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Israeli Strikes Shatter Gaza Ceasefire; Hostage Families Condemn Netanyahu's Return to War; Qatar Blasts Israel for "Another Heinous Crime"; Trump and Putin Plan Phone Call; Trump Warns Iran over Houthis' Actions; Inside El Salvador's Infamous Prison Holding U.S. Deportees; NASA Astronauts Return to Earth. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired March 18, 2025 - 10:00   ET

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

[10:00:00]

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): Welcome to our second hour of the show from our Middle East programming headquarters. Time here in Abu Dhabi

is just after 6 in the evening.

We are following two major stories of huge geopolitical importance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON (voice-over): This is the scene in central Gaza hours after Israeli airstrikes shattered the ceasefire with Hamas. It is 4 pm in Khan

Yunis.

And all eyes on the White House this hour and the Kremlin. U.S. president Donald Trump should be speaking on the phone with Russia's Putin any moment

now about a ceasefire in Ukraine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, Israel and Hamas blaming each other for an explosive return to war in Gaza. Renewed Israeli airstrikes raining down on the

enclave overnight. More than 400 people were killed, according to Gaza's health ministry. Israel says it was compelled to act after Hamas rejected

two U.S. proposals for a ceasefire extension.

Hamas calls Israel's justification for its attacks baseless and says its coordination with the American government shows that the U.S. is complicit

in what it calls Israel's war crimes.

Well, the White House taking a hard line and backing Israel all the way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: As president Trump has made it clear, Hamas, the Houthis, Iran, all those who seek to terrorize not

just Israel but also the United States of America, will see a price to pay. All hell will break loose.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Jerusalem correspondent Jeremy Diamond with more on the accusations flying between Israel and Hamas and the heartbreaking scenes

unfolding in Gaza.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: More than 400 people have been killed in Gaza by these Israeli strikes, according to the Palestinian

ministry of health. More than 500 others were wounded.

And as we see all too often in this war in Gaza, many of the victims were children. We have seen children who were injured and being treated at

hospitals, as well as the small bodies of motionless children, lying on the floors of the morgues across several hospitals in Gaza.

These airstrikes spanned from southern to northern Gaza, hitting every single part of the Strip really, including the tents where displaced people

have been sheltering. And this morning, amid the destruction, absolutely heartbreaking scenes as loved ones mourned the loss of their loved ones.

Now Israeli officials have provided a few different reasons for why they have decided to carry out these attacks.

First of all, the Israeli prime minister's office saying that Hamas had refused to release additional hostages, refused the latest proposals by the

U.S. special envoy, Steve Witkoff, to release more hostages in exchange for an extension of the ceasefire.

What they have also said was that Hamas was making preparations to carry out attacks against Israel but they have really provided no evidence to

back up those claims.

Hamas, for its part, has said that it was willing to continue engaging in negotiations to reach phase two of the ceasefire agreement that both Israel

and Hamas had indeed signed up for.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, the broken ceasefire shattering hopes for the return of the remaining hostages held in Gaza.

One mother, whose son is still in captivity, accuses Benjamin Netanyahu of choosing, quote, "cheap politics and the murder of hostages" by unleashing

these airstrikes.

Well, joining me now is Ilay David, whose brother is being held by Hamas.

And as I understand it, your brother is 24 years old; two birthdays in captivity. Thank you for joining us today.

How is the family?

ILAY DAVID, BROTHER OF HAMAS HOSTAGE: Thank you for having me. The family is broken, actually, when we've heard about the conditions down there. It

happened after 505 days when the hostages that lived underground with Evyatar came back on the first phase.

They told us about the conditions and it's hideous. They live in a severe starvation under the guarding of sadistic terrorists.

[10:05:05]

And it's horrible. And I barely get out of bed to speak about them and to advocate for them. It's horrible.

ANDERSON: I understand.

Do you applaud the resumption of strikes on Gaza by the Israeli government?

DAVID: I hope this decision is synchronized with the American administration, with -- I know it is synchronized with the IDF and the

security forces. So hopefully, all this move will bring us the hostages faster.

