you. Welcome to CNN THIS MORNING. I'm Victor Blackwell.

New this morning in the U.S. conflict with Iran. There's a new statement read on Iranian state media. Just a few minutes ago, Iran's supreme leader says that revenge must be carried out for the killing of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, by the U.S. and Israel.

This comes as a CNN investigation shows that Iran could be rebuilding some nuclear sites. These are exclusive satellite images obtained from Vantor. They show new activity happening at several Iranian nuclear sites and missile facilities late last month and earlier this month.

And this morning, Iran's foreign minister has arrived in Oman. He's expected to speak with his Omani counterpart to try to get talks over the Strait of Hormuz back on track. CNN's Nada Bashir joins us now with more. Nada, let's start with this new statement from the supreme leader.

NADA BASHIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. This is the latest statement that we have heard from the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, appears to be responding to the stark rhetoric from U.S. President Donald Trump, saying that the U.S. has some thousand missiles locked and loaded, ready to target the entirety of Iran.

Now, this statement was carried by state media, attributed to the new supreme leader. We have yet to see Mojtaba Khamenei appearing and speaking in public since his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a U.S.-Israeli strike. But this is a very clear message to the U.S., saying that revenge must be carried out for the killing of the former supreme leader.

And I can just read you a bit from that statement. He said revenge is the demand of our nation and must certainly be carried out. We pledge that we will take revenge for your pure blood and the blood of all martyrs of these two wars from the criminal and disgraced killers.

Now, again, a very clear warning there. U.S. President Donald Trump has also been quite clear in his statements and rhetoric with regards to the situation in Iran. And this all comes, of course, as mediators and negotiators and key players in the Gulf region attempt to restart negotiations and bring about some sort of diplomatic resolution. And there are fears that this sort of rhetoric could certainly stall those efforts.

And, of course, this comes as today we have seen Iran's foreign minister traveling to Oman to meet with his counterpart there. And this is significant because, of course, the restarting of U.S. strikes on Iran and the retaliatory strikes carried out by Iran on U.S. assets and allies in the region really came about, according to the Trump administration. In response to strikes carried out by Iran targeting vessels -- or rather, firing on vessels traveling through the Strait of Hormuz. That has been a key aspect of the memorandum of understanding, the safe passage of ships or vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

Now, Iran says that those vessels were traveling, passing through the Strait on the Omani side. But they want to maintain control and have called for vessels to travel on the Iranian side. So, whether we see any sort of resolution in those talks today, whether that shifts the needle when it comes to overall negotiations, remains to be seen.

It is understood, according to statements put out by the foreign ministry spokesperson in Iran, that the focus of those talks today is to establish some sort of mechanism for control over the passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. And, of course, this has been the main sticking point -- the main stumbling block, in trying to get this memorandum of understanding in place and carried through by all parties. And of course, in allowing for further negotiations to take place for a long lasting ceasefire. But again, whether this statement from Iran's new supreme leader has any impact on those efforts will remain to be seen.

[07:05:03]

BLACKWELL: And we'll stand by to see if there's any direct response from President Trump to this new statement from the new supreme leader. Nada Bashir reporting. Thank you so much.

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BLACKWELL: Some in Houston want answers after 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado was shot and killed by ICE on his way to work. ICE claims that he rammed a law enforcement vehicle and refused to obey commands. The three other men who were in the van dispute the claim, and their attorney calls the federal version of events completely false.

CNN's Ed Lavandera has more on the lead-up to the shooting.

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ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As Lorenzo Salgado Araujo laid on the ground suffering from a gunshot wound, the three other men in the van with him were being taken into ICE custody by ICE agents Tuesday morning. For the first time, we're hearing their version of the events that led to the deadly shooting through an attorney who spoke with them.

