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Iran's Supreme Leader Says His Country "Crushed" Israel; Joint Chiefs Chairman Says Weapons All Guided to Intended Targets at Iran's Fordow Nuclear Site; Trump Says U.S. and Iran Will Meet Next Week but Nuclear Deal Not "Necessary"; CNN Reports from Near Iranian Nuclear Site Hit by U.S. Strike; Netanyahu and Top Officials to Meet on Gaza; Markets' Wild Ride This Year; U.S. Intel Chiefs Say Evidence Iran Nuclear Sites "Severely Damaged"; Call to Earth: Great Barrier Reef; Trump Presses Lawmakers on Domestic Policy Bill; Tehran Orchestra Honors Iranians Killed in Conflict. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired June 26, 2025 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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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): Competing narratives playing out in Washington and Tehran today. Iran's supreme leader speaking out for the
first time since his country came under attack by the Americans.
As the U.S. Secretary of Defense seeks to pour cold water on any doubts about the effectiveness of those strikes on Iran's nuclear program.
Welcome to our second hour of CONNECT THE WORLD from our Middle East programming headquarters. I'm Becky Anderson. Time here just after 6 pm.
And it is just after 10 am in Washington.
And we begin with the U.S. Defense Secretary not mincing words, lauding the success of the weekend U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities at a
Pentagon briefing a couple of hours ago.
Pete Hegseth addressing conflicting reports about the effectiveness of those strikes. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE HEGSETH, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: There's been a lot of discussion about what happened and what didn't happen. Step back for a second. Because
of decisive military action, president Trump created the conditions to end the war, decimating -- choose your word -- obliterating, destroying Iran's
nuclear capabilities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, meanwhile, Iran's supreme leader, speaking publicly for the first time since the ceasefire went into effect earlier this week,
ayatollah Ali Khamenei is claiming victory over Israel and also insists U.S. involvement in the conflict achieved nothing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALI KHAMENEI, IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER (through translator): The U.S. president said that Iran should surrender. That means there is no --
there's no more enrichment. It's the question of Iran to be surrendered.
To mention the word Iran is too much for a mouth of the U.S. president to even pronounce it, to say it. A great Iran and the word of surrender, they
don't match. They don't match with each other. It's a joke. Is a ridiculous thing to say.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, let's get to our panel. CNN's Alayna Treene at the White House. We are also joined this hour by Trita Parsi, who is executive vice
president of the Quincy Institute and author of "Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran and the Triumph of Diplomacy."
Good to remind ourselves of that book this hour.
Good to have you two.
Alayna, we heard Hegseth just a moment ago saying the -- with the U.S. strikes, Donald Trump created the conditions to end the war. Just explain
more of what he said.
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Look, I mean, a lot of what Hegseth was doing when he was up on behind that podium was to really dismiss and
downplay some of the reports of the defense intelligence agencies' initial preliminary assessment of the damage that was sustained at these different
Iranian nuclear sites that the U.S. struck.
And, you know, I will say, as much as he did try to downplay what it said, he also confirmed that, you know, what the assessment said was exactly what
a lot of what CNN had reported. And we reported as well, that a lot of this was preliminary.
But he also went on to say that -- he kind of parroted the language we have heard from the president that, you know, he said it was obliterated. You
can pick whatever words you want. You could say it was destroyed. It was severely damaged.
But the goal of what they were setting out to do is what they accomplished. And that is what Hegseth laid out. Now they did have a much, you know, a
very extensive -- and it was pretty remarkable to see, you know, images and videos of some of the strikes that were conducted, different angles of the
sites as they were hit.
But I actually think, Becky, what we heard from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine, what he said was very notable.
And he made some news there because what he essentially said was that, the goal, the weapons that they used and the goal of what they were trying to
do, what they set out to achieve, is exactly what they were able to accomplish.
He said that the weapons did what they wanted to do. He said the 30,000- pound bombs dropped to, quote, "function and design," meaning they exploded in the way that they were meant to do.
He also gave some insight into, you know, some of the shafts that these weapons were able to kind of go down and penetrate, really adding and
bolstering to the claim that we know that they believe that the centrifuges specifically at the Fordow nuclear site, were, you know, rendered
inoperable now. And so we got a lot of new information.
[10:05:00]
But again, kind of a dressing-down from the Defense Secretary of the media here and what we've been reporting, saying that it's too soon to know some
of this intelligence.
And I think, Becky, as well, I just want to point out, because we did hear this from Hegseth, he emphasized a new statement we got from the CIA
director, John Ratcliffe, that was yesterday.
