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Witkoff States Hamas Can Have No Governing Future in Hamas; Trump's Varying Comments on Ending-War Timelines; Focus on Israel's Investigations into Its Gaza Conduct; Five Journalists Killed with 17 Others in Hospital Double-Tap Attack; Trump Doubles Tariffs on Indian Imports to 50 Percent; Judge Rules Abrego Garcia Cannot Be Deported until October; U.N. Inspectors Back in Iran Two Months after Israel Conflict; Russia and China Propose Extension of Iran Nuclear Deal; Shooter at Minneapolis School "Contained"; Fans Await Swift-Kelce Wedding Details. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired August 27, 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): And welcome to what is the second hour of the show from our Middle East programming headquarters. I am Becky
Anderson. We're here in Abu Dhabi, where the time is just after 6:00 in the evening.
U.S. President Trump set to hold a meeting on Gaza today. This comes as the IDF releases a statement on its attack on Nassar Hospital.
A punishing 50 percent tariff imposed on Indian imports starts today. Donald Trump added extra tariffs for the country due to India buying
Russian oil, he says.
And U.N. nuclear inspectors returned to Iran for the first time since its conflict with Israel. More on the comments from the International Atomic
Energy Agency.
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ANDERSON: Specifically, the future of a postwar Gaza is set to be front and center at the White House today at what U.S. special envoy Steve
Witkoff says will be a large meeting called by president Donald Trump. Witkoff, talking to FOX News about how the U.S. views Hamas' future in
Gaza. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE WITKOFF, U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY TO THE MIDDLE EAST: Hamas understands that they can have nothing to do with the government going forward. Those
are terms of the Israelis and the terms of president Trump as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: But with the war still raging, Israelis again staged massive protests, calling for an immediate ceasefire and the release of the
hostages. That happening as the Israeli security cabinet met and reportedly did not make any decisions on the latest ceasefire proposal accepted last
week by Hamas.
Senior White House reporter Kevin Liptak joins me now.
Kevin, then what are the realistic expectations for this meeting today, amid the backdrop of not just an ongoing war but the threat of a further
escalation and expansion of this war by Israel?
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. You know, it's not precisely clear what White House officials expect out of this meeting. In
fact, they have not been particularly forthcoming with any details about this gathering that Witkoff described last evening.
And even the subject that Witkoff said, this would be about a plan for postwar Gaza, came as something of a surprise, because we really have not
heard anything from president Trump or top administration officials about how they see that playing out.
Really, the last thing that we heard from Trump about how he sees Gaza unfolding once this war ends is when he said back in February that the U.S.
would take control, forcibly remove all of the Palestinians and turn it into a Middle Eastern Riviera. We have not heard much about that plan or
any other plan since then.
And the U.S. had really seemed to be relying on its Arab allies to try and come up with something that would happen in the Strip once this war ends.
But what Witkoff said is that the president had a very comprehensive plan. He said it would be very robust and well-meaning, that it would reflect
humanitarian motives of the president.
And so what exactly that looks like, I think, is just entirely clear (sic) right now. We do know that Marco Rubio, the U.S. secretary of state, will
be meeting later this afternoon with his Israeli counterpart, who is in Washington for these talks.
Of course, before you get to the postwar plan, you have to come up with a way to end the war. And Witkoff was saying last night that the president
still believes that a comprehensive plan that would get all of the hostages out of Gaza is necessary to end this war.
They have moved past the idea of a phased approach, which is what Hamas' latest response has been to. And it has been interesting to see how the
president himself has kind of vacillated just this week on how quickly he sees this war coming to an end. Listen to what he said Monday versus what
he said yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I think within the next two or three weeks, you're going to have a pretty good, conclusive ending. There's nothing conclusive but hopefully
we're going to have things solved very quickly with regard to Gaza and also with regard to Ukraine and Russia.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIPTAK: Now, listen, anytime you hear the president use the timeframe of "two or three weeks," I think, you know, you're dealing with something of a
fuzzy timeline.
And in fact, Witkoff said last night that his goal was to get the Gaza war concluded by the end of the year, which is very different from what the
president was saying, of course.
How all of that comports with the prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plans to take over Gaza City and potentially other parts of the Strip, which
could take potentially months to unfold, I think, also remains unclear.
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And so we'll see how this meeting unfolds today. But I think it's evident that the president both wants to get this war resolved very quickly --
remember, he said he would be able to do that as a candidate.
And it has been a frustration of his that this is continuing on now almost seven months into his presidency, how exactly he does that and how exactly
he leans on the Israelis to conclude their operations, I think, is now very unclear. Becky.
ANDERSON: It is just after 10 am in the morning there in Washington. Kevin, thank you.