Of course I'm anxious. I'm super anxious to know that Evyatar is, right now, inside a war zone, although he's underground. OK. He's 30 meters

underground, day and night, for more than nine months.

But we saw what happens when the IDF forces are too close to the hostages. Hopefully it will be for the best. But unfortunately or maybe fortunately,

I understand nothing about war or fighting terror. I know best how to be the big brother of my (INAUDIBLE).

ANDERSON: I'm sure that there are clear voices of concern by hostage families about the resumption of airstrikes, putting the remaining hostages

potentially in the line of fire.

I mean, you traveled to Washington earlier this year to meet with U.S. lawmakers, including the Trump special envoy, Steve Witkoff. And we know

that the U.S. has supported Israel in the resumption of these activities.

What was your sense from the U.S. government when you spoke to them in Washington?

And a month later, does what was said to you in Washington hold water?

DAVID: So I've been to Washington last month and they welcomed me. The Trump administration and the lawmakers, they welcomed us as family members

of hostages, which are not included on the first phase of the deal. They welcomed us and it was very touching to see that the U.S., the strongest

country all over the world, is supporting us.

And so committed to bring back the hostages, President Trump is so committed and also special envoy Witkoff, they are so committed. And I

think because of Trump's leadership and determined actions, only because of that, we saw hostages coming back.

So it gave us a lot of hope. And I'm so grateful for that, that I can imagine again, I can imagine me, my parents, my younger sister, all of us

hug Evyatar with tears of joy and we can start his healing process.

And I, I'm grateful for that. But also, president Trump said, if the hostages will not come back, all hell will break out. And that's what's

going to happen right now. All hell is breaking out. Again, hopefully, it is all synchronized with the American government.

And I know president Trump and his administration will stay committed until the last hostage.

ANDERSON: Critics will say that they are committed at any price.

Let me ask you very briefly, how concerned are you at this stage, that this resumption of strikes may be detrimental to the survival of those hostages,

including your brother?

DAVID: I'm super concerned. I'm super worried to see not only the airstrikes right now but to know that Evyatar is suffering a very great

deal every day, that the hostages that came back told us it's like eternity. Every second is eternity on the jail tunnel (ph).

They live in a small hole of one meter on 11 meters, right next to a toilet pit, a hole in the ground. So just imagine the smell of the sweat and the

feces.

[10:10:03]

And they need to live like that for hundreds of days without any connection to the outside world. They only have each other. That's the only thing they

have. They are starved. They eat one piece of bread a day. And somehow they need to also deal with the -- their captors' abuse anytime they want.

They can spit on them or beat them or do what -- or humiliate them or do whatever they want to their hostages. And that's my biggest concern. When

we saw Evyatar on the video on day 505, we saw how sadistic the -- his captors are.

Ilay David, thank you for joining us today. Your brother still being held by Hamas, one of the groups in Gaza, of course. Thank you.

I want to bring in CNN global affairs analyst Barak Ravid.

Barak, what do you make of what we have seen, witnessed, heard over the last, what, 20 hours or so, this resumption of airstrikes on Gaza, across

Gaza, starting by the Israelis, 2 am or so local time this morning?

BARAK RAVID, CNN POLITICAL AND GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, Becky, it is clear that the Israeli government is taking a decision to take the

initiative and resume the war. The ceasefire did not collapse. The Israeli government took the initiative and collapsed it.

This is what happened. There is no other way to look at what has been going on over the last 20 hours in Gaza. Hamas is a murderous, anti-Semitic,

genocidal terrorist organization but it implemented the deal it signed.

The Israeli government, on the other hand, did not implement fully the agreement. It violated it several times, especially when it comes to

holding serious negotiations over the second phase of the deal. And this is what led us to where we are now.

ANDERSON: Arab nations accusing Israel of being the one who violated this ceasefire.

The Qatari prime minister putting out a particularly strong statement, Barak, saying, and I quote.

"The brutal bombardment of Gaza this morning, targeting displaced women and children in their tents while they are asleep during the unjust blockade,

lack of aid and collapsing medical facilities constitutes yet another heinous crime perpetrated perpetuated by the occupation," he says, "without

any sense of responsibility."