He had said that the strikes had, quote, "severely damaged" Iran's nuclear program.
We had also heard from the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, who said this morning that, on the basis of satellite images and given the
power of these bombs and technical characteristics of the centrifuges, we know that they are no longer operational. Again, really focusing on the
Fordow nuclear site.
All to say, look, I mean, what is clear is that this did damage the different nuclear sites that the U.S. set out to strike. And what is
unclear is how much damage was sustained. And we're still trying to gather that information.
It was clear very much that they were trying to emphasize that point at that press conference. And even Caine himself, the Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, said, you know, look, we don't grade our own homework.
He essentially said, we do not have the intelligence, you know, like the capacities, to really assess the intelligence assessments that they need to
give definitive answers on what the type of damage that was sustained.
But again, kind of said urging patience to wait and see what they can learn as more intelligence is gathered from -- on and from these different sites.
Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes, journalists seek the facts, of course, and ask questions in order to seek those facts. One of the facts I thought was fascinating that
came out of that briefing was from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who explained that this was an operation very specifically planned and designed for
Fordow over 15 years.
And as far as he is concerned, at least as far as the operation goes, it was conducted successfully. But again, to your point, he went on to say,
you know, it is up to the intelligence community to work out what the extent of the damage wrought was.
It's good to have you, Alayna. Thank you.
Trita, let me bring you in now. I guess what I you know, we should interrogate what we heard today at that briefing because I know that you
will have been aware of it. At the same time, I want to get your analysis of the timing of the supreme leader's first speech since these strikes.
Why now?
TRITA PARSI, QUINCY INSTITUTE FOR RESPONSIBLE STATECRAFT: Well, I think part of the reason for why that is, is also because of the fact that
there's been such speculation of where actually -- where he actually is. He's not been visible for several days.
Tomorrow is the Friday prayer and that would have been a natural point for him to reemerge. But I think he reemerged earlier precisely to put an end
to any speculation that he's been killed or that the system is essentially trying to conceal his state.
I do have to say, however, when you listen to him, he sounds far more fragile than he was just two weeks ago. And it gives you a suggestion of
what state of mind he is right now.
ANDERSON: What do you make of what he has -- what he has said in that speech?
PARSI: Well, this is obviously what the Iranians would say. Every side is trying to portray this as some a victory.
And the Iranians are making the case that the United States wanted to go down to zero enrichment, that the Israelis wanted to have an obliteration
of the program altogether and get the United States into a prolonged state of war with Iran.
And since that didn't happen, Iran did not surrender, he will claim this to be a victory. The Israelis will try to scramble to figure out how to
portray all of this as a victory, not in the sense that they haven't done tremendous damage to the Iranians. They certainly have. And their
intelligence agencies have scored some significant victories.
But it also stops short of what they wanted to do and wanted to achieve. And you have this situation now, with what the administration is saying --
and whether it is an obliteration of the program or, if it is, as the Iranians have said, severely damaged, I think the real story here is that
Trump is looking for an exit.
He does not want to continue this. I think he's realized that he was kind of trapped by the Israelis, who wanted him to go on and bomb and bomb and
bomb for days and weeks, not just in nuclear sites, the missile sites, the conventional military sites, and essentially fulfill the long-term
objective of Israel.
Which is to get the United States to cut Iran down in size in order to establish a balance in the region that the Israelis cannot establish on
their own. But that was cut short because Trump was not interested in a prolonged or a forever war. And this is part of the reason, I think, why
they are also stating one side of the picture.
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Which is that the military operation was successful. Whether that means that the program has entirely been obliterated or not is, of course, a
completely different story.
ANDERSON: Yes. And let's -- and we should talk about the future of Iran's program. This is Iran expert you all know very well, Vali Nasr, speaking to
me last hour. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. VALI NASR, JOHNS HOPKINS SCHOOL OF ADVANCED INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: Iran has always been interested in talks, at least since Trump became
president.
They're not interested in talks that are going to discuss surrender. They're interested in negotiations to arrive at a deal, which means that
you give and take a bit. And also there is now a question of trust. They think that president Trump says one thing, does another thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: You posted a link to Anwash Media (ph), an article there that argues, quote, "Even if Iran does not withdraw from the treaty on the
nonproliferation of nuclear weapons" -- or the NPT -- "the political will in Tehran to accept inspections of its nuclear sites or what remains of
them has evaporated."
So briefly, explain what you mean there, whether you think the world is at a greater risk today of Iran going for a nuclear weapon and how you expect
any talks, if at all, between the U.S. and Iran to proceed going forward.
