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Connect the World
Witkoff, Kushner on Two-Front Diplomatic Push in Geneva; Trump Threatens Strikes If Nuclear Talks with Tehran Fail; Deadly Wave of Russian Strikes on Ukraine Overnight; Pioneering Civil Rights Leader Jesse Jackson Dies At 84; Guthrie Family Cleared as Suspects in Nancy's Disappearance. Aired 9-9:45a ET
Aired February 17, 2026 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[09:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: Well, talks have now wrapped between the U.S. and Iran in Geneva. Now, discussions aimed at resolving
Russia's war in Ukraine have begun there. It is 03:00 p.m. in Geneva. It's 06:00 p.m. here in Abu Dhabi.
From our Middle East programming headquarters, I'm Becky Anderson. You're watching "Connect the World". Also coming up this hour, remembering Jesse
Jackson, the Civil Rights Leader has passed away. We will examine his legacy. And investigators have cleared Nancy Guthrie's family members in
her disappearance will be live in Tucson, Arizona for more.
Stock market in New York opens about 30 minutes from now. U.S. futures currently indicating a lower open for the major stock indices. This is a
shortened week, of course, for investors, concerns continue over AI's long term disruptive impact. Tech stocks still bearing the brunt of that
nervousness.
And a look at the oil markets for you, and that's the picture. Little changed, a little lower since we heard those talks in Geneva between the
U.S. or Tehran and Washington had wrapped. Well, the world's eyes are on Geneva today, where President Donald Trump's Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff
and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, two real estate developers turned all- purpose missionaries are bringing their style of transactional deal making to some of the most intractable issues of our time.
They see them leaving the first talks on their agenda today with Iran's Foreign Minister on Tehran's nuclear program, mediated by Oman and its
ambassador's residents. Well amid the diplomacy, both sides are making a point to flex their military might. Iran partially closing the Strait of
Hormuz today for live fire drills, and there you see its exercises from yesterday as well.
And the USS Gerald Ford Carrier Strike Group making its way to this region to join that growing show of U.S. force. The Russia, Ukraine war is the
next file on the agenda in Geneva. Kushner and Witkoff are joining trilateral talks now at the Intercontinental hotel as that full scale
stalemated conflict approaches its fifth year.
Right. Fred Pleitgen following the revolving doors diplomacy in Geneva. Alayna Treene is at the White House with the very latest on President
Trump's sort of thinking. Fred, let's start with you. Is it clear how much progress was made today between Washington and Tehran?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think it's slowly becoming clear that at least there seems to have been a degree
of process, progress with the two sides, at the very least, deciding how to move forward from here. Now this comes from the Iranian Foreign Minister,
who is actually on Iranian state TV, just a couple of minutes before we went to air here, and he made a statement where he said, I'm going to read
you the quote really quickly.
He said, we have reached agreement on guiding principles. We will abide by from here onwards and will move towards a potential agreement. So that's
Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian Foreign Minister, saying that, apparently, principles how to move forward, have been agreed on.
However, he also went on to say it later in that same statement on camera that he doesn't believe that a deal can be reached very quickly. And of
course, things will get more difficult as they get into more nuances about some of the details that they obviously want tackled.
We do know that the talks are about Iran's nuclear program, not about the ballistic missile program, not about regional proxies either. The big
question, of course, Becky, has been, to what extent Iran would be allowed under any sort of agreement to continue uranium enrichment and weather at
all.
That's something that seems to be under discussion as the talks are moving on. The talks lasted, I would say, for about 2.5 hours, and you're
absolutely right. Steve Kushner, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff now here back in Geneva at the hotel intercontinental, because the Ukraine-Russia
talks have already begun.
Nevertheless, it seems as though both sides moving forward here, although it's unclear how much real progress was actually made at these talks,
Becky.