HUGO BALDERAS-IBARRA, ATTORNEY FOR TWO ICE DETAINEES: I can tell you with conviction that my clients' versions of the events are extremely different from what ICE agents are saying or what the agency is saying.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): After the shooting, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency put out a statement saying Salgado attempted to "Evade arrest, weaponize his vehicle, and tried to run over an ICE agent, forcing the officer to shoot." The 52-year-old construction worker in self-defense.

BALDERAS-IBARRA: At no point was there ever an agent standing in front of the vehicle, nor was an agent ever placed in the line of danger. That is simply false. And I believe my clients are telling the truth.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): The Department of Homeland Security says the ICE agents involved were not wearing body cameras and the unmarked cars they were driving were not equipped with dash cameras. And so far, a clear video of the shooting has not emerged. But the videos that have been uncovered raise questions about the federal authorities' description of what happened.

At 5:54 a.m., Lorenzo Salgado leaves his house to pick up the three other men for work. The three men told the attorney they were all driving north along Wayside Drive in a white van when an unmarked vehicle started following them. The white van made a U-turn and started moving south on Wayside Drive, as shown in this CNN animation based on videos compiled from the scene.

The images show Salgado's white van turned left onto Canal Street at 6:46 a.m., while a black SUV followed closely behind. A second video shows the white van continuing on Canal Street, while a black SUV drives alongside the van on the left side. Seconds later, another black SUV emerges from a parking lot of a shopping center onto Canal Street and follows the two vehicles. Salgado's white van then makes another U-turn. And seconds later, the unmarked ICE vehicles and the white van come to a complete stop. Here is a closer look at these videos and the sequence of movements that led up to the shooting. Salgado's van turns left onto Canal Street, with the black SUV pursuing. The unmarked vehicle carrying ICE agents pulls alongside the van. And the next camera angle captures the last U-turn on the edge of the video image before the cars come to a complete stop, and several ICE agents are then seen running toward the van.

It's unclear from the videos when Salgado was shot. But one minute later, at 6:48 a.m., a bystander captured video of Salgado on the ground bleeding, with agent surrounding him. The attorney for the detainees said Friday that agent shot at Salgado from the passenger side of his vehicle.

BALDERAS-IBARRA: They also confirmed that the shots came from the sides, not from the front, which is inconsistent, you know, with the ICE agents' statements.

REP. SYLVIA GARCIA (D-TX): We certainly now have conflicting testimony. I'm not prepared to say today that it's all lies, but it sure is looking that way.

LAVANDERA (on camera): Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia and other advocates for these three detained men tell us that they've been telling loved ones that they are being pressured to sign papers to self-deport. The Department of Homeland Security denies those allegations, calling them false. Congresswoman Garcia also says she spoke with the acting ICE director, and that he told her that the agents involved in the shooting have been taken out of Houston.

We've reached out to DPS to find out if they've been placed on leave, but we have not heard back. Ed Lavandera, CNN, Dallas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: A bipartisan bill to help reduce the housing affordability crisis became law this morning, despite attempts by President Trump to delay it. Supporters of the 21st Century Road to Housing Act have praised it as the most comprehensive housing reform measure in at least 30 years. But President Trump refused to sign it after he -- after the Senate failed to pass his SAVE America Act, which would force strict new ID rules for voters. Now, the measure automatically became law today under the Constitution because he did not veto it within ten days after receiving the bill.

A U.S. citizen working with a humanitarian group in the Democratic Republic of Congo has tested positive for Ebola. The CDC says its assisting efforts with the group as well as federal agencies and partners within that country to prevent further transmissions and identify high risk contacts. The first case of Ebola outside Africa was reported in France last month, after a worker returned from the DRC. This is the second-largest outbreak on record in the country.

[07:10:28]

We're also monitoring one of the deadliest wildfires on record. This is in Southern Spain. At least 12 people have been killed, more than 20 others are still missing. Firefighters are still battling to get this fire under control. Officials found some of the victims still in their cars. They say others tried to get away on foot, but they didn't make it. More than 460 emergency workers have been deployed to the region.