PARSI: Well, once you bomb a country, the country's desire for a nuclear deterrent skyrockets.
And what you had in Iran prior to this episode was a balance, in which the voices who still wanted to negotiate away aspects of their program and
wanted to use all of the 60 percent enrichment and the advances they've made as negotiating cards.
Rather than those who actually wanted to go the full distance and build a nuclear bomb, that was tilting in the favor of those wanting to negotiate.
That tilt has most likely now shifted in the other direction.
And it certainly seems to have done so in the Iranian society, who had never expressed any strong views in favor of weaponization but were firmly
in favor of having the technology. That is going to make the political maneuverability for the Iranians to negotiate much, much more difficult.
I can tell you that, based on conversations I had with Iranian officials in the past year, I got a very strong sense that they fear that, if they
didn't get some form of a deal before the snapback -- sanctions are triggered by the Europeans sometime in July, all the way to October, when
the deadline is.
That that would have been the final moment in which, if they hadn't a deal by then, the balance in the Iranian system would tilt in the direction of
those who actually wanted to have weaponization. But that was, of course, not foreseeing this episode.
This episode is likely going to push it far, far further. This makes diplomacy much more difficult because -- not just because of the lack of
political space the Iranians will have but also because the trust that the Iranians will actually stick to a deal is going to be much lower.
Because now we know that the desire for a nuclear deterrent is much stronger. And this is exactly what the Israelis were aiming for. They knew
that, even if a military strike did not obliterate the program, it did likely obliterate much of the path toward a nuclear deal, which then would
push the United States back into having to go to war with Iran.
ANDERSON: Your -- the conceit of your argument is -- it's a fascinating one. Look, Fred Pleitgen, my colleague is in Iran, first Western journalist
on the ground. And when the conflict started -- still there. I just want to play some of his reporting from Homs today and get your reaction, Trita.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is the holy shrine of Masumeh in the holy city of Qom, which is the second holiest
site in all of Iran.
Now this place is extremely important for the Islamic Republic of Iran. There's a lot of religious schools here, a lot of religious seminaries and,
of course, a lot of the thinking, the religious thinking that underpins the actions of the Islamic Republic, is developed here.
All of that, even more important, now that Iran is in this massive standoff with the Trump administration and with the Israelis. So we went out and we
asked a couple of clerics here how they feel about that standoff and what could happen next.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): "If Trump ever has good will, do not mess with countries and let people live their lives," he says.
"This promise has been made by God," he says, "that if you believe in God, he is the one who guides your arrows to the hearts of the enemy."
And he says, "They think they're able to stop us from our chosen path through bombing, killing and terror. This is why these terrors and wars
will only strengthen our faith instead of weakening us."
PLEITGEN: Now there's one other reason why this part of Iran is so important. The province of Qom is also where the Fordow nuclear enrichment
plant is located.
[10:15:00]
Which, of course, president Trump claims to have, as he put it, "obliterated" with those U.S. bunker buster bombs that were dropped a
couple of days ago. The Iranians acknowledged that their nuclear program has been damaged. But they say that it is still very much alive.
And they also say that they're not going to back down from what they call their right to nuclear enrichment. And they also say that they are going to
stay defiant in the face of pressure, both from the U.S. and from Israel -- Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Qom, Iran.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Your thoughts, Trita?
PARSI: I think what Fred is pointing to is a very important thing, which is that, even despite all of this damage, it is very clear the Iranians are
not going to back off from their insistence that they will continue to enrich uranium.
They will agree to strict restrictions, inspections, limitations, as they did in the Iran nuclear deal that Obama negotiated. But zero was never on
the table.
And this whole episode is a result of Trump, halfway through the negotiations, shifting from his own red line, which was no weaponization,
to the Israeli red line of no enrichment.
Once he shifted -- and this is all out in the public; you can see the statements of Trump's negotiator, Witkoff, on this issue -- that's when we
shifted trajectory and went toward this confrontation.
And despite this confrontation, despite the damage that's been done to the Iranian nuclear program, I'm not seeing the slightest indication that the
Iranians will surrender on that point.
Which means, at some point, if there is a negotiation, Trump will have to shift back to his original red line, which is a very workable red line. And
having bombed Iran, he may actually have an easier time doing that.
ANDERSON: Yes, it'll be interesting. He said that talks are on next week, he said, or in a week's time. He also said when he was at the NATO summit
and asked about this yesterday, that he wasn't sure that he was interested in an agreement.