ANDERSON: Good to have you on the ground there in Geneva. Fred, an important day. Let's get to Washington, and Alayna is standing by. It's not
clear then, what those principles to move forward that we heard the Iranian Foreign Minister alluding to are.
[09:05:00]
We did, though hear from Donald Trump yesterday before these talks. Let's have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Be involved in those talks indirectly, and they'll be very important, and we'll see what
can happen. Typically, Iran's very tough negotiator. They're good negotiators or bad to go. I would say they're bad negotiators, because we
could have had a deal instead of sending the B-2s in to knock out their nuclear potential.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Let me further inside, Alayna, into his current thinking at this point.
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Look, there is, you know, when it comes to this president, particularly on sticky negotiations with an
adversary like Iran. He goes back and forth on how he believes the United States should act. I know from my conversations with people in that
building behind me, Becky, that the president does want diplomacy.
Of course, we're seeing that play out in real time in Geneva, today with Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff engaged in these meetings. But there's also
a lot of distrust, of course, on the U.S. side, about whether or not the Iranians are just trying to prolong and delay this entire process, and
ultimately, a potential attack from the U.S.
And what you heard the president say last night, though, is generally, I'm told where his mindset is. He does believe that a deal can happen, and he
is hopeful that a deal will happen. But of course, we are also seeing the United States put all of the different military pieces into play.
Should these talk and should a potential deal fall apart? We saw the USS Gerald Ford being moved to the Middle East in preparation of potential
strikes. I will say that potential strikes are not, of course, really expected at this moment in time. But that move is, of course, projecting
power here, and they're using this as leverage to really hold over the Iranians almost, you know, a gun to the head type of scenario here.
But there are a lot of people as well in the broader Trump Administration who are not very confident that the United States will be able to get what
they want from the Iranians. I'd remind you that over the course, particularly in the early months of last year, in the president's first
year of his second term, he was very much engaged in wanting his team to be engaged in these talks with the Iranians, and it continued to be delayed.
And then we ultimately saw the U.S. join Israel in striking those Iranian nuclear facilities. And so, we're kind of back to the beginning here on a
potential agreement for a nuclear deal. That is why they are putting so much pressure in the region. We just have to ultimately see where these
lead.
And of course, we have to really get a readout now. I know the president is going to be getting read out directly. Getting read out directly from
Kushner and Witkoff from these talks. So once that happens, hopefully we'll have a better idea of where things stand after all of this today in Geneva,
Becky.
ANDERSON: Fred Pleitgen is in Geneva. Alayna is at the White House in Washington. Thank you both. Well to a new wave of deadly Russian strikes on
Ukraine just hours before those peace talks between Kyiv, Moscow and Washington begin in Geneva. You are looking at rescue efforts in the
Northeastern City of Sumy, one of the several regions targeted overnight.
Ukraine's President says nearly 400 drones were used in almost 30 different types of missiles. Now these talks in Switzerland are the third round of
peace negotiations between Ukraine, Russia and the U.S. They just got started moments ago. Next week marks four years since Russia's full-scale
invasion of Ukraine.
Melissa Bell, following developments. Melissa, what are we anticipating from what is this third round of talks? First two, of course, we're here in
Abu Dhabi. We've got Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. at the table. Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, those two real estate brokers turned peace
emissaries running discussions. What can we expect?
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think throughout this process, what we've been hearing is that the important thing, Becky,
that takes place is that these trilateral talks should be happening at all. And yet, so far, after the first two round of talks, we really have seen
very little in the way of tangible progress, apart from a prisoner swap that took place after one of those rounds.
Till we've just been hearing as those talks begin this third round of trilateral talks begins in Geneva, from the Chief Ukrainian Negotiator
there, Rustem Umerov, who said there spoke to his gratitude that United States was so involved that it was continued to stay upon apart process.
And what we've understood is that the American President tends to follow these indirectly, and to participate in that way. So, a lot of attention on
what these talks can yield. And yet, I think it's fair to say that expectations remain pretty low, because the sticking points that have been
there throughout the last few months of attempted negotiations being led by the United States started and stalled and started again have foundered on
those two issues.