Well, Reuters and the Associated Press are calling for urgent and transparent accountability from Israel following the double-tap strike on
Gaza's Nassar Hospital on Monday that killed five journalists and more than a dozen other people.
The Israeli military's initial inquiry, claiming it was aiming at a Hamas camera without offering evidence to back that up. It says it is looking
into, quote, "several gaps in decision making and authorization." A source telling CNN two tank shells were fired rather than a drone.
Well, the prime minister's office issuing a rare statement, that it "deeply regrets the tragic mishap that occurred," to use the PMO's words. Full
accountability may be unlikely if the history of investigations tallied by British nonprofit Action on Armed Violence is any indication.
The organization has tracked all of Israel's own publicly-announced investigations into alleged war crimes in Gaza and the West Bank since the
conflict began through June this year.
We have approached the Israeli military with this report. They tell us they are looking into it.
Well, 52 cases, 88 percent are currently stalled or were closed without any finding of wrongdoing. In just 12 percent of the cases, Israel admitted
error and only one case ended with a single prison sentence.
That one case came out of CNN's investigative reporting inside a shadowy detention facility named Sde Teiman, that abused Palestinians detained
during Israel's invasion of Gaza. Here's how one Israeli guard described it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): You can take them out and hit them, maybe four or five times, with a club. It's not done in the face, so
you don't see blood. The detainees lie belly down, being hit and kicked, people screaming and dogs barking at them.
It's terrifying. Some detainees are taken away and beaten really hard, so bones and teeth are broken.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: So you saw people who were subject to these beatings or had their bones broken and who had
their teeth broken.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Yes, it's a practice which commanders know about. They want intelligence but they also want revenge
and punishment for what happened on October 7th.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, one soldier was sentenced to seven months in prison after he admitted to aggravated assault, beating Palestinian detainees with his
fists and his weapons while they were handcuffed and blindfolded, the first-known instance of a soldier convicted in military court during this
war.
Now when it comes to the few 12 percent of cases where the Israeli military investigated its actions and did admit error, the groups affected say
justice was not delivered.
I want to take a closer look at two cases, key cases. Both shock the world and both involved aid workers, a group that, like journalists, are
protected under international law.
On March the 23rd, 15 Palestinian Red Crescent medics were killed when Israeli soldiers opened fire on their ambulance convoy. And a warning, that
this video that you're about to see is disturbing.
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ANDERSON (voice-over): They were buried in mass graves that were discovered a week later. The IDF initially claimed that the ambulances were
moving suspiciously and without emergency lights, until this disturbing video clearly debunked that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language).
ANDERSON (voice-over): Well, then the IDF investigation admitted to, quote, "professional failures" and dismissed one deputy commander.
But the Palestinian Red Crescent told the BBC this fell short of delivering real justice that it, quote, "justifies and shifts the responsibility to a
personal error in the field command when the truth is quite different," end quote.
Well, a year prior, April 2024, seven aid workers from central -- World Central Kitchen were killed by an Israeli drone strike, despite traveling
on a pre-approved route.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSE ANDRES, WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN: They were targeted systematically, car by car. This was not just bad luck and it's situation where, oops, we
dropped the bomb in the wrong place or ...
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No, this was over 1.5-1.8 kilometers, with a very defined humanitarian convoy that had signs in the top, in the roof; very colorful logo that we
are obviously very proud of but that that's very clear who we are and what we do.
What is happening inside Gaza like a true "Hunger Games." This has to end.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: At the time, this sparked so much outrage. It was thought to be a potential turning point, partly because of Chef Jose Andres' stature in
Washington and around the world.
Well, instead it was the same pattern. The IDF released a preliminary investigation admitting to a, quote, "serious failure" and dismissed a
colonel and a major; no criminal prosecution.
It wasn't enough in the eyes of World Central Kitchen.
Quote, "Without systemic change, there will be more military failures, more apologies and more grieving families."
I want to highlight one other case impacting some of the most vulnerable Palestinian civilians, many of them children. And a warning that this video
is disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON (voice-over): In May of 2024, an Israeli airstrike triggered a fire that killed 45 displaced Palestinians in a tent camp in Rafah, burning
them alive. The shocking visuals spread across social media. Netanyahu called it a tragic mishap, the exact same language he used to describe
Monday's attack on the journalists at Nasser Hospital.
The Israeli military launched a preliminary investigation. It found that the munitions it used were too small to cause the fire on its own.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The case was then referred to an independent fact-finding group and, to this day, more than a year later, no updates, according to AOAV.
The Israeli military insists it is the best suited body to investigate itself but, time and again, those investigations have fallen short of full
accountability.