Look, you know, as we come to understand Donald Trump, so we realize that some of what he says is bluster, some of it is the art of the deal. I'm
sure he would explain to us. So we'll have to wait and see where that all goes.
Meantime, this ceasefire does seem to have provided some hopes for talks between Israel and Hamas.
Do you see a grand deal, as Donald Trump has been describing it, coming off, that might include, were there to be a deal, that might include in
this region more than just a deal with Iran but actually getting the Gaza situation sorted?
PARSI: There is a small pathway but it's completely dependent on one variable and one variable alone.
We saw that Trump forced the Israelis into a ceasefire with Iran, because he realized that the Israelis were trying to get him into an endless war.
And he put a stop to it. If there is to be a deal with Hamas, if there is to be an end to the slaughter there, it only depends on whether Trump
decides to put the same type of pressure on Netanyahu to end it, which would release all of the hostages, which would end the war.
But so far, we have seen that, even when Netanyahu had agreed to it, it's only been temporary because Trump's ability to sustain pressure on
Netanyahu has not been as impressive as his ability to say no to him on a single occasion.
ANDERSON: Trita, it's good to have you. Thank you very much indeed. Your analysis over the past couple of weeks, over the months and years that
you've been kind enough to join us on CNN, has been just nothing short of remarkable and so important. Thank you.
A source tells CNN that Israel's prime minister is expected to convene a meeting with top officials later today to discuss Israel's future strategy
in the enclave. CNN's international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson is in Tel Aviv.
And I just want our viewers to hear some sound from an interview that I did just yesterday with the Qatar prime minister's advisor. We talked about the
potential for talks, indirect talks between Israel and Hamas. Of course, Qatar, a key mediator. And this is what he told me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN ABDULRAHMAN AL THANI, QATARI PRIME MINISTER: This is the time now for president Trump to push forward and we believe that he is
sincere about it.
And his team, with Steve Witkoff, sincere about it. And we are willing to help on that. As you know, we have been talking to all sides, all through
the past couple of weeks, including the past couple of days, to see if we can use the momentum created by the ceasefire between Iran and Israel. But,
of course, the efforts are still ongoing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, what do we know, then about today's meeting there, where you are, to discuss the future of Israel's strategy in Gaza?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, Israel's military still has a military posture that the prime minister and his cabinet have
determined.
[10:20:00]
This is not something new. They've determined this over the past many, many, many months. But they've maintained it and pushed it forward.
A military posture in Gaza with reservists, with others, so that they are in a position to carry out a military campaign. There doesn't appear to be
a high-volume, high-level military campaign underway right now.
In fact, Israel lost seven soldiers earlier this week in a bomb that was placed on their armored vehicle.
So there's a narrative, if you will, here, among the more than 60 percent of the Israeli population, who want an end to the war in Gaza, which is why
are we staying on this military high-level of posture that's ready for a big military operation and ready to bring in other forces for that military
operation?
Why are we in that posture?
Why are we losing lives?
What's the game?
So that's one of the questions. But that, of course, has been the thing that prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been so resistant to moving on.
The calculation and the hope, if you will, is based on the fact that he has political capital, because he did so well in the Iran conflict. That's the
perception here among people.
And that maybe gives him the space for maneuver. But talking to another source in the region here, I don't think anyone's expecting this to jump
into place because prime minister Netanyahu right now has the maneuver, the room for maneuver, the political capital to do it.
In fact, I'm being guided that we're still looking at what could be several weeks. And it feels to me that, if there was momentum toward this, we might
have heard a little bit more about it publicly.
But, of course, it's a delicate movement, political movement for prime minister Netanyahu, because there are members of his cabinet who will walk
if he cuts a deal with Hamas in Gaza.
And that would bring down his government and that would be consequential. He would need another avenue, political avenue, to keep a coalition going.
ANDERSON: Yes. And he's got for, his critics will say, he has not pursued an offramp, they say, his critics, nor has he sought a political solution
neither on this they say or on the Iran file, actually.
So it remains to be seen. It's good to have you on that. Footage shared on social media, Nic, shows scenes of smoke and fire following an Israeli
settler attack in a village in the occupied West Bank.
What more details do you have on that?
ROBERTSON: Yes, the mayor of the town where that happened and some of the residents have shared their account. And they've said that dozens of armed
settlers -- they described them as armed settlers -- came into their town, burnt vehicles, burnt houses. The residents came out to defend themselves,
threw rocks at the settlers.
The settlers, they say, fired weapons at them, guns, guns that they were carrying. And that's how they say, according to Palestinian health
officials in Gaza, the ministry of health in the West Bank, rather, in Ramallah, the ministry of health there, said that three people were killed
in the village, three Palestinians killed, 10 injured.