And we've heard a very strongly worded condemnation and denunciation by the Saudi foreign ministry.

Will Israel get back to the table with the Arab negotiators, at this point, Egypt and Doha, do you believe?

RAVID: I think it's a big question whether negotiations are even possible at the current point. I think, as far as I know, the Israeli operation is

expected to escalate. If we look at previous instances over the last 18 months, such situations do not lead to a resumption of talks in the

immediate term.

Maybe it's going to take a week, two weeks, maybe more until negotiations can resume. And in the meantime, the hostages, as you just heard from a

brother of one of the hostages, are under great threat for their safety.

ANDERSON: Well, we talk about -- or you've just suggested that this is the beginning of things to come. And we are seeing foreboding signs in the

Israeli government. Itamar Ben Gvir, who resigned because of the ceasefire back in January, rejoining the government.

The far right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich saying this, this moment, the return of war is why we remained in the government. And there is more

to come.

Will there be any space, Barak, for members of this government who want a ceasefire now and going forward?

RAVID: Well, I do not. If there are members of the Israeli government that want a ceasefire, I do not know who they are. Unfortunately, at the moment,

it doesn't seem that anybody who is involved in decision making in the Israeli government, on the political level, is interested in a ceasefire.

[10:15:00]

That's the -- that's the honest truth.

And I think the question is what is Donald Trump going to say and going to do?

We haven't heard him yet. We heard the White House issuing a statement but we haven't heard president Trump. President Trump gave a campaign promise

that he's going to end the war in Gaza.

Now the war has resumed. Now he owns this war. It's not the Biden war anymore. It's a Trump war. And the question is whether Donald Trump will

allow it to continue or he will put pressure on all parties to wind it down.

ANDERSON: There are many, many around this region and, indeed, voices around the world that are suggesting that this is purely a political play

by Benjamin Netanyahu for his political survival at this stage.

Can you just explain for our viewers very briefly why it is that his detractors are suggesting that and whether or not you believe it's true?

RAVID: Well, you know, it's not a lot of people only in the region; it's a lot of people in Israel. In every public opinion poll over the last few

months, 70 percent of Israelis, I repeat, 70 percent of Israelis said that they want a hostage deal and the end to the war is a first priority.

Only 18 percent to 25 percent of Israelis said that they want the destruction of Hamas and the resumption of the war as the top priority. And

around 60 percent of Israelis in every poll said that they suspect that there are political considerations behind Netanyahu's decision making.

You see it in every poll, it is clear. And I think that you can also see, with the timing -- Netanyahu, just the other day, moved to fire the head of

the Shin Bet intelligence agency. This is the agency in charge of Gaza. He wanted to fire him, not because of the war but because he's investigating

his advisors for alleged connections to Qatar.

Tomorrow there's supposed to be a resumption of the popular protests against the government over its steps to be quick to harm the Israel's

democratic institutions. So I think that what we're seeing on there now can not be disconnected from what is going on domestically in Israel.

ANDERSON: Yes. Understood. It's good to have you, sir. Always a pleasure. Thank you very much indeed. Your analysis and insight extremely important

there, on a day like today.

Well, ahead on this show, the much-anticipated phone call between the American and Russian presidents.

Can Donald Trump really get Vladimir Putin to agree to a peace plan for Ukraine?

More on that is coming up.

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ANDERSON: Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson for you.

That much anticipated phone call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin confirmed by the Russians to be scheduled around this time. The U.S. and

Russian presidents expected to talk mostly about the war in Ukraine today and Mr. Trump's stated desire to end the fighting now.

Well, just how receptive President Putin will be is uncertain. Publicly, he has voiced big concerns over the U.S. plan for a 30-day ceasefire that

Ukraine agreed to last week.

I want to take a deep dive into what could come out of this call with Alex Marquardt, back with us this hour from Washington, and Jill Dougherty, CNN

contributor, adjunct professor at Georgetown University and CNN's former Moscow bureau chief for years.

Jill, thank you for joining us. Stand by.

Alex, I want to start with you.

As far as you are aware, what are the expectations out of this call?

What can we expect at this point?

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, president Trump is really raising expectations, saying that there could be something

that comes out of this call, some kind of deal.