While the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for prime minister Netanyahu, accusing him of war crimes, charges he denies,
the U.S. president, in fact, recently said the exact opposite.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: He's a war hero because we work together. He's a war hero. I guess I am, too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, the support of Israel's most crucial ally has allowed its military to act with apparent impunity on the battlefield.
Well, right now I want to bring in Dr. Mohammed Abu Mughaisib. He is the deputy medical director in Gaza for Medecins sans Frontieres -- or Doctors
without Borders.
Doctor, it's good to have you. Thank you very much indeed for joining us. Let's start with what you've heard from your colleagues about what happened
at Nasser Hospital on Monday.
DR. MOHAMMED ABU MUGHAISIB, DEPUTY MEDICAL DIRECTOR IN GAZA, MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES/DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS: First of all, thank you for having me.
I mean, it's not the first time. I mean, the incidents of Nasser was not the first time that Nasser Hospital or hospital in Gaza has been targeted.
You know, our teams were there at the time of the strike or the artillery shelling.
I mean, it was the first one hit the main surgical building of Nasser Hospital. Then another strike hit, hit it when the paramedics and the civil
defense with journalists went to see the first strike.
So I mean, it was live, as you saw, everyone on the TV, that it was live and hit directly. Of course, again, it's a technical error, military
failure, professional failure. This is the excuse.
But I mean, hospitals, it was not the first time to be targeted in Gaza during this war.
ANDERSON: Yes, it's been described as a tragic mishap. And there is an investigation ongoing.
What do you think is needed to hold Israel accountable, sir?
MUGHAISIB: I mean the allies, the world has to, I mean, to say their word. I mean, hada sim (ph), I mean, in Arabic. We say hada sim (ph), enough. I
mean, the war has to stop. I mean, as even the Israeli government admitted that 80 percent of the people who are killed and injured are civilians.
I mean, we all condemn what happened in October but now, I mean, it's beyond the revenge of what's going on Gaza. Gaza has been destroyed
totally. I mean, the infrastructure, the basic life, there is no basic life at all. It's a land of rebels here. Hospitals, health system is completely
not existing.
I mean, I don't want to say collapsed -- is not existing. It's working on daily basis. There is no school, no universities, nothing. I mean, in Gaza,
I mean, what is needed now is really to stop this war and to stop this blood that is ongoing since more than 700, nearly 700 days.
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ANDERSON: This is what the U.N. human rights spokesperson said about the strike, very specifically on Nasser Hospital last -- earlier this week.
Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THARNEEN AL-KHEETAN, U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS SPOKESPERSON: The killing of journalists in Gaza should shock the world, not into stunned silence but
into action, demanding accountability and justice. This incident and the killing of all civilians, including journalists, must be thoroughly and
independently investigated and justice must follow.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And we've heard similar condemnations throughout this conflict, to your point, to the many, many strikes on hospitals and other facilities.
Do you think the condemnation that we've heard from the U.N. and others will, in any way, pressure Israel to change its action?
MUGHAISIB: Unfortunately, I mean, there were several condemns during this war. I mean, several statements from countries from the U.N. But I mean,
nothing has been -- no actions on the ground. I mean, it didn't stop the war machine, didn't stop the war.
Still, the civilians are killed. Children are killed. You know, it's 20,000 children are killed during this war, 15,000 women are killed. I mean, the
country is completely -- Gaza Strip is a rebel country.
So, I mean, I hope, that, at one point, the closest ally of Israel will manage to say the word and, you know, put some action on the ground.
ANDERSON: So one of the journalists killed Monday, of course, was Mariam Abu Daqqa. We have profiled some of her work today on this show. You worked
with her while she documented, as I understand it, what your team was doing in the enclave.
What was your experience of working with her?
MUGHAISIB: I mean, we, I work with Mariam personally for one day. But she worked with the team for a few days as a freelancer photographer, with --
to photograph and to interview our activities in Gaza, medical activities. I mean, she's a very motivated, full of life. She's you know, her -- she
has a beautiful soul.
I mean, she was recording with her, at that time, with her mobile phone. She was doing the interview with our general secretary, director of medical
(INAUDIBLE). And, you know, she was joking. She was smiling. She still had hope.
I mean, I mean, it was still the war, I mean. But still she was having hope, motivated. And, you know, she's a very nice person. I mean, she has a
nice soul. I mean, really, I met her only one day. I worked with her one day. But I -- you know, she's a very nice person. And I hope that she, her
soul will rest in peace.
ANDERSON: And I have to ask, finally and briefly, how's your team doing on the ground, sir?
MUGHAISIB: I mean, the team -- the team of, you know, they are part of the population now. They are under huge stress because, you know, the majority
of them, they live in Gaza City, which is -- will be the next target by the Israeli army. And there will be a kind of displacement and evacuation order
for them. So they are living under huge stress.