The IDF has a slightly different account of what happened. They say that they were called in to a disturbance that involved both Palestinians and
Israelis.
They say -- the IDF says that the Israelis weren't armed and they say that terrorists shot at the IDF, implication here from the -- from the
Palestinian community, shot at the IDF. The IDF say they identified targets, fired back.
And that's when they say they believe that they had hit some of those targets. This is what the IDF is saying.
Obviously, there's a discrepancy there with how the people in the town are describing it.
But it is not uncommon recently and it is not uncommon at all over the past, well, almost two years, since October the 7th, to see an increase in
settler violence in the West Bank on Palestinian communities' 918 people, according to an NGO, have been killed since that time. Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes, we witnessed the impact of that violence on one Palestinian village when we were there reporting just after October the 7th and the
week following, what was that shocking attack on the Israeli kibbutzim.
All right. Thank you.
And we are going to take a very short break back after.
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ANDERSON: Well, U.S. stocks have been open for almost an hour. Let's take a look at how they are getting on. And this is the story today. Markets
have settled about 0.5 percent higher.
Well, in a stunning comeback, the U.S. stock market now is on the verge of an all-time record. Our Anna Stewart joining us now from London with more
on that.
Just two months ago, it did -- well, it didn't just seem; the U.S. was on the verge of a bear market. But we have seen this major turnaround.
What is behind that, Anna?
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are seeing such a big turnaround, aren't we?
And a particular shout out for Nvidia, which is now once again the most valuable company in the world, edging out Microsoft and Apple. Now part of
this, of course, we're seeing a bit of a relief rally, given recent weeks and months. But Nvidia, it's now worth $3.7 trillion. The stock was up 24
percent last month.
We have a look year-to-date. You can kind of see how Nvidia has followed the general trend, particularly for U.S. tech and U.S. equities. It's up
around 12 percent. But it took quite a big dip, you can see, March-April time.
This is, of course, after Jensen Huang's massive whistle stop tour of the world. Becky, I'm beginning to wonder whether he might be following you,
because I'm pretty sure you were in Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Paris all at the same time as each other.
But Nvidia has made a number of announcements, a huge collaboration, partnerships now, 19 different countries that has a big million-dollar
investments with. And it's continuing to be a leader in GPUs. So AI chips essentially.
Its data center business is providing most of the revenue and that actually includes cloud computing now as well. So it's also really competing with
the likes of Amazon, Microsoft and Google, which it wasn't just a couple of years ago. So that's a huge part of the story here.
And investors are getting much less worried, I think, about China and the issue around export controls. And actually I spoke to the CEO of Nvidia in
Paris a few weeks ago. And he said they're not including China in their forecasts anymore. He's hopeful export controls will be lifted.
But clearly investors are just a lot less concerned at this point. And some analysts from Loop Capital have actually put out a note today, suggesting
this could be a $6 trillion market cap for this company. It's currently 3.7. That is some growth we could be seeing from Nvidia going forward.
Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes. And I was -- if you hadn't reminded our viewers, I was going to remind our viewers that it was Paris where you and I both were. It
feels like ages ago. It was about, what, 2.5 weeks ago, when you spoke to the CEO of Nvidia.
And I thought that was absolutely fascinating, what he told you about China. And what I think is fascinating is that he was in Riyadh when I was
there on the Trump trip. He was in Doha and here in the UAE on that whirlwind trip and then in Paris. Look, this is a company which is keenly
focused on talking to governments.
[10:30:00]
About how it, as a private organization, can help governments get their kind of AI development and deployment strategy together, particularly in
Europe, where they were playing a bit of catch-up, and how intrinsically important a company like Nvidia is at this point to countries' success.
ANDERSON: And all of these governments, I mean, its felt like some Taylor Swift tour when we've seen Jensen Huang visiting all of these governments,
because they are so desperate to get on top of AI. They want the infrastructure.
I mean, Nvidia is going to do incredibly well out of it. You can see it in the share price today. But yes, this is -- it's been a really fascinating
experience, watching Jensen Huang tour the world. And he will continue to do so.
There are few companies that can rival Nvidia, particularly with certain things like GPUs, these very advanced AI chips. They had some production
issues in the past. Those have been lifted.
So the company is currently on fire but so much does depend, of course, on tariffs. And perhaps investors are getting a little complacent with that at
the moment.
ANDERSON: Yes. Yes, yes. Everybody wants his chips. It's just a question of whether they can get their hands on them.