This is the latest effort by the Trump administration to try to get a real peace process underway, this first step being an immediate ceasefire. This

is the latest attempt after this was announced by the U.S. last week, immediately agreed to by Ukraine without preconditions.

We have heard the Russians causing it -- calling it just an opportunity for the Ukrainians to take a break and rearm.

We saw Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, going to Moscow and meeting with President Putin for hours late last week. Still, President Putin did

not agree to the ceasefire. Now president Trump is going to give it a shot.

We know from President Putin's public statements that he has a lot of reservations. He has a lot of conditions. He has a lot of things that he

would like to see before a ceasefire goes into effect.

So it remains to be seen whether president Trump can convince him to at least take this very first step and agree to some kind of ceasefire so that

the negotiations can then begin for a more permanent settlement.

And, Becky, that's where things really get complicated. Not to put the cart before the horse but we have heard president Trump talking about the fact

that they have been discussing things like, as he called it, dividing the assets in order to get to a permanent solution.

But really, the goal today is going to be president Trump trying to get President Putin to agree to that first step of a ceasefire. But given what

we've heard from President Putin already, that is far from a certainty -- Becky.

ANDERSON: And Jill, let me bring you in at this point, because the Kremlin very specifically saying that this call is part of a broader effort to

establish dialogue. Take a listen to Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIRILL DMITRIEV, RUSSIAN SPECIAL ENVOY (through translator): President Biden's administration did a lot to destroy relations with Russia, to try

to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, unsuccessfully. What the Trump administration is doing is renewing a dialogue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: So when you listen to Dmitriev and you speak to your sources in Moscow, Jill, what's your sense of what Russia hopes to get out of this

sort of long game?

And what we might expect from the Kremlin short term?

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, I think President Putin has two things that he is, let's say, playing at this point.

One is, of course, the immediate issue of some type of ceasefire in Ukraine. But the other one that really is extremely important to Vladimir

Putin is reestablishing that relationship with the United States.

And that, I would argue, is paramount. President Putin wants to establish what he views as the right relationship between two great powers, as he

sees it. And so you're going to, I think, see President Putin showing some openness to solving the war against Ukraine.

But at the same time not giving too much but balancing that to make sure he convinces president Trump that he's serious about peace.

[10:25:00]

So it's a very interesting balancing act. I don't think you're going to see any major decisions at all. In fact, the Kremlin has been downplaying that.

But you get, you know, probably some indication that Putin is moving ahead and would like to solve this but he has not changed, Becky. And I think

this is important. He has not changed his initial requirements that go back even to the summer before the full-scale invasion. In fact, if anything, he

has just increased his demands.

ANDERSON: And let's remind ourselves, then, what those demands are.

DOUGHERTY: Well, essentially, it would be that Ukraine never joins NATO; that NATO and the Western countries remove any help for Ukraine; that

Ukraine's army become much, much smaller, much weaker; that there would be no continuation of arming Ukraine right now, especially during this

ceasefire agreement.

And specifically on the ceasefire, President Putin would say no peacekeepers, because, if they are from NATO countries, even if they're

under the flag of their individual countries, they should not be there. So you know, you've got a lot of really strong long-term and short-term

demands.

ANDERSON: And Alex, finally this call, as we are -- we were told by the Kremlin spokesman today was scheduled to happen, Washington time, sort of

morning time, we are in that window as things stand now.

What will success look like for Donald Trump today?

MARQUARDT: Well, it would be an immediate agreement from President Putin to this ceasefire. And it would be a sense from the Russian president of

where a final agreement could end up.

And I think the big question for those of us waiting to hear how the call went is, if Putin continues to play for time, as smart people like Jill and

others often believe that he is doing, will president Trump use the stick approach?

Will he threaten outright more sanctions and tariffs, as he has done publicly?

But will he do it directly to President Putin?

Will he threaten to send more weapons?

And would he actually follow through on sending more weapons into Ukraine to continue this fight against the Russians?

Vladimir Putin has every incentive to draw this out. He is making progress on the battlefield. He believes that he could eventually bleed Ukraine. He

believes that, if a ceasefire were to fall apart or a deal were to fall apart, it would work in his favor.