I mean, they are working under huge stress. They are. They need to think about where to move. There is no place for them to move. I mean, there is
no shelter anymore. This is, I mean, that will be the 10th time for them maybe to move during this war in this very difficult condition.
So I mean, there are all -- the team are now, I mean, and Gaza population are highly stressed because of the statements from the Israeli that there
will be a ground operation and occupation of the Gaza City and displacement of the population to the south.
ANDERSON: It's good to have you on today, sir. And your insight is incredibly valuable to us. Thank you very much indeed for joining us.
Well, coming up, a look at how Trump's new tariffs on one of the world's top emerging economies could reshape global geopolitical lines.
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ANDERSON: Well, U.S. president Donald Trump making good on his threats to punish India for buying Russian oil, a 50 percent tariff -- five-zero -- on
Indian goods now in place, doubling the 25 percent rate that Mr. Trump imposed just a few weeks ago. CNN's Mike Valerio with this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE VALERIO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And it's all the more extraordinary because six months ago, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi
was in the Oval Office, bear hugging and back slapping U.S. president Trump. And now fast forward to the end of August, this tariff fight.
So besides products from India, some of them, anyway, becoming more expensive for American buyers. The other theme why this is important for
the rest of the world to look at, that we're concerned with is this, could this tariff fight be pushing India in a new direction, specifically, one
closer to Russia or even closer to China because of this tension with the United States.
Evidence of that just this week, happening for the first time, travel by the Indian Prime Minister to China since 2018, the first time since 2018,
Prime Minister Modi will be going to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting that is a regional security bloc founded by Beijing and Moscow to
try to reshape the global world order in the image that those two capitals want to make it.
Also, Putin will be traveling -- Vladimir Putin, President Putin of Russia, will be traveling to India by year's end. So in terms of the human cost of
this, you're going to hear from a garment exporter owner talking about the cost that this is already inflicted upon his business, as well as somebody
who's worked as an embroiderer for the past 22 years.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUDHIR DHINGRA, OWNER, ORIENT CRAFT LIMITED: There will be job losses and it's very painful that these are people who hardly make $300 a month.
This is worse than COVID.
NEERAJ PANDEY, FACTORY WORKER: I have no other work, if this goes away. I don't know how to do anything else.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VALERIO: So what could bring India and the United States out of this is if a trade deal is reached. So far, there have been five rounds of negotiation
that have ended in failure, for what it's worth, in terms of the geopolitical direction that India could be moving in.
There was a virtual meeting between the State Department and India's Ministry of External Affairs, those representatives the next day agreeing
that their ties still remain strong, especially as it relates to the quad, which is a security partnership between India, the United States, Japan and
Australia, with leaders of the quad that would be President Trump.
The prime ministers of the respective members expected to meet by year's end. Mike Valerio, CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, for more on the economic implications of all of this, I'm joined by CNN business reporter Anna Cooban.
Good to have you, Anna. These are major trading partners.
How much damage is this likely to cause, do you think?
ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS CORRESPONDENT: Well, I mean, you can see this figure right here, Becky, a whopping 50 percent. That's a
pretty sobering number for many Indian economists to be looking at today.
Now how this breaks down in reality is something called the effective tariff rate. This is the rate you get in reality when you strip out product
exemptions, like on smartphones, for example; they are not subject to Trump's reciprocal tariffs or these secondary tariffs.
[10:25:00]
But that still gets you to a 35 percent tariff rate, which is a pretty hefty number. Now the reason that we're even talking about this is based on
what happened just over three years ago.
We had Russia invading Ukraine, that full-scale invasion. And what Europe did was essentially place sanctions on Russian oil. It had a ban on Russian
seaborne imports. And then Moscow started pivoting and sending its barrels to India and China.
India, up to June, had taken around 38 percent of those barrels and China around 47 percent. Russia was one of many suppliers for India and then
became the main supplier.
Now Trump's logic is, if you penalize a country like India, you make it less favorable of them to buy Russian oil. You then have less money flowing
to the Kremlin so that Putin can continue his war in Ukraine, thereby forcing Putin to the negotiating table.
This is the logic but only time will tell if that eventually happens. Now the impact on India's GDP is quite interesting. Capital Economics has got a
prediction here that India will see a 0.8 percentage point knock to its GDP growth this year and next. Not great.
But when you look at Mexico and Canada, those are countries that are far more intertwined with the United States; their economies, they are far more
dependent on U.S. consumer demand, which could take a knock from these tariffs.
So this perhaps a small silver lining for India there. But then this is the reason why India might be somewhat shielded from an economic impact.