And certainly the Biden administration have put export controls on so many places, including here in the UAE. So it remains to be seen how persuasive
he can be with this new administration and how quickly others can get hold of his stock. Good to have you.
Still to come, as the Pentagon insists the bombs dropped on Iran's nuclear sites did what they were supposed to do, we get expert analysis on just how
much damage has been done to Iran's ambitions. Stay with CNN.
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ANDERSON (voice-over): Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. Here are your headlines this hour.
And U.S. Defense Secretary Pete calls the U.S. attacks on Iran's three main nuclear facilities an historically successful mission. In a media briefing
at the Pentagon a couple of hours ago, he played down an initial intelligence assessment, that the attacks only set back Iran's nuclear
program by months.
Insisting that they obliterated the country's three main nuclear sites.
Well, Iran's supreme leader made his first public comments since the ceasefire. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei proclaimed a victory for Iran in its 12-
day conflict with Israel.
He also said the U.S. did not gain anything by attacking his country and that Iran would respond to any future U.S. attacks by striking American
bases, military bases, in the Middle East.
[10:35:00]
Well, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency says U.S. strikes have left centrifuges at Iran's Fordow nuclear facility no longer
operational. That comes as initial intelligence assessments differ on the setback to Tehran's nuclear program.
In response to the new intelligence, Kelsey Davenport, Director for Nonproliferation Policy at the Arms Control Association, said, "Even if the
three facilities were destroyed -- and that is a big if -- Iran does not need to completely rebuild all of those to pose a proliferation threat.
"If some centrifuges survived, Iran can move more quickly to weaponize or retain threshold status."
And Kelsey joins me now live.
And it's good to have you on. It's an important discussion today. I want to start by asking you about that tweet.
Given that Iran has blocked IAEA access at this point, how do you assess the current risk of proliferation?
KELSEY DAVENPORT, DIRECTOR FOR NONPROLIFERATION POLICY, ARMS CONTROL ASSOCIATION: I think the risk of proliferation is still high. When
assessing proliferation threat, you need to take into account two factors.
First, the technical side, just, you know, can a country actually produce the fissile material, can they build a bomb?
But then also the political side; is there an impetus, is there a motivation to develop nuclear weapons?
Technically, the strikes likely did set Iran back. This -- the strikes did destroy some facilities that would help Iran move more quickly to weaponize
if the decision were made to do so. But the strikes didn't completely destroy Iran's facilities or its capabilities.
And the International Atomic Energy Agency has long warned that it does not know where all of Iran's centrifuges are, centrifuges being the machines
that enrich the uranium.
So if Iran was able to retain a small number of centrifuges at an unknown site, that plus some of its highly enriched uranium would put Tehran well
back on the pathway to that technical threshold of nuclear weapons.
And then if you come to the second factor, the political motivations, the strikes are just going to drive Iran to determine to debate whether nuclear
weapons are necessary for its security.
ANDERSON: There's a big if there and that is about, you know, what state the nuclear program is in. And, of course, we've had these recent threats
to leave the NPT.
How do those affect security in the Middle East?
And what happens to global nonproliferation, which has worked very effectively for many, many years, if Iran walks away?
DAVENPORT: The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty has proved to be enormously successful in preventing additional nuclear armed states. But it's under
significant strain right now. And the recent events are only adding to that strain.
I mean, the United States and Israel attacked safeguarded nuclear sites in Iran and the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty is supposed to guarantee a
right to a civil nuclear program if that program is under IAEA safeguards, which these facilities were.
So Iran is questioning now the value of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and whether its rights under the treaty have been violated.
So any talk about withdrawing from the NPT, Iran's decision to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, all of that comes
at a time when the treaty is under stress.
And it's likely going to prompt more states to reconsider if the treaty actually serves their interests. And if Iran does leave and pursue nuclear
weapons, it's likely other states will follow. Saudi Arabia has threatened to do just that.
ANDERSON: There are concerns that some of Iran's enriched uranium may have been moved to undisclosed locations before the U.S. strikes.
Trump says that didn't happen. Hegseth -- neither Hegseth nor the joint chief of staff (sic) actually at the press conference today, were really
able to answer the question as to whether that uranium, that HEU, had been moved.
How significant is this risk?
And what steps should or could the international community take to ensure that these materials are accounted for, if any?
DAVENPORT: Nuclear material accountancy is extremely important. And in this particular case of Iran, there is a real concern that Iran was able to
move some of this uranium, which is enriched nearly to weapons grade levels, to covert locations.