Because let's not forget, at the end of the day, his goal is to take over all of Ukraine. And that's why we talk so often about this need for

security guarantees for the Ukrainians. So that if indeed they do have to give up a large part of their territory, which is what we're hearing from

president Trump, that Russia can never invade again.

And, Becky, I'm just struck by the fact that we are talking today on the 11th anniversary of Russia officially annexing Crimea. And here we have

this conversation between president Trump and Putin about what more Ukrainian land Russia can now seize. Becky.

ANDERSON: Yes, and that will not be lost on many people. The deck is stacked against Ukraine as far as Donald Trump is concerned.

It will be interesting to see, as Jill has been pointing out and you have, to what it is that he can provide for Ukraine if he chooses to do so, were

Vladimir Putin not to work a negotiation in the terms that Donald Trump wants to see it.

It's good to have you both. Thank you very much indeed.

Just ahead, Gaza reeling after its deadliest day in more than a year, the latest on the situation there and what Israeli officials say could stop

these renewed attacks. That is up next.

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ANDERSON (voice-over): Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. Time here just after 6:30 here in Abu Dhabi. This

is our Middle East programming headquarters. And these are your headlines.

Gaza's health ministry says the death toll from renewed airstrikes is now 400. An Israeli official tells CNN the attacks could be halted if Hamas

agrees to a deal to release more hostages.

Syria and Lebanon have agreed to a ceasefire after 10 people were killed and dozens injured during a cross-border clash. That is according to

Syria's state-run Sana news agency. The agreement follows an escalation of tensions between Beirut and Syria's new government.

And two American astronauts whose eight-day mission in space turned into nine months are finally on their way home. Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore

undocked from the International Space Station early Tuesday morning and they are expected to touch down just hours from now.

ANDERSON: Just a week after he sent a letter to Iran's supreme leader, President Trump posted a harsh warning to Tehran, saying he holds Iran

responsible for any further Houthi attacks.

Writing, "Every shot fired by the Houthis from Yemen will be looked upon from this point forward as being a shot fired from the weapons and

leadership of Iran. And Iran will be held responsible and suffer the consequences. And those consequences will be dire!"

Well, the comments come off the back of new U.S. strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen. Starting over the weekend, the Houthis repeatedly attacked

shipping in the Red Sea after Israel began its war on Hamas in 2023, suspending their attacks when a ceasefire in Gaza began only to restart in

recent weeks.

Well, here with me to discuss regional developments in what is, once again, a region that feels sort of, you know, escalating and in crisis somewhat,

is Vali Nasr, professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

He has a new book coming out in May, "Iran's Grand Strategy: A Political History on Iran's National Security Interests and the Strategies It Uses to

Achieve Them." So perhaps we should start there.

How has Iran's grand strategy, if it changed, if at all, given what we have seen in this region over the past, what, 18 months, but very specifically

over the past 7-8 months since the decapitation of Hezbollah, the near decapitation of Hamas, a new leadership in Syria.

Gone is the leadership there befriended by Iran. And now these attacks on the Houthis.

What do you make of what is going on in the region today?

And what is that perspective, do you believe, from the Iranian leadership at this point?

DR. VALI NASR, JOHNS HOPKINS SCHOOL OF ADVANCED INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: Well, the Iranian leadership says overall strategy hasn't changed.

They see -- still see themselves in a conflict with the United States. They're under maximum pressure sanctions from the U.S. and they're also in

a near-war situation with Israel.

[10:35:00]

What has changed is their capabilities to counter Israeli American pressure in the Arab world -- loss of Lebanon, Syria and now pressure by the

Americans on the Houthis.

And the threat that Iran must take these blows on the Houthis without response, suggests that the that the tactical landscape for them has

changed. But I think Iran still sees itself in that conflict.

And then with the escalation of the war in Gaza, you know, we're sort of entering into a situation where this can spiral into something bigger.

ANDERSON: It is very clear, under this new Trump administration, they are fully in support of Benjamin Netanyahu's strategy for Gaza, whatever that

might be.