The blue bar here represents the total value of products exported from India; you know, engineering goods, electronic goods, those smartphones I
mentioned earlier. The blue bar is to all the countries of the rest of the world, all the products being sent to everywhere but the United States.
This orange bar here is the United States. Now obviously it's chunky. It's a significant proportion of the whole bar but it's not the whole story.
India has many customers around the world. It's got a burgeoning economy. So these tariffs are not good news but it probably won't be fatal for the
Indian economy -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes, it's fascinating, isn't it?
It's good to have you. Thank you, Anna.
We're getting some news just in about Donald Trump's unprecedented firing of a Federal Reserve governor. A top White House economic official says
that the president -- and I quote here -- "absolutely has the authority to sack Lisa Cook."
Director of the White House Economic Council, a man that goes by the name of Kevin Hassett, told reporters a short time ago that allegations of
mortgage fraud against Cook are serious.
He also claims Cook is a partisan, showing allegiance to the Democratic Party. On Tuesday, an attorney for Cook announced that he is filing a
lawsuit challenging her dismissal.
And just in to CNN, a federal judge has ordered that Kilmar Abrego Garcia cannot be deported from the U.S. until at least October, when an
evidentiary hearing is scheduled. The Trump administration, already wrongly deported him once to El Salvador and is now trying to deport him to Uganda.
Let's get you to Priscilla Alvarez, who is right across this story.
What more do we have at this point, Priscilla?
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, going into this morning, we anticipated getting a roadmap of sorts of when Kilmar
Abrego Garcia could be deported. And we now have that answer.
After these court proceedings before a federal judge in Maryland, she said that she is setting her next hearing for early October. In the meantime,
that means the Trump administration cannot remove him from the United States and he is expected to remain in Immigration and Customs Enforcement
custody until then.
And then we'll see what happens thereafter. But there are still a lot of moving parts here. For example, regarding his deportation to Uganda, he
will have an opportunity to make a fear -- of fear of going to Uganda, of being persecuted in Uganda. He'll do that with immigration officials to see
if he has standing there.
He also is trying to reopen his asylum bid. That would happen in a separate court, in immigration court, where an immigration judge could grant the
reopening of that asylum bid, which was denied back in 2019 because it had not been filed within the 12 months that is necessary.
Of course, he had already arrived to the United States many years prior. So all of this is happening simultaneously in different settings. You have
immigration officials who will interview him about Uganda. You have his asylum bid before the immigration court, assuming that an immigration judge
allows him to reopen that claim.
And now you have this evidentiary hearing in early October, where Trump administration officials will testify about redeporting him.
While all of this is ongoing, again, Becky, he will remain in government custody. That is the expectation. But this is certainly a legal saga that
has been drawn out for months now. And both parties do want to find a conclusion to this. According to what happened in this hearing, they are
trying to move as quickly as possible.
[10:30:00]
But there are so many moving parts here that, at least for now, he will not be deported for several weeks.
ANDERSON: Got it. Thank you.
Got some breaking news for you from the U.S. state of Minnesota. And the governor there says, that there's been a shooting at a Catholic school in
Minneapolis -- this is unfolding on the south side of the city.
The Minneapolis mayor said emergency teams have been deployed and that he is monitoring the reports of, quote, "horrific violence."
A source told our affiliate KARE that there may be a significant number of victims. We will, of course, continue to monitor this and get you updates
as they become available.
We're going to take a very short break at this point. Back after this.
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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.
Israel's military says it was targeting a Hamas camera in an attack on a Gaza hospital that killed 22 people. Five journalists who, a security
source says, were not targeted, were killed in the so-called double tap strikes, sparking international outrage. CNN cannot independently verify
the Hamas claim.
The United States has raised tariffs on Indian imports to 50 percent. That is double the rate put in place just a few weeks ago. President Donald
Trump raised the rate to punish India for buying Russian oil, he says.
President Trump issuing a fresh warning of economic war on Russia if Vladimir Putin doesn't end the fighting in Ukraine. He also suggested
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy bore some blame for the conflict, calling him, quote, "not exactly innocent, either."
And for those of you just joining us, we are following breaking news from the state of Minnesota. The governor there says there has been a shooting
at a Catholic school in Minneapolis. It's unfolding on the south side of the city.
The Minneapolis mayor said emergency teams have been deployed. He is monitoring the reports of, quote, "horrific violence." A source told our
affiliate KARE that there may be a significant number of victims. We are monitoring this and we will get you updates as they become available.
Well, inspectors from the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog have returned to Iran for the first time since being expelled in July. The foreign minister says the
team was allowed to monitor fuel replacement at the Bushehr nuclear power plant but denied a wide agreement, agreement is in place.