The canisters this material is stored in is quite small. They're easily mobile. And Iran had been threatening to take this step for some time if
its sites were attacked. So Iran likely had a contingency plan for actually moving and dispersing this material to multiple sites.
And if some of this material survived, because it can be enriched so quickly back to weapons grade levels, that really increases Iran's
proliferation risk.
[10:40:04]
But the underlying factor here is that we are not going to know for sure what was destroyed. We are not going to know for sure where this material
might be until the International Atomic Energy Agency can get back into Iran, assess the damage and begin trying to account for the material.
ANDERSON: If they ever get back in, because, of course, parliament has voted to suspend activities with the IAEA. That decision, though, has to be
made at a higher level. So we wait to see that -- whether that decision is supported at the supreme leader level.
All right. Thank you.
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ANDERSON (voice-over): Let's get you up to speed on some of the other stories that are on our radar right now.
And U.S. secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem will wrap up her Central American tour in Guatemala City later today. On Wednesday, she
became the first Trump cabinet member to meet the president of Honduras. They discussed immigration and border security.
A U.S. judge says the Salvadoran migrant, who was mistakenly deported earlier this year, should not be detained while awaiting trial on human
smuggling charges. But she cannot guarantee that ICE will not immediately deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia for a second time if he is released from jail.
For now, he remains in federal custody in Tennessee.
Ecuador's most wanted man, the head of a violent gang called Los Choneros, has been recaptured a year after escaping from prison. The drug kingpin,
widely known as Fito, had been serving a 34-year sentence for homicide and narcotics trafficking. Ecuador's president said efforts are underway to
extradite Fito to the United States.
Right. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson. We are back after this quick break.
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ANDERSON: All this week on our regular series, Call to Earth, we are on the Great Barrier Reef for you, following the work of marine biologist Emma
Camp and her Coral Nurture Program.
Now as part of the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, her team uses an innovative machine to determine in real time which species of coral are
strongest and to target those for use in their reef restoration initiative. Have a look at this.
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BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dr. Emma Camp is on her way to the very outer reaches of the Great Barrier Reef to find
heat-tolerant "super coral."
DR. EMMA CAMP, CORAL NURTURE PROGRAM: For this particular trip, we focused on six different coral species and we'll take about 10 to 20 samples from
each of those that we'll then bring back to the lab and analyze.
[10:45:00]
WEIR (voice-over): This is Opal Reef, perched near the edge of the Australian continental shelf. It stretches 10 kilometers long yet it is
only a tiny part of the world's largest marine habitat.
CAMP: So I'm currently 28 weeks pregnant, so that means no diving for me on this trip. But luckily I have an amazing team who will be leading a lot
of the in-water activities.
WEIR (voice-over): This research trip is being led by Christine Roper, a former student of Emma's.
CHRISTINE ROPER, POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER, UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, SYDNEY: So the idea is that we are going to be collecting six species of corals
from the shallows and the deep. I think we're probably going to aim for about a fist size for all of the fragments that we need for the various
analyzes.
WEIR (voice-over): It's her first major project since she finished her PhD in 2024.
ROPER: So what I'm hoping to achieve with this research is that we would find that we can identify coral species and coral individuals with greater
heat tolerance but that are still able to maintain other traits that are really critical. We want them to be fast growers. We want them to provide
good habitat for other organisms living on the reef.
WEIR (voice-over): If the species are found to be "super;" that is, they can thrive in harsh conditions, the Coral Nurture Program will prioritize
growing them on their nurseries.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you get excited for days like this?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, definitely. Like trust in the team and know your species and you might have to pivot a little bit. But, yes, it usually
works out.
CAMP: Getting in the water, getting out to site is my favorite part of the job. So it's always exciting. You never know what you're going to see under
the water.
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WEIR (voice-over): The team scour the reef for the specific coral. They're working against a strong swell and low visibility due to a recent storm.
And within 10 minutes, the first branching species is spotted, sampled and tagged.
CAMP: This is one of our corals here. So what we'll do is take small fragments using these bone cutters, cut them up.
WEIR (voice-over): The team are able to do real-time heat tolerance testing on these samples, using this game-changing device. The phenotyping
machine can predict which species have the best chance of survival as water temperatures rise.
HADLEY ENGLAND, PHD CANDIDATE, UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, SYDNEY: This machine is basically able to expose the corals to stress, which is
indicative of what the corals go through in the natural environment during periods of coral bleaching.
WEIR (voice-over): The results are ready in under an hour.
CAMP: We have limited resources. We have limited time and we're up against it with the threats that the reefs face. So we really need to be smarter
with how we use our time and effort. And this is where phenotyping can be really valuable.