[09:10:00]
One, the question of the territorial integrity of the Donbas, Moscow continues to insist that it wants the entire region, Ukraine that it will
not give any territory that it has not lost militarily. And then, of course, the question of what happens after a peace deal, if it be still,
was found the question of whether NATO troops would be allowed on the ground.
We heard in Paris in January that big announcement that had been made when Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were here in person, that there would be
this sort of multinational force on the ground to help ensure that Ukrainian stability and peace were allowed to continue way beyond a peace
deal.
Now, we then heard, almost immediately afterwards. Moscow say that they would consider even post a peace deal, any NATO boots on the ground in
Ukraine, as legitimate targets. So, these two sticking points remain, and it's very difficult to see, given the positions of both Kyiv and Moscow,
that any progress can be made.
Still, the hope is that by having all of the parties together, we will at least avoid what we saw previously, where progress would be made by
Americans, Europeans and Ukrainians on one hand, the United States and Russia on the other, and that by the time you put everything together,
there was no room for maneuver between the maximalist demands of both Kyiv and Moscow in terms of what they wanted, either to maintain or to achieve
going forward.
So important negotiations in so far as they're trilateral, but hopes pretty low, all the more, given the attacks overnight, Becky.
ANDERSON: We watch what will -- what may emerge out of Geneva. Melissa for the time being. Thank you very much indeed. Melissa Bell is in Paris.
Reverend Jesse Jackson, a pioneer of the civil rights movement, has died at the age of 84. A protege of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Jackson's vision
and his fiery speeches helped shape a more progressive Democratic Party and left an indelible mark on American history.
My colleague, Abby Phillip takes a close look now at his life and his legacy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ABBY PHILLIP, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jesse Jackson's life was defined by a relentless fight for justice and equality.
REV. JESSE JACKSON, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: I was born in Greeneville, South Carolina in rampant radical racial segregation. Had to be taught to go to
the back of the bus and be arrested.
PHILLIP (voice-over): Those early experiences drove Jackson to join the civil rights movement.
JACKSON: The fact is, against the odds, we knew they were great odds. We were winning.
PHILLIP (voice-over): In 1965 he began working for Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.
JACKSON: I learned someone from such a great source of inspiration.
PHILLIP (voice-over): King named Jackson to lead operation bread basket in Chicago, an economic justice campaign for black people. However, some say
king was frustrated by Jackson's brashness and ambition.
JACKSON: I'm sure he thought I needed more time. I was 24 years old.
PHILLIP (voice-over): Both men were in Memphis in April 1968 to support striking sanitation workers, king and other civil rights leaders were
staying at the Lorraine Motel.
JACKSON: He said, Jesse, no, you don't even have on a shirt and tie. You don't have on a tie. We're going to dinner. I said, Doc, it does not
require a tie, just an appetite. We left. I said, Doc, the bullet hit. Everything changed at that moment. It was a defining moment in the history
of our struggle.
PHILLIP (voice-over): With king gone, his movement was a drift. Years later, Jackson formed operation push, pressuring businesses to open up to
black workers and customers and adding more focus on black responsibility championed in the 1972 concert Wattstax.
JACKSON: In Watts, we have shifted from Burn, baby burn to learn baby learn.
PHILLIP (voice-over): And he expanded his own global reach too, helping to free U.S. Lieutenant Robert Goodman, who was held by Syria after being shot
down. And later, other Americans held in Cuba and Serbia.
JACKSON: I learned how to negotiate. As an African American, growing up among white people have to negotiate every day.
PHILLIP (voice-over): The reverend set his sights on the White House in 1984.
JACKSON: Milk and cows an hour, they're coming back to the skin of cities. So, I learned a lot during that period.