Well, Iran halted cooperation with the IAEA, the International Atomic Energy Agency, after Israel struck its nuclear facilities in June.
[10:35:00]
Setting off a 12-day military conflict. Iran policy advisor Sahil Shah has been tweeting about reports that the two sides are getting close to a new
nuclear monitoring deal, adding the caveat that, "Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed."
Sahil Shah is a senior fellow and program manager at the Council on Strategic Risks Center on Strategic Weapons and he joins us now live.
And that is a perfectly sensible caveat that you -- that you put in there.
First off, though, what do you make of Iran's decision to allow inspectors back in?
SAHIL SHAH, SENIOR POLICY ADVISOR, INSTITUTE FOR SECURITY AND TECHNOLOGY: I think it's a great first enabling step. I think that, in the days after
the 12-day war, it was very concerning that the agency inspectors left. The agency essentially had pulled them out, citing safety concerns but also
because their visas were due to expire.
And they knew that it wasn't going to be possible to inspect bombed facilities. Of course, these facilities that the inspectors are going to be
at now are not the ones that were hit during the military strikes.
So the agency in Iran are still negotiating how, when and where the inspectors will be able to go, in addition to where they're accessing right
now.
ANDERSON: Right. This is what IAEA director general Rafael Grossi said to FOX about restarting talks between the U.S. and Iran. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAFAEL MARIANO GROSSI, DIRECTOR GENERAL, IAEA: For the United States, it is very important to follow this, in order to consider whether bilateral
negotiations that were taking place, you remember, before the attacks could resume or not. So I was given Steve my impressions, getting his and seeing
how we can move from here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: I want to concentrate on these U.S.-Iran talks.
When will it -- what will it take for Iran to get back to the table on a U.S.-Iran deal, do you think, at this point?
SHAH: Absolutely. So Iran has felt that, in the weeks and months now, after being struck militarily, illegally by Israel and the United States
and having their safeguarded nuclear facilities, in particular, being struck, that there wasn't enough condemnation by the International Atomic
Energy Agency or by the international community.
By Europeans, who always want to uphold a rules-based international order. And so they feel as though everybody has taken advantage of this illegal
aggression toward them and that they were actually actively participating in negotiations with the United States, indirectly mediated by Oman, when
this aggression occurred.
And for them, they want to ensure the safety and security of the country, including their military sites, their sites related to their nuclear energy
program.
And what they would need from the United States, in order to get back to the table, is security guarantees that, so long as they are engaging in
negotiations, that Israel or the United States won't derail that again by killing their scientists, targeting their diplomats and their defense
officials or blowing up their sites.
So that, I think, is the core thing that they need, is assurances in that regard. And I think that they also need the U.S. to try to meet Iran in the
middle a bit.
The reason why there is such an impasse is that the United States was demanding that Iran have zero enrichment and that it essentially dismantles
its nuclear energy program, that it spent decades and billions building. And that's just a no-go for Iran and always has been.
ANDERSON: As we talk about the potential for Iran-U.S. talks, and direct talks, of course, Iranian negotiators meeting with representatives from
France, Germany and the U.K. this week, known as the E.U. in Geneva, attempting to avert the reimposition of U.N. sanctions.
Who wants the reimposition of these sanctions and why now?
SHAH: So this is a great, great question. In 2015, we had the Obama-era nuclear deal. It was backed by Europe, Russia, China. Paired with that deal
-- because that deal, the JCPOA, was really just a political deal or agreement. It wasn't a treaty between the United States and Iran, for
example.
Paired with that deal was a U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231. In that resolution, there was a safety valve called snapback, which meant that any
of the deal's participants could formally notify the Security Council if they felt that Iran was significantly not complying with the deal's terms.
That would then start a 30-day clock for that issue, whatever issue it was to be resolved. And if it wasn't resolved, then essentially the U.N.
sanctions that had been first imposed on Iran between 2006-2010, they would be snapped back into place.
[10:40:06]
The time crunch right now is that, in October, those U.N. sanctions, they're going to expire forever. And we will know the -- the Europeans will
no longer have the option to use that as a bargaining tool to get Iran to do what it wants to do.
ANDERSON: I want to ask you a last question here, because I'm talking to a lot of sources around this region and in Washington. I'm hearing quite a
lot of talk about the potential for another Israeli strike on Iran.
I just wonder, you know, what your thoughts are about that in the short, medium or long term, which would, of course, potentially derail any further
progress of any bloc or country doing any business, be it diplomatic business, with Iran at this point.
SHAH: Absolutely. I think that there's a high risk of conflict resuming. And I think that's why it's a little bit concerning that, I think president
Trump and the U.S. administration feels to some degree that this problem has now been resolved by the military strikes.