Europe has been hit with devastating heat waves this summer, and firefighters are also battling wildfires in Portugal and in France. Now, for more on the sweltering heat in Europe and the soaring temperatures here in the U.S., Melissa Nord is with us again. Those fires, tragic as well. And the heat here can be dangerous, too.

MELISSA NORD, METEOROLOGIST, AMS: It can, indeed. And it was how hot June was that really dried out the ground there in Europe. They're having more heat right now. But this time, not quite as extreme in some of those hottest temperatures than what we saw in June.

Now, here it's in the west Pushing into the Rockies in the Northern Plains, where we could see close to some all-time record highs, Victor. Let me show you the big picture set up. We've got this heat dome, which this is almost like a lid on a jar.

So, it traps in the heat, and it keeps kind of baking the same areas. And it gets hotter day by day. So, that starts in the west, pushes toward the Northern Plains. And we'll be watching some of those temperatures really soaring, not just breaking about a dozen daily records each and every day, but some of those all-time records are going to be really close to being met as well.

Heat alerts on the map in that bright pink color. Those are all these extreme heat warnings where some places could see not a humid heat, but it's more of a dry heat. And those temperatures could be pushing to dangerous levels, easily 10, 15, close to 20 degrees above normal. That heat today is centered across the Intermountain West.

Watch these temperatures though, as we get into Sunday and Monday, pushing eastward. Look at Billings, Montana, 110 degrees on Sunday. If we make it there, that would break the all-time record of 108 degrees for that city set back in the early 2000.

The other story we're watching. The ongoing flooding threat across the Ohio Valley back to the Tennessee Valley as well. Of course, we saw that devastating flooding across southeastern Missouri yesterday morning. A lot of the flooding we've seen overnight in this morning has been closer to Carbondale, Illinois, Paducah, Kentucky, also Louisville, Kentucky.

We still have this stalled out boundary, though. And just to the south of that, these rounds of showers keep going. And with how tropical the air is, some of these rain rates could still be inch and a half, two inches per hour.

We'll also watch the potential of a low end chance of a few stronger storms, damaging winds. The main threat there. You can see the storms firing up this afternoon. But the good news is for places like southeastern Missouri, that stalled out boundary focused a little further south by tomorrow. So, watch that radar popping up, the showers and storms. The second half of the weekend, they're going to be centered a little bit more across the southeast. Victor?

BLACKWELL: All right. Melissa, thanks so much. Still ahead. Graham Platner has officially ended his troubled Senate campaign. Now, Democrats in Maine have laid out a plan to replace him. We'll get into that.

And prosecutors have finished laying out their case against the 23- year-old accused of killing Charlie Kirk. Now, a judge will determine if the trial can go forward.

The Trump administration is rolling back decades of environmental law protecting endangered species. How the White House is redefining harm.

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[07:18:37]

BLACKWELL: New this morning. The New York Times says the Justice Department subpoenaed four of its journalists over their reporting on President Donald Trump's new Air Force One. Now, President Trump flew to Turkey for the NATO summit this week on his new plane gifted by Qatar. But he switched to the old Air Force One to fly to a base in England and then back to the new plane to fly home.

The New York Times reported that this happened because of security concerns from the Secret Service. The Times' attorney is condemning these subpoenas. CNN Political Analyst Ron Brownstein joins me now.

Ron, good to have you on a Saturday morning. Let's talk about this because CNN reported on a separate effort from the Justice Department to try to subpoena reporters at the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, but they held off on those subpoenas. What's the takeaway from the issuance here to these Times' reporters?

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes. It's an escalation of what we have seen as a multi-front assault on our traditional conception of Freedom of the Press. You know, not only those subpoenas that you mentioned, and FBI raid on the home of a Washington Post reporter.

And even all of this, Victor, I think, has to be put in the broader context of what we are seeing on attempts by the federal government to assert unprecedented interference and control over the election process in states, on investigations and threatened indictments, in some cases, actual indictments of Democratic elected officials. There are a lot of different fronts.