PHILLIP (voice-over): First thought of as a marginal candidate, Jackson finished third in the primary race with 18 percent of the vote. That
campaign almost went off the rails when Jackson used an ethnic slur to refer to New York Jews.
JACKSON: Just mistakes and they hurt.
PHILLIP (voice-over): He ran again in 1988 this time doubling his vote count and finishing in second in the Democratic race.
[09:15:00]
At the time, it was the farthest any black candidate had gone in a presidential contest.
JACKSON: But 20 years later, when President Barack ran, we will land the ground work for that season.
PHILLIP (voice-over): In 2017, Jackson had a new battle to fight Parkinson's disease, but that didn't stop him.
JACKSON: If you hold on, if your cause is right and your grip is tight, you'll make it.
PHILLIP (voice-over): Late in life, he was still fighting. He was arrested in Washington while demonstrating for voting rights. His silent presence at
the trial of Ahmaud Arbery's killers prompted defense lawyers to ask that he leave the courtroom. Jackson, state.
JACKSON: -- I'm --
PHILLIP (voice-over): From the Jim Crow South through the turbulent 60s and into the Black Lives Matter movement, Jesse Jackson was a constant,
unyielding voice for justice.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Let's bring in Jeff Zeleny, who is in Washington. What's been the response there, Jeff?
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, certainly a consequential and towering figure, and responses are coming in
really praising the life and legacy of the Reverend Jesse Jackson and also shining a bit more of a light on his history as we were just seeing a bit
of their in Abby Phillips report.
There is no doubt that Jesse Jackson, through his two presidential campaigns back in 1984 and 1988 effectively changed how democratic
presidents, at least, were nominated. And this is why. Before that, the nominees of the party were basically chosen in smoke filled dark rooms at
conventions that changed with a Jesse Jackson.
He had won a delegate from across the country, and he took those delegates and sort of demanded a hearing at the convention. So, it paved the way for
a Barack Obama's presidential campaign back in 2008 of course, he was locked in a long race with the Hillary Clinton.
And he was not the choice of party insiders, but he won the delegates and he won grassroots support. So, you know, there's so much history to be
learned here from a Jesse Jackson, but a towering figure, there's no doubt. So, the praise is coming in from civil rights leaders as well as Democratic
politicians and even President Trump.
He had a long relationship with Jesse Jackson himself, back long before Donald Trump entered into politics. The two men knew each other very, very
well. And when Donald Trump was running for office, he also took some of Jesse Jackson's economic populism, the message to a working-class Americans
and others, and sort of adopted it as his own.
So, a bit of a reminder of who Jesse Jackson was, a complicated figure, no doubt, but a consequential one as well.
ANDERSON: Yeah, it takes me back. I remember that 88 campaign. It is remarkable, and the president himself responding today.
ZELENY: He did. I mean, he was just weighing in with a statement just a short time ago. I'll read just a tiny bit of it, but he said I knew him
well long before becoming president. He was a good man with lots of personality and grit and street smarts. He was very generous and a
gregarious someone who loved people.
He went on to a President Trump, but went on to a highlight, the very real tensions that existed between Jesse Jackson and Barack Obama. But the
pictures you're seeing right now on screen, that is from 2008, the night of Barack Obama's historic election. I was there that night, standing just a
few feet away from Jesse Jackson with the reporters in the press area there, and seeing those tears on his face was very momentous.
Jesse Jackson was not involved in the Obama campaign that much, largely the Obama campaign wanted to keep him a bit detached from it, Jesse Jackson had
some controversial remarks for Barack Obama. He said he talked down to black people. He ended up apologizing for those comments.
So, a complicated relationship, but there's no doubt, without Jesse Jackson's runs in the 80s, Barack Obama almost certainly would not have
been elected as America's First African American President.
ANDERSON: Yeah, remarkable. It's really good to have you Jeff as ever. Thank you very much indeed. Jeff Zeleny is in Washington for you folks.