But in support of Israel's position with regard to Gaza but also, crucially, Iran, all roads lead to the enemy. That is Tehran.

As far as Israel and this Trump administration is concerned, what does that mean going forward?

NASR: Well, I think there is there is a, as you said, a confluence of interest between Washington and Israel over the region as a whole,

particularly on Gaza and the Levant. But I don't think on Iran, I think, despite his very tough talk on Iran, the president is not really eager to

get into a new war in the Middle East.

His base in America is not supportive of that. He's not one who wants to spend the next four years in a major war in the region. And so he's talking

very tough, hoping that Iran would come to the table.

I think the problem for him is that, you know, you cannot be waging maximum war in the Levant with Lebanon, Syria and particularly Gaza and then expect

that you can completely separate this from the issue of Iran.

First of all, Israel sees all roads leading to Iran.

Secondly, the Houthis had -- have said before that they would observe a ceasefire if there is a ceasefire in Gaza. Now that the ceasefire in Gaza

is being broken, it's not a given that Iran can necessarily control the Houthis 100 percent or that it will do so.

So very quickly, the escalation in Gaza could make it very difficult for U.S. and Iran to actually arrive at the -- at a negotiating table, which is

the objective of president Trump.

Because despite all of what he says publicly about, you know, being very tough with Iran, he sent a direct letter to the supreme leader in Iran

suggesting that the United States and Iran talk, which means that he's interested in a diplomatic resolution.

ANDERSON: That letter, sent via a UAE diplomat, of course, as I understand it, the contents kept closed. But it was Donald Trump himself who said, I

am looking for a deal, a new deal, his deal with Iran. But military action is always an option should Tehran not want it.

Vali, it's always good to have you on. I'm sorry that it is generally at a point in which it does feel like we have somewhat escalated once again. But

you know, your insight and analysis, as ever, extremely important to us. Thank you very much indeed.

Still to come, a major showdown approaching between the White House and the judiciary over court orders. A federal judge in the U.S. demanding to know

why his order on deportations was ignored by the Trump administration over the weekend.

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ANDERSON: The notion that a White House would blatantly ignore a judge's order goes against what is taught in basic civics, in school, in the U.S.,

on the checks and balances built into the U.S. Constitution.

Well, the federal judge who ordered a halt to deportation flights to El Salvador on Saturday has given the Trump White House until noon Eastern

time today, which is, what, now 20 minutes away, to explain why the flights went ahead, defying his order.

CNN's David Culver got an exclusive look inside El Salvador's infamous prison for suspected terrorists, now the new home for some deportees. This

was a recent visit and he filed this report.

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DAVID CULVER, CNN U.S. SECURITY NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Under a veil of darkness, they arrive, shackled and seemingly shell- shocked,

bound for a prison where the past is erased and the future is a door that never opens.

More than 250 alleged criminals deported from the U.S. arriving in El Salvador over the weekend. Most are from Venezuela, accused of belonging to

Tren de Aragua, a violent transnational gang.

Their destination, El Salvador's terrorism confinement center, known as CECOT, a supermax prison built by President Nayib Bukele to house his

country's most dangerous criminals. One by one, hundreds of guards process these new arrivals, who are stripped of choice, power and identity.

It will cost the U.S. about $6 million to keep them here for at least the first year.

These images, released by El Salvador's government and proudly shared online by president Bukele, highlight his controversial yet seemingly

effective gang crackdown while also positioning him firmly in President Trump's good graces, helping to fulfill Trump's mass deportation promises.

President Trump thanking Bukele for his understanding of this horrible situation, adding we will not forget.

CECOT was built to contain, to isolate.

All right, we're going to go in here.

And late last year, we stepped inside to see it for ourselves. These men described as the worst of the worst, tattooed with reminders of El

Salvador's dark past. It's tense and uncomfortable. But here, officials say comfort isn't meant to exist.

There's no mattresses, there's no sheets. You've got a toilet over here for them to go to the bathroom. You've got this basin here that they use to

bathe themselves. And then you can see there there's a barrel of water that they can drink from. And he says, there's always somebody standing here in

front of the cells.

And then if you look up, there's another corridor with more security personnel.

Twenty-four-seven light.