There are a lot of different ways in which we are sailing into really choppy and uncharted waters in terms of the basic structures of our democracy. It's easy to lose sight of them because they happen on so many fronts and in so many ways every day. But the cumulative story, I think, is unmistakable.

[07:20:25]

BLACKWELL: All right. Let's talk now about Graham Platner, who is now formally withdrawn as the Democratic nominee for Senate in Maine. He posted the letter to the Secretary of State on social media. Only really, the first line was relevant, and then it was a couple of hundred words about the movement.

BROWNSTEIN: Yes.

BLACKWELL: And our reporting is then that he's been trying to have some influence on his replacement and who now leads this movement next. Is that likely at all?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, I mean, to the extent that his supporters are elected in these county conventions, certainly there will be some impact. You know, I wrote back in June that the dynamic that emerged in Maine was because Platner had showed early strength and because the Democratic senatorial campaign committee and Chuck Schumer made the mistake of really investing in Janet Mills as the only alternative to him.

So much of the talent, the political talent, Democratic talent in Maine flowed into the governor's race. I mean, you had five strong candidates running in the governor's race. Ultimately, Hannah Pingree was the nominee.

And as I wrote in June, if Democrats decided and if Platner decided, since ultimately he was the only one, that he could not go forward, those were the most logical alternatives. And I think in the end, that is what you will see. Troy Jackson, the former state Senate president who endorsed Platner and Platner endorsed in turn for governor, I think, will be one of the serious contenders. Shenna Bellows, who's the secretary of state, another candidate strong on the left.

You know, you might pick a more centrist candidate if you were starting with a blank slate. But Democrats do have a need to kind of bind the wounds in the party. There are people who are going to be disappointment -- disappointed with Platner's withdrawal. And I -- and I think that will orient them, possibly toward one of those more left- leaning candidates who may be more acceptable to Platner's original supporters.

BLACKWELL: So, this obviously is an anti-establishment year.

BROWNSTEIN: Yes.

BLACKWELL: Certainly, was the energy that elevated Graham Platner to the nomination led Janet Mills to drop out.

BROWNSTEIN: Yes.

BLACKWELL: Just -- you just couldn't raise the money and get the support. It appears that the advantage of some of the people that you've named here -- BROWNSTEIN: Yes.

BLACKWELL: -- are established figures in Democratic politics in the state. How does that, I guess, match up --

BROWNSTEIN: Yes.

BLACKWELL: -- to the Collins race that's coming in November?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, first of all, I think -- I think that Jackson and -- in particular is someone who kind of -- you know, he's a fifth- generation logger. He is genuinely working class in a way that was ambivalent, to say the least, in Platner's background. And he is someone I think would satisfy the vast majority of Platner voters.

But, you know, I always like -- even apart from the personal scandals, I always question whether Platner was the right candidate for Democrats. I mean, you know, the job of dem -- of a Democrat in Maine in this year is not to mobilize a large number of new voters. It's not even to persuade a majority of the state that Donald Trump and the Republicans are taking the nation in the wrong direction.

A majority of the state in Maine clearly believes that. His disapproval rating is 60 percent or above Trump's. So, I mean, the job for the Democrats in Maine this year is really to reassure the majority who are already unhappy with the country's direction that their alternative is acceptable and a reasonable choice other than Susan Collins.

You know, as we've talked about before, if you look at Trump's first term, all the Republican Senate candidates in 2018 and 2020, incumbents and challengers, are like Susan Collins, is the only one who won in a state where more voters disapprove than approve of Donald Trump's performance. She's a weaker candidate today than she was in 2020, largely because Brett Kavanaugh voted to rescind the national right to abortion after she stood on the Senate floor and promised that he would not. But she is still formidable.

She still has a lot of support, particularly among older women. The job of Democrats is more to reassure, I think, than to mobilize. And I think they have a better chance with almost any of these candidates than they would have with Platner on that front.