Still to come here on this show, "Connect the World" with me Becky Anderson. A look at who has been cleared as a suspect in the disappearance
of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie. It is a case that continues to captivate.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:20:00]
ANDERSON: I'll get you to you to Arizona in the states and the search for the missing 84-year-old mother of the NBC Host Savannah Guthrie. The Pima
County Sheriff's Department is officially cleared Nancy Guthrie's family members, including siblings and spouses, as possible suspects in her
disappearance.
In a statement on X, Sheriff Chris Nanos said, Nancy's loved ones are victims in this case, and it would be cruel to suggest otherwise. This
announcement comes more than two weeks after Nancy was reported missing from her home near Tucson, Arizona. So far, no suspects have been publicly
named in this investigation.
CNN's Leigh Waldman is following this story for us, and just how significant is this announcement to clear family members from suspicion,
Leigh.
LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Becky, it's very significant to clear the family of any and all suspicion in this case, because it shows us
that the investigators are moving forward, that they have enough to completely eliminate them, saying definitively they're not accused of any
kind of wrongdoing in this case, that they're focusing their attention elsewhere.
So, while it may not seem like a big deal, it shows that there is a lot of investigative work happening behind the scenes. Let's go ahead and pull up
that statement from Sheriff Chris Nanos, he said the family has been nothing but cooperative and gracious, and our victims in this case, to
suggest otherwise is not only wrong, it is cruel.
He told our CNN Affiliate KOLD, that they've been 100 percent cooperative and they were ruled out as suspects in just the first few days of this
investigation. Now what we're waiting on. Another significant detail in this case is that DNA from the glove that was recovered this weekend.
We know it was sent off for preliminary testing over the weekend. That happened on Saturday and Sunday, the quality control by the FBI was being
done, and now, once they have all of that squared away. They're going to test it against their CODIS database, which is a database that has millions
of previous offenders DNA in it.
They're hoping to try and get a match there to really shine a light here on who this person is, if they can have a match with that DNA sample from the
glove and compare it to the DNA that was found on Nancy Guthrie's property here that wasn't hers and wasn't anyone close to her.
We can have a major break in this case, and that's what everyone is kind of waiting on with bated breath. Here, we know that this person they're
looking for is a man with a medium build between 5'9"and 5'10" we know the backpack that he was carrying was an Ozark Trail Hiker backpack sold at
Walmart.
They're working to determine the brands of the other items of clothing that he was wearing as well, trying to piece all of this together to give us
some kind of clear image, Becky.
ANDERSON: Good to have you, Leigh. You are bang up to date from Tucson, Arizona, folks.
[09:25:00]
And you are watching "Connect the World" live from our Middle East programming headquarters here in Abu Dhabi. Ahead on the show, Iran's oil
industry under increasing pressure as a new round of indirect talks with the United States comes to an end. Going to look at the declining export
numbers and how they could impact future negotiations.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi. You are watching, "Connect the World". And wherever you are watching in the world, you are
more than welcome. These are your headlines. Iranian and American negotiators have concluded the second round of nuclear talks in direct
negotiations in Geneva lasted around 3.5 hours, according to Iranian state media.
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner represented the United States, while the Iranian Foreign Minister led the Iranian side. When the past few minutes,
discussions between Ukraine, Russia and the United States have begun in the same City of Geneva. It's the third round of peace talks between all three
sides following discussions in Abu Dhabi.
This round expected to focus on territorial issues as President Trump pushes for a deal to be reached. Well, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says
Moscow launched nearly 400 drones and dozens of missiles into Ukraine. Just hours ahead of those peace talks, emergency crews worked overnight in
Odessa after Russian strikes hit residential areas.
It was reported it was part of a wider barrage across the country that officials say killed at least two people. Well, the Sheriff of Pima County,
Arizona says all of Nancy Guthrie's family members have been cleared as possible suspects in her disappearance.