The prison sits like an isolated fortress nestled in mountainous terrain about 1.5 hours drive from the capital. It's been equated to seven football

stadiums. It's almost multiple prisons within the prison. The far end, you have one that's nine meters high of concrete. And then above that three

meters of electrified fencing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fifteen thousand volt.

CULVER: Fifteen thousand volts.

More than a thousand security personnel, guards, police and military are stationed on site.

Inmates are assigned to one of eight sectors. Each sector holds more than two dozen large cells.

Roughly 80 inmates per cell. But it can fluctuate.

CULVER: What is it like to live here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's probably not a hotel, five star but they give you the three times the food. They give you some programs. You go to -- you go

to do exercise, some church religion program, too.

CULVER: But that's limited to just 30 minutes a day. The other 23.5 hours, they're kept inside and locked up.

For inmates who get violent with other prisoners or guards --

[10:45:00]

We're going to close the door. I just want to get a sense of -- wow.

Solitary confinement awaits.

The only light you get is through this hole and they can be in here for 15 days, potentially.

All right. I'm ready to get out.

Critics point specifically to the prison's strict control and isolation of inmates, calling it a violation of human rights.

The director brought up that a lot of folks will raise concerns from a human rights perspective and an abuse of human rights, that he's calm

hearing that because he sees it day to day. The process they go through to maintain as he sees it proper punishment.

And now that proper punishment isn't just for alleged Salvadoran criminals, it's also for those the U.S. decides to send away, an outsourcing of

confinement into Bukele's prized prison, merciless for those inside.

But to many beyond these walls, CECOT stands as a symbol of El Salvador's restored security.

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ANDERSON: Well, that is David Culver reporting.

Well, we are a little over an hour into the trading day on Wall Street -- excuse me. There continues to be concern among investors over the

possibility of a U.S. recession. Certainly we are seeing softer U.S. data at this point.

President Trump's Commerce Secretary insisting, though, that a recession won't happen. But the president himself has been much more circumspect,

calling the imposition of his wide-ranging tariffs a "period of transition" for the U.S. economy.

Well, that is the state of play at present. The Nasdaq, as we know, is already in -- is in correction territory and down another 1.8 percent

today. We've got the Dow off 0.5 percent. The S&P off more than 1 percent.

This is, of course, the first couple of hours of the trading day. A quick look at crude. The price is ticking up again after the U.S. promised more

attacks on Houthi rebels in Yemen. The upsurge in violence triggering speculation about possible interruptions in supplies, particularly around

the Red Sea area.

And the price of gold also on the rise, reaching a new record above 3,000 on the ounce for the second time in a week.

Excuse me, I've got a frog in my throat.

Gold, of course, considered a safe haven asset amid concerns over president Trump's trade war on a volatile geopolitical future.

And tech investors have their eyes on California today, where Nvidia is kicking off its annual tech conference. Shares in the chip giant have been

sliding in the face of market challenges and global trade uncertainties. Anna Stewart explains what investors are looking to hear from Nvidia this

week.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There's a lot of expectation that there might be an announcement about a new generation of AI chips called Rubin

(ph) that could, you know, potentially push the technology further.

If that doesn't happen, there will be quite a lot of disappointment. They also want to see updates on the current generation of AI chips like

Blackwell Ultra. Looking at the share price -- and it was down actually on the closing session yesterday -- down again today. Investors clearly really

bracing for what may come.

But techs had a rough ride in the last couple of weeks, largely impacted by the, you know, never-ending U.S. news in terms of politics.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, Anna Stewart reporting. And Nvidia shares, as you can see, down 3 percent at this point.

Well, sticking with tech news and the deputy ruler of Abu Dhabi and the UAE national security adviser is in Washington, D.C. Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed

is there to build a deeper U.S.-UAE economic partnership that benefits both countries, focusing on advanced technology and artificial intelligence.

That relationship already very robust to the tune of billions of dollars. Last year, trade between the U.S. and the UAE totaled over $34 billion.

That's according to the UAE embassy in Washington.

And they say that this country is the U.S.' third largest trade surplus globally. That will be music to Donald Trump's ears.