BLACKWELL: All right. Nominating convention, July 25. Ron Brownstein, always good to have your analysis.

BROWNSTEIN: Yes.

BLACKWELL: Thanks so much.

BROWNSTEIN: Multi -- could be a multi-ballot convention, which we haven't seen at the national level since 1952.

BLACKWELL: We'll all be watching. Enjoy the Saturday.

Still ahead. A judge says that he will decide in the coming weeks whether the case against the Charlie Kirk shooting suspect will go to trial. Coming up, what we've learned from five days of testimony.

[07:25:00]

And evacuations have been ordered across southern California as triple digit heat and dry conditions feed a growing wildfire. We have the latest on that fast-moving fire.

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BLACKWELL: Prosecutors are trying to convince a Utah judge that they have enough evidence against Tyler Robinson to proceed to a trial. The accused killer of conservative activist Charlie Kirk faced five days of hearings this week on aggravated murder charges. Robinson did not testify.

His lawyers are challenging the reliability of ballistics tests on bullet fragments recovered from Kirk's body. And they're fighting the release of a recorded interview with Robinson's roommate. CNN's Nick Watt has the latest.

[07:30:04]

NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Victor, the prosecution has put forward the evidence that they say is enough to convince the judge that Tyler Robinson, the 23-year-old young man accused of killing Charlie Kirk should be put on trial for that crime.

At the end, one of the prosecutors said the evidence is overwhelming; it is devastating, is how he described it.

Now, when will we get a decision? Well, there is going to be another hearing September 1st. After that, the judge has said he will make his ruling as to whether this goes forward to trial.

So, it's going to be about a year after Charlie Kirk was killed. He was killed September 10th last year. It's going to be about a year after that killing before we know whether Tyler Robinson is even going to be put on trial.

Now, one of the key pieces of evidence that was put forward was a taped interview with Tyler Robison's partner. The prosecution says that that interview basically is tantamount to a confession.

And interestingly, there has been such attention to what can and cannot be shown to the public. In court Friday, there was a long debate over the fact that one exhibit, which was a handwritten note that Tyler Robison had written to his partner, the judge had said that, that could not be shown on the pool camera, could not be broadcast to the world.

It was accidentally put up and was broadcast for about 3-1/2 seconds, and that led to a huge discussion and led to the judge saying that no exhibits from today's -- from Friday's hearing could be broadcast. That is the level of detail that they are going into on this case to try and balance the rights of Erika Kirk, to see the evidence against her husband's purported killer, and also the rights of Tyler Robinson. Been a fascinating few days ruling on whether there's going to be a trial, probably not until mid-September. Victor.

BLACKWELL: Nick Watt, thanks so much for setting the table. Now, let's bring in for analysis, CNN legal analyst Joey Jackson.

Joey, good morning to you.

First, this date, the hearing resume September 1st. So, a little more than seven weeks. People who are watching this closely are concerned about the length of time. Is that abnormal?

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: So, there is a lot about this case that's abnormal. Victor, good to be with you.

But this is as a result of the defense request. Let's be clear what happened here. The defense, after having this hearing, and of course, as noted, this is simply a probable cause hearing. There is no jury here, there is no determination of guilt or innocence. The judge is just assessing whether or not, in legal terms, there is legally sufficient evidence. Right?

Is there reason to believe a crime was committed, and that this defendant Tyler Robinson committed it so it could be bound over for trial.

Now, in doing that, the prosecution needed to put on sort of a mini trial. They have done that, and as Nick Watt explained, the evidence certainly is compelling here, not only as to whether probable cause exists, but as to whether guilt exists.

But what the defense did to the core of your question is said, listen, Judge. Instead of us having oral argument to conclude this five-day hearing, allow us to brief the case. What does that mean? It means we are going to put in writing whether or not the evidence is legally sufficient, both the prosecution and the defense.