WEIR (voice-over): It ensures only the toughest species are outplanted on the reef.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And do be sure to watch the full documentary, "SEARCHING FOR SUPER CORAL," this weekend, only on CNN.
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[10:50:00]
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ANDERSON: In the coming hours, President Trump is set to host what the White House is calling one big, beautiful -- let me start that again -- one
big, beautiful event. He's trying to rally support for his sweeping domestic policy agenda.
Some Senate Republicans, though, are still a little wary. They aren't sold on its content with the July 4th deadline looming, as CNN's Manu Raju
reports.
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MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: President Donald Trump is demanding that Republicans fall in line and push through his massive
domestic agenda within days.
But there are still significant divisions in the Senate and in the House to get the bill over the finish line. This bill is sweeping in nature, a
multi-trillion dollar overhaul of the United States tax code.
It would pump hundreds of billions of dollars into new programs for defense and for border security projects. It would provide a call for new energy
drilling across the country and new work requirements on social safety net programs.
But it is those deep spending cuts in particular that have divided Republicans, both in the Senate and in the House, and over a number of
issues but namely on the issue of Medicaid.
That is a huge entitlement program for the disabled and for low-income individuals. And there are concerns from Republicans that the cuts that are
being called for could lead to many losing their health insurance in their states and in their districts.
And particularly the concerns over the Senate's plan's impacts on rural hospitals, that is a huge issue that is now dividing Republicans in the
Senate.
And it's unclear how they'll ultimately resolve that, get those members in line, without alienating the more conservative members who are worried
about the budget deficit impacts of this bill and actually pushing for even deeper cuts.
But one key Republican senator, Thom Tillis, who is up for reelection in North Carolina next year, told me that that plan needs to change in dealing
with how far to cut in Medicaid or he could vote against it.
SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): I think that the Medicaid cuts are directionally right. But I think very difficult for the states to absorb. And we've just
got to figure out a way to achieve what we're trying to do, bend the curves.
RAJU: Right now, this could have a big negative impact on North Carolina.
TILLIS: Well, the currents estimates are about $38 billion over 10 years. That's a big -- that's a big impact. I don't think anybody believes that
the current text is final. So I don't believe anybody would vote for it in its current form. We've got a lot of things that we're working on.
RAJU: But beyond Medicaid, there are other issues that are dividing Republicans, including how to deal with tax breaks, state and local tax
deductions. That is something that has been pushed by particularly New York Republicans, who are trying to increase the amount that taxpayers can
deduct from the local levies that they face every year.
But there are many Republicans, particularly in the Senate, who say that it's too expensive and they will not go along with the deal that was cut by
those New York Republicans and the Speaker of the House to get their plan across the finish line by a single vote before Memorial Day.
That is one of those complicated sticking points that they still have to figure out in order to get this through both chambers and into law. But how
this will get resolved is unclear.
Whether they'll actually have the votes to even begin the debate, which could occur as soon as Friday, that key procedural vote, how that gets
there is still an open question at this moment.
But there are so many other major issues that are part of this bill, including a $5 trillion increase to the national debt limit.
That is something that has deficit hawks, including Senator Rand Paul, threatening to vote against it, showing that the Republican leaders and
Donald Trump have very little margin for error to get his major agenda bill across the finish line -- Manu Raju, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: A private sector space mission successfully docked at the International Space Station earlier today. On board, the first astronauts
ever to visit the ISS from three different countries -- India, Poland and Hungary.
Back here on Earth, there was nervousness and excitement for relatives of the Indian astronaut, Shubhanshu Shukla, pilot of the Axiom 4 mission, as
they waited to see him make history.
Also watching the skies, the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, hailing Shukla's achievements, saying he carried with him the wishes, hopes and
aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians.
[10:55:00]
And for our Parting Shots, just heard Iran's unofficial national anthem, a song of pride and resistance, that was once banned for anti-government
ties. It was one of many patriotic pieces played by the Tehran Symphony Orchestra to honor those killed in the 12-day conflict with Israel.
The orchestra is almost a century old. Its free performance gathered Tehran residents in the city's iconic Azadi Square days after reaching a
ceasefire.
Well, this hour we've been reporting on new details released during a Pentagon briefing on the U.S. airstrikes. But little further insight into
the extent of the damage wrought on Iran's nuclear program.
Also today, the first speech by the Islamic Republic's supreme leader, vowing no surrender.
That's it from CONNECT THE WORLD. Stay with CNN. "ONE WORLD" is up.
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