Sheriff Chris Nanos says the family has been cooperative and gracious, and suggesting otherwise is quote, not only wrong, it is cruel, he said. Well
in Washington D.C., some movement on talks to reopen the Department of Homeland Security amid a partial government shutdown.
Democrats have sent a counter offer to the White House on reforms they want to see in the DHS before agreeing to vote and funding, but the timeline
could drag on with Congress in recess this week. President Trump says the partial shutdown won't affect his plans for the State of the Union address.
When asked if he would still give that annual address, he said it wouldn't bother me. The speech is currently set for next Tuesday evening. Let's get
you the opening bell on Wall Street and ringing in the trading day today, the largest U.S. newspaper publisher, USA Today.
[09:30:00]
Let's give them a couple of seconds just to get towards the top of the hour, about 15 seconds away from the top of the hour and the opening of
those major indices, the markets were indicating a lower open on futures. So, let's have a look as the DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL Average opens for
business on what is a short and working week.
Of course, bank holiday yesterday, that is the story. And in fact, the market just slightly higher by about an eighth of 1 percent for the latest
round of indirect U.S.-Iran talks is over in Geneva after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was going to be indirectly involved in the
negotiations.
He told reporters that he thinks Iran wants to make a deal and doesn't want to face the consequences of not making a deal. The U.S. has been building
up its military assets, of course, in the region for some weeks for a possible attack against Iran. Tehran under increasing economic pressure,
already heavily sanctioned its oil exports are dipping.
A commodities analytics firm says exports to China, Iran's largest oil customer, fell to 800,000 barrels a day last month. That's the lowest level
in nearly three years. Amena Bakr is the Head of Middle East Energy and OPEC+ Insights at Kpler, the firm that track those numbers.
She joins me now from Dubai. It's really good to have you. I mean, just set those numbers in context. How big is the industry these days?
AMENA BAKR, HEAD OF MIDDLE EAST ENERGY AND OPEC+ INSIGHTS, KPLER: Hi, Becky, and thanks so much for bringing this subject forward. This is really
important. So, in terms of putting, it in context, around 80 percent of Iranian exports, if not more, go into China. So that's the bulk of their
exports. So, when you're talking about 800,000 barrels per day previously, would take around 1.3 to 1.4 million barrels per day from Iran.
So, the drop that we're seeing, I mean from October last year, Iran managed to export something like 1.9 million barrels per day. In January, we're
seeing exports drop to around 1.35 million barrels per day. And that tells me, Becky, that sanctions are tightening and --
ANDERSON: Go ahead.
BAKR: Sanctions are tightening and sanctions are working. They're unable to export their oil, and it's landing on water.
ANDERSON: Yeah, which begs the question, we know that the Trump Administration has tools at its disposal to further squeeze the economy.
How big a further squeeze on the oil industry might you expect?
BAKR: Well, already, I mean, they have a number of measures in place, they've sanctioned more than 85 percent of the vessels, and therefore the
Iranians have been using the so-called shadow fleets. But despite that, they're even having difficulties in securing these vessels, making sure
that there's insurance from them.
And they're having issues sending them to China, which normally takes up the majority of volume. So, could they squeeze further? Could they be more
effective? Yes, there is definitely scope for that. But in the same time, Becky, in putting this into context, we do still have ample supply in the
market.
So, if these volumes do go off. And I'm not saying completely off to zero, because that's impossible, but there is ample supply in the market and
spare capacity to make up for that production.
ANDERSON: I just want to bring up the Brent crude numbers and the WTI crude figures today. I'm not sure the Brent crude one is actually functioning.
So, it looks as if it's a -- But let's have a look at WTI crude oil. And we're basically seeing, you know, the both markets actually earlier on,
slightly low, but not significantly.
So, what do you make of the price on oil at this point, we know that the second round of talks are now concluded between the U.S. and Iran. The
Iranians certainly suggesting a third round will happen at some point soon. Haven't heard from the U.S. yet as to how those talks went or what progress
was made.