Following that, there will be the September 1st oral argument on whatever was written as a submission to the judge. And following that, the judge will ultimately conclude whether there is enough evidence.

What I believe, Victor, is these are protective measures. Right? The judge certainly doesn't want to create appealable issues in the event the matter does in fact go to trial in the event there is a conviction. So, the judge is allowing the defense to brief whatever issues they would like, and after that will make a decision with respect to all of the evidence we have heard last week over these five days.

BLACKWELL: All right. Speaking of evidence, not all of the evidence is public, as we heard, of course, from Nick Watt's report there.

Kirk's widow said that it should be made public for the world to see, no redactions. Talk about some of the implications at this phase of making the evidence public and how that could possibly compromise a case. JACKSON: Yes. So, what happens is, is look, we are -- we are having this preliminary hearing. Right? It's -- preliminary hearing is being held in Utah, because that is what the defense wants. A defendant can waive a preliminary hearing and just let the matter go to trial.

Why do I say that in the context of your question? I say that because damning evidence. Right? You want to talk about evidence. Damning evidence has come out. Why is that important? It's important because you're going to have to select the jury.

[07:35:01]

And ultimately, when you select the jury, you are going to ask questions. Hey, have you heard about the case? Do you have an opinion about the case? Did you see the surveillance video with someone looking like him on that roof, leaving the roof, tracking his movements? Did you hear about the DNA evidence on the rifle that matched him? Did you hear about the towel that the rifle was matched in? Also, DNA that matched him. Did you hear about the screwdriver found?

I could go on. Did you hear about the roommate and various confessions that this guy made? So, all of that is so problematic. Now, why is that relevant to our discussion? It's relevant, Victor, because ultimately, this really inflames a potential jury pool.

Now, the judge, on top of that, is really going to show all of the evidence and all of these exhibits, which are additionally inflammatory. What the judge is trying to do is to balance the right of the defendant, Tyler Robinson to have a fair trial when that time comes.

If it comes, the judge still has to decide whether there is enough evidence, so that, again, the defense, if he is convicted, doesn't have an appealable issue saying, oh, you allowed all of this stuff to come out in the preliminary hearing, all of these exhibits. Everybody in the public had a chance to look at this. How can my client get a fair trial?

So, the judge, in balancing these factors, says, listen, we are not going to show certain things, and on Friday, shut it down, so that he ultimately, Tyler Robinson, when at trial, could be deemed to have had a fair one, and that's been the dispute over what should be shown and what should not be shown to the public.

BLACKWELL: All right, hearing continues September 1st. Joey Jackson, thanks so much.

So, there is a scramble in the Middle East to relaunch peace talks with Iran.

Meanwhile, CNN has obtained new images showing that Iran may be trying to rebuild its nuclear facilities. The details are coming up.

And if you are heading out, take me with you. You can stream our show from anywhere in the U.S. right from the CNN app. You can also go to cnn.com/watch.

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[07:41:38]

BLACKWELL: Now, to the U.S. conflict with Iran. A CNN investigation shows Iran could be trying to rebuild or repair some of its nuclear sites. CNN obtained these exclusive images. CNN got them from Vantor. The images show new activity, apparently repair and reconstruction work, at several Iranian nuclear sites and missile facilities.

Now, they were taken late last month and early this month. The images may show Iran violated terms of the interim agreement it signed with the U.S.

CNN investigative correspondent Katie Polglase has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATIE POLGLASE, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This image, one of several shared exclusively with CNN, may show signs of Iran attempting to rebuild its nuclear facilities. This is one of several locations across the country where we have identified recent activity both in nuclear and missile sites.

The activity in nuclear sites in particular raises questions as to whether Iran violated the memorandum of understanding it signed with the U.S. in late June, even before President Trump seemed to signal its end by launching fresh strikes.

In it, Tehran had agreed not to procure or develop nuclear weapons. This site in Parchin is believed to be holding explosive material for nuclear weapons.