And also the fact that they're now obviously distracted by other geopolitical issues, like trying to resolve the war in Ukraine. If Israel
was to take more military action, whether that be something as direct as missile strikes or sabotage, attempts against facilities, it would
definitely cause further reactions from Iran.
Up until now, Iran's reaction, in my opinion, has been quite muted. They've not expanded their nuclear activities. They have not gone for a nuclear
weapon.
But the main thing that's of concern is that, when we have these bombed facilities, we don't know the full extent of the damage that's been done to
the stockpiles that could be potentially buried there, including this 400 kilograms of highly enriched 60 percent uranium.
And also to the other equipment, such as centrifuges that were housed there. So we need to tread really carefully.
And in Tehran's view, they need the security guarantees before they start to have people coming to these sites, looking at them and assessing them,
because they're worried that something could happen that would further degrade those sites, could cause chemical radiological contamination.
There's a lot at stake.
ANDERSON: Yes. Good to have you. Thank you.
One of the United States' top diplomats in the Middle East has elicited outrage in the region for lashing out at reporters in Beirut. Have a listen
to what happened at U.S. special envoy Tom Barrack's press conference yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM BARRACK, U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY: And I want to tell you something. The moment that this starts becoming chaotic, like animalistic, we're gone.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE).
BARRACK: So you want -- you want to know what's happening, act civilized, act kind, act tolerant because this is the problem with what's happening in
the region.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, that triggered an immediate backlash. Lebanese British journalist Hala Jaber called the comments racist, saying, quote, "Tom
Barrack struts into Beirut like a 19th-century Colonial commissioner.
"It's not a great look for a guy who came into the position, suggesting he would not embrace the role with what some have long seen as arrogant,
orientalist approach by the West."
Back when he assumed his post in May, he said, quote, "The era of Western interference is over. The future belongs to regional solutions but
partnerships and a diplomacy grounded in respect."
His comments have now overshadowed why he was there in the first place, to make progress on maintaining the peace between Hezbollah and Israel.
During that same press conference, it was announced that Qatar and Saudi Arabia are ready to invest in an economic zone in southern Lebanon that
would create jobs for members of Hezbollah and its supporters if they agree to disarm.
Well, still to come here on CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson, on CNN, a new lawsuit alleges OpenAI's ChatGPT contributed to this teenager
taking his own life. How the company is responding.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:45:00]
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ANDERSON: Let's get you an update on the shooting that we told you about in the -- in Minneapolis. We now know that the shooter at the Annunciation
Catholic School has been contained, according to city officials, who say the threat to the community is now over.
This happened on the south side of the city. The Minneapolis mayor earlier saying that he was monitoring reports of, quote, "horrific violence."
A source telling one of our affiliates that there may be a significant number of victims. And, of course, as we get more on that story, we will
bring it to you.
Well, the parents of a 16-year old who died by suicide are suing OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman. In the lawsuit, they allege OpenAI's ChatGPT
contributed to their son's death by advising him on methods and even offering to write the first draft of his suicide note.
In a statement, an OpenAI spokesperson extended the company's sympathies to Adam Raine's family and said the company was reviewing the legal filing.
CNN tech reporter Clare Duffy is watching this case for us and has more details -- Clare.
CLARE DUFFY, CNN BUSINESS WRITER: Yes, Becky, this is such a devastating case. Adam Raine was 16 years old when he died in April. He started using
ChatGPT back in September to help him with his schoolwork, as many kids do.
And his parents now accuse the platform of contributing to his death by alienating him from his family. And as you said, they're even advising him
on suicide methods. And I just want to read to you some of the excerpts of their conversations that are detailed in this lawsuit, because I think
they're really striking.
In one instance, Adam confided to ChatGPT that he didn't want his parents to think that they'd done anything wrong.
ChatGPT responded, that doesn't mean you owe them survival. You don't owe anyone that.
And it also offered, as you said, to write the first draft of his suicide note.
In a separate interaction, Adam said he wanted to leave his noose out in his room, quote, "So someone finds it and tries to stop me."
And ChatGPT responded, as you see on the screen there, "Please don't leave the noose out. Let's make this space the first place where someone actually
sees you."
And so there, as you see, encouraging him not to go to anyone else and let them know what was going on here.
Adam's parents are now asking for financial damages in this lawsuit but also for a court order that would require OpenAI to make some big changes
to ChatGPT, including verifying the ages of all of their users seeking parental consent for minor users and submitting to an independent audit of
its safety features.
And OpenAI's response has also been really interesting here. In some ways, the company actually acknowledging that there are shortcomings in ChatGPT
that could have led to this kind of situation. This is what a spokesperson told me.