And as this visit by the UAE's national security advisor underscores, tech is a huge part of this economic relationship. And that goes both ways. For

instance, even as the U.S. tech giant Microsoft invests $1.5 in Abu Dhabi's G42, for example, the UAE's DAMAC Properties is planning to build new data

centers across the Midwest and Sunbelt.

Well, still to come, return to Earth. After an unexpected nine months in space, two American astronauts have finally begun their journey home. More

on that is after this.

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:50:00]

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ANDERSON: Well, it's a homecoming nine months in the making. American astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore finally headed back to Earth

after their planned eight-day mission unexpectedly turned into nine months. CNN's Ed Lavandera has the very latest for us live from Houston in Texas --

Ed.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Becky. Well, here at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, a lot of anxious people anxiously

awaiting the return of these astronauts, who had gone into outer space on what was supposed to be about a 10-day mission.

That turned into 286 days. And people here on Earth are anxiously waiting for their return.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are finally headed home again. They launched into space more than nine months

ago on the first crewed test mission for the Boeing Starliner. It was their third trip to the International Space Station.

The pair left the space station early this morning after a handoff, swapping duties with the crew that replaced them.

The astronauts are now returning back to Earth in a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule that has been docked at the International Space Station since

September, along with another NASA astronaut, Nick Hague and a Russian cosmonaut. The four are scheduled to splash down in the Gulf waters near

Florida this evening.

BUTCH WILMORE, NASA ASTRONAUT: Let's get going.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Wilmore and Williams lifted off from Cape Canaveral in Florida on June 5th, 2024. The journey was supposed to be a

week-long mission on the International Space Station.

SUNI WILLIAMS, NASA ASTRONAUT: We're just happy as can be, to be up in space.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): But complications derailed the plan. It started with helium leaks and thruster misfirings on the Boeing Starliner

spacecraft.

And NASA determined the Starliner was not safe for their return flight, turning a mission that was supposed to last less than 10 days into 286 days

in space. President Donald Trump and Elon Musk have claimed that the Biden administration left the American astronauts stranded in space.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILMORE: We don't feel abandoned. We don't feel stuck. We don't feel stranded.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA (voice-over): But last month, the two astronauts denied those claims in an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILMORE: We come prepared. We come committed. That is what your human space flight program is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA (voice-over): During more than nine months in space, the pair seems to have made the most of the situation during their time in the

orbiting laboratory.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAMS: We've had opportunities to do all sorts of science, spacewalks. So it's been it's been pretty exciting time that -- for us up here. Butch

and I knew this was a test flight.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Williams and Wilmore say they've taken it all in stride.

WILLIAMS: Every day is fun.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: The journey into space, complete with all the mishaps as well as the mission, can make the return, some former astronauts say, a reminder

of all the things humans have in common.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you look out the window and you see the entire planet Earth and you realize that all the things that divide us, like

politics, gender, religion, nationality, are kind of pale in comparison to the fact that we all live together in one planet.

WILLIAMS: You can look at things a lot differently when you're up in space.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[10:55:00]

LAVANDERA: So Becky, right now, those astronauts inside that capsule are orbiting the planet. And in about five hours, they will begin the process

of plunging through the Earth's atmosphere back in to Earth.

And at that point, they will be traveling at about 17,000 miles an hour. Eventually, parachutes will deploy, slowing that capsule down to about 20

miles an hour before it plunges into the Gulf waters off the coast of Florida -- Becky.

ANDERSON: I guess it goes without saying but, very briefly, just how dangerous is this trip for them?

LAVANDERA: Well, this part, the reentry is the most dangerous part of all of this. The capsule there will be facing temperatures of 3500 degrees

Fahrenheit. So clearly that's one of the more dangerous aspects of all of this. But the -- that's why people here are anxiously awaiting for this

crew to return safely.

ANDERSON: Yes, absolutely. Look, it's good to have you, sir. Thank you very much indeed. Lots of nerves, let's describe it as such, there at the

NASA site. Ed Lavandera for you.

That is it for CONNECT THE WORLD. Stay with CNN. From the team working with me here it's a very good evening. But "ONE WORLD" is up next.

END