Before the U.S.-Israeli strikes, Iran built this concrete shield around it, a sign of its importance. It was then struck multiple times during the U.S.-Israel bombing campaign this year. The targeting was precise. You could see the holes left behind by bunker-busting bombs.

Now, in new imagery from June and July, analyzed by CNN in conjunction with the Institute for Science and International Security, we can see Iran appeared to be taking steps to repair and reconstruct the site.

You can see temporary covers placed over the impact holes. Then, weeks later, with the memorandum still in effect, the covers are removed and replaced with a mesh. Concrete mixing trucks are visible nearby. Experts say these trucks are a sign the Iranians are intending to seal the holes.

POLGLASE: For weeks, we have only had glimpses of what's been happening on the ground inside Iran. Providers have been withholding satellite imagery across the region at the request of the U.S. government.

Now, those restrictions are loosening, and we have been able to see new images across Iran of which sites they have started to clear and repair first, a sign, perhaps, of which they see as the most important.

POLGLASE (voice over): This is Pickaxe Mountain, another site where Iran is believed to be advancing its nuclear capabilities deep underground. And in recent weeks, vehicles could clearly be seen going in and out of the tunnels. Experts told CNN this was likely a violation of the terms signed with the U.S. which required Iran to maintain the status quo regarding their nuclear program.

In contrast, other prominent nuclear sites did not seem to have been touched, like Isfahan here, Fordow here, and Natanz. There has been activity at some missile sites. The U.S. and its allies have long been concerned about Tehran's missile capacity, and the latest imagery suggests Iran has already started repairing some storage sites.

This is new paving laid out at Tabriz missile base in recent days. And at another missile base in Kermanshah, we can see excavators and tunnel entrances being cleared.

Lastly, we have also spotted repairs at air bases in recent days. You can see a crater being filled in here at Tabriz Air Base. With the U.S. resuming its attacks on Iran, a peace agreement is seeming increasingly out of reach.

[07:45:05]

Katie Polglase, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Now, White House officials said, "The administration is watching these sites closely because Iran cannot keep the enriched uranium."

Still ahead, England and Norway set to clash in the World Cup quarterfinal today. We have your World Cup highlights in "SPORTS".

Also, a quiet English town was thrust into the global spotlight when a mysterious poisoning revealed a deadly international conspiracy. Here is a look at the CNN film "THE SALISBURY POISONING: A SPY NEXT DOOR".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMBER RUDD, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WORK AND PENSIONS, UNITED KINGDOM: Initially at COBR, we didn't know what it was, but two people had gone into a coma.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the past, while carrying out assassinations, the Russians have used a range of different poisons, and so, we had a high degree of suspicion that the public was at risk.

RUDD: The atmosphere in COBR was tense. Cabinet ministers had different views about how fast we should go in terms of attributing and responding to Russia.

THERESA MAY, PRIME MINISTER OF THE UNITED KINGDOM: When you are faced with something like this, sometimes in today's world the temptation is to say something immediately. Actually, you just have to take a deep breath and step back, and be very clear that there is a longer-term aim here, which is making sure we absolutely hold them to account.

Just have to be a bit careful and wait until you have absolutely got the evidence.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: "THE SALISBURY POISONINGS: A SPY NEXT DOOR" premieres tomorrow at 8:00 p.m. on CNN, and then streams on Monday on the CNN app.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:51:15]

BLACKWELL: A brush fire outside Los Angeles has burned more than 2,500 acres. The Summit Fire was reported around noon yesterday, as high temperatures and windy conditions caused the fire to spread quickly.

Evacuation orders are in place for nearby counties, with Los Angeles fire officials, saying there is a possible threat to structures.

The Trump administration is rewriting the rules on protecting endangered species.

Now, a new rollback narrows the definition of harm to wildlife habitats, which could potentially open protecting lands and -- protecting lands to drilling, I should say, mining and development.