They said, "ChatGPT includes safeguards such as directing people to crisis helplines and referring them to real-world resources.
While these safeguards work best in common, short exchanges, we've learned over time that they can sometimes become less reliable in long interactions
where parts of the model's safety training may degrade."
And OpenAI now saying that it is reviewing how it can better make sure that ChatGPT responds to these sensitive situations in the right way -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Wow. It's worrying stuff. Thank you, Clare.
And you are watching CONNECT THE WORLD. There is a lot more ahead. Stay with us.
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[10:50:00]
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ANDERSON: Well, for all you romantics out there, forget cuffing season; it is a diamond life along with a massive diamond engagement ring for the
queen of love songs, Taylor Swift.
(VIDEO CLIP, "LOVE STORY")
ANDERSON: And that is exactly what the pop superstar did. She said yes to Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce. The happy couple posted these engagement
photos to social on Tuesday, which have since gone viral.
Now you'll know Swifties are nothing if not devoted fans. So here is a look at some of their reactions to this joyful news.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello, class. As you know, we were supposed to have a bio chem midterm today. But Taylor and Travis just got engaged.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No way.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Due to this information, I can't focus. You all can't focus. Class is canceled. Get out of here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wait. Where is it?
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who posted it?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Them.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Open Instagram right now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Should we do a Taylor Swift?
Is she announced a tour or something?
She's announced a tour and you're not telling me?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're going to lose your head. Go on Instagram.
Seven minutes ago.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, that's one way to get out of a bio chem exam.
Let's get to CNN's Lisa Respers France with more on the engagement that, frankly, everyone, at least on social, everybody is talking about.
(LAUGHTER)
And what more have you got on the proposal then?
LISA RESPERS FRANCE, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Let me tell you, in real life, everyone is talking about it as well. Because I feel like we can
thank her lucky number 13 for this, because, on August 13th she was on Travis and his brother's podcast, "New Heights."
And then 13 days later, we get the news of the engagement. So I felt like it was teed up for us with her appearance on the podcast. And I think we
have a little bit of that podcast, where we got to see her and Travis interact with each other.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TAYLOR SWIFT, MUSIC SUPERSTAR: I was like, if this guy isn't crazy -- which is a big if -- this is sort of what I've been writing songs about
wanting to happen to me since I was --
(CROSSTALK)
TRAVIS KELCE, SPORTS SUPERSTAR: Yes.
SWIFT: -- a teenager.
KELCE: And I was sitting there at the Eras Tour, listening to every single one of those songs, like she -- I know what she wants me to do.
TAYLOR: Yes!
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRANCE: So Becky, we went from him trying to get her a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it, to her getting one of the most incredible
engagement rings I have ever seen before in my life. Love it.
(LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON: Yes, it's quite, it's quite, it's quite wild, that engagement ring. Apparently it's in the -- you know, it's huge and it's in the shape
of a football field.
FRANCE: Yes. It looks that way because -- yes.
ANDERSON: It is -- yes.
(CROSSTALK)
FRANCE: You're absolutely right. I've seen it. It's been described as an old mine cushion cut but also an old mine brilliant cut. And it does
absolutely, to me at least, look to be about eight carats. And it looks like a football field. So it probably cost a gazillion dollars but it's
done in that kind of antique style, which I feel like is perfect for Taylor Swift.
ANDERSON: Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes. It's nearly as big as a football field as well. Taylor and Travis, not the first of -- first couple of the so-
called cuffing season.
[10:55:00]
Which is a new phrase to me; I've been told by some younger members of my staff about the cuffing season.
Anyway Georgina, Cristiano Ronaldo have also announced their engagement. We can see both rocks here.
How are people reacting to all of this bling?
FRANCE: I mean, people love nice ice. And, I mean, you know, many of us will never get the opportunity, as I hide my own engagement ring and
wedding ring.
I love you to my husband.
But many of us can't live this lifestyle, so we get to, via social media, be able to come into the lifestyles literally of the rich and famous and
get to see rings like these.
I mean, these rings are not to be believed. They're just beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.
And, you know, I think people just love love. And so we get excited when we see that -- we feel like we know these celebrities because they come into
our homes in very intimate ways, be it playing music, playing sports, being in movies and TV shows.
So it feels like we are emotionally invested because we are emotionally invested. And I have no shame in how incredibly excited I am for both of
these weddings. No shame at all, Becky .
(LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON: Good for you, good for you. Don't have any shame. There's no need to have any shame. It's good to have you. Thank you for joining us.
FRANCE: Good to be here.
ANDERSON: That is it for CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson.
Good.
Stay with CNN. "ONE WORLD" is up next.
END