Environmental groups say they will take the administration to Court.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's New York wedding came with a pretty big price tag. The full cost is not known. But New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Friday that the couple paid more than $160,000 for a permit and police response to the wedding.

The couple's wedding at Madison Square Garden on July 3rd led to street closures around the venue, as well as a large police presence.

Spain punches their ticket to the World Cup semifinals after taking down Belgium. CNN Sports Andy Sholes is here.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes, Victor. You know, Spain and France, they were the two favorites to win this World Cup before the tournament started. So, that game in Dallas on Tuesday. It is going to be an awesome one.

And you know, the U.S. lost to Belgium badly. So, it turns out, you know, we are right here, Belgium was right here. Spain is way over here. The U.S. they would have no chance against this Spain squad. But hey, Brad Pitt had tickets had the U.S. beat Belgium, and he said, you know what, I'm still going to Spain-Belgium, and I'm still wearing my USA jersey. You got to love it.

Spain, though, they dominated possession in this match. They were up one to nothing when Belgium gets a fabulous header here from Charles De Ketelaere. That was the first goal Spain had allowed all tournament long, so Belgium had some life.

It was tied all the way in the 88th minute, but that's when sub, Mikel Merino, he would strike for Spain. The keeper couldn't handle the shot. Merino there to bury it to send Spain through. The final in that one, 2-1.

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SCHOLES: Look at all those Norway fans bringing the road to Miami ahead of their big clash with England today. Tonight's going to be the first ever quarterfinals appearance for Norway at the World Cup, and you see they are showing a big time, and it's going to be a fun match.

Erling Haaland and Harry Kane going to go head-to-head. Haaland, seven goals in his first ever World Cup. Kane has six. Both of them trailing, killing Mbappe and Lionel Messi for that golden boot. Those two have eight goals so far in the tournament.

Will Messi add to that total tonight in Kansas City? Argentina is going to take on Switzerland at 9:00 Eastern, as they look to make it back to the semifinals.

Messi has scored in a record nine straight World Cup matches. The England-Norway game, it's going to be the first one today. It kicks off at 5:00 Eastern.

All right. Meanwhile, the finals at Wimbledon are now set. Jannik Sinner is going to be trying to defend his title. He is going to take on Alexander Zverev tomorrow.

Sinner was able to beat Novak Djokovic yesterday in straight sets, 6- 4, 6-4, 6-4. Djokovic, who is 39 years old, said Sinner just had another level that he couldn't get to.

And when asked if this was his last Wimbledon, Djokovic said he'd like to play at least one more. Now, the women's final is coming up today at 11:00 Eastern. It's an all-Czech matchup. Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova squaring off. It's going to be the first time two players from the same country have played the ladies' singles final at Wimbledon since Serena beat Venus back in 2009.

Victor, I'm a little sad today. You know why?

BLACKWELL: Why?

SCHOLES: It's the last day we are going to have two World Cup matches. Then, it's just single matches the rest of the way.

[07:55:02]

BLACKWELL: Oh, what a time it's been.

SCHOLES: It's almost -- it's almost over. It has been great.

BLACKWELL: Andy Scholes, thanks so much.

SCHOLES: All right.

BLACKWELL: All right. "FIRST OF ALL" is coming up at the top of the hour.

I'll speak live to the parents of Nolan Wells. The mystery around his death is sparking an independent investigation.

And also, an online conversation on the role of race. We'll talk about that and their push for answers into what happened, also, how they hope their son is being remembered.

Plus, lives and livelihoods in limbo as immigrants with temporary protected status and the people who employ them wait to find out how long they will still be able to work in the U.S.

And later, tribes out west are alarmed by the removal of wild horses from their ancestral land. The federal government says it's to protect the environment. I'll speak with one Native American cultural monitor who says it feels like their culture is being stolen.

Those stories and conversations you will not see anywhere else are coming up after a short break on "FIRST OF ALL".

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