So, what do you forecasting on these numbers at this point. And what do you what do you make of what we are seeing at present?
BAKR: I think the market is still very much on edge, Becky, nobody really knows for sure which way this is going to land. Yes, the talks are ongoing,
which is a positive sign they might reach an agreement.
[09:35:00]
I mean, President Trump clearly said that he is going to give diplomacy a chance. And we believe that he doesn't want to engage himself in a conflict
that you know might be prolonged for a long period of time. Boots on the ground definitely are out of the question.
But at the same time, I mean, it depends on what the terms are, so it's unclear. And therefore, I mean, that's why we've been seeing flat prices in
the kind of $68, $69 range. I would say that there is maybe a $4 or $5 risk premium baked into that price.
ANDERSON: Yeah, and that's really interesting. And I'm glad you brought that up, because that risk premium is important. We see an enormous armada
off the coast of the region where you and I are at this point. And we are aware of reports suggesting military exercises in the Strait of Hormuz by
the Iranians today.
Let's just remind our viewers what could happen as we see these images of these exercises in the strait off the coast here. What could happen to the
oil market should the Iranians decide to close this straight?
BAKR: Well, that's a catastrophic situation, because you have 20 percent of the world's oil flowing through that strait. Yes, they've announced that
there are exercises happening. I think that's just to kind of up the pressure during the talks. And at the same time, you have Trump deploying a
number of military vessels and aircrafts and so on.
So, it's maximum pressure while the talks are happening. So, if we do have a closure of her moves, I think I mean markets would definitely jump and
react to that, until we have the U.S. possibly, I mean, they would immediately intervene to reopen that strait. But just as a reminder, I
mean, the strait hasn't been closed because that would directly harm China, which is Iran's biggest economic-ally.
So, they must feel really cornered if they have to take that move and close the straight or disrupt the straight, that means that they're not finding a
way out. So, for the time being, I'm not putting that as a possibility of that happening.
ANDERSON: Yeah, it's really good to have you Amena, always a pleasure. And I think the market and the story on the Iranian oil exports at this point
is one that was, you know, important to flush out, and you've done a really good job on that. Thank you very much indeed.
Amena Bakr in the house for you. Well, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife are now in India for a three-day visit. The trip aimed at
deepening defense trade and tech ties. President Macron's talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi are focusing on AI cooperation and a possible multi-
billion-dollar deal for more French war planes.
Mr. Macron also paid tribute to the victims of the 2008 attacks at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. Right, you're watching "Connect the World". And we will
head to the ice up next, where a fierce rivalry is ignited by USA and Canada's Women's Hockey teams. More on that's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:40:00]
ANDERSON: Well, more than a billion people around the world are ringing in the "Year of the Horse". Lunar New Year, considered the most important
holiday for many Chinese and other Asian communities. CNN's Mike Valerio is in Beijing at present visiting the city's most popular temple fair as
festivities there kick off. Have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, when you look at this main axis of Ditan Park here in Beijing, the beautiful red lanterns, so much of the city
clears out with families going to see their old hometown, seeing relatives that are spread throughout China.
So much of Beijing clears out, except for temple fairs like this, where myriad tourists and families who remain in Beijing, they all come together
for these incredible snacks, to share red packets, of course, and toys and games, just such a shared experience and community here in Ditan Park. Mike
Valerio, CNN, Beijing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Happy Lunar New Year. It is the biggest rivalry in Women's Ice Hockey, as the United States and Canada are set to face off for the gold
medal at the Winter Olympics. Once again. Andy Scholes joining us.
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah.
ANDERSON: And we have been here before, of course, Andy.
SCHOLES: We certainly have Becky. So, since they made Women's Ice Hockey a Winter Olympics sport, only one time ever has this not been the gold medal
matchup. This is going to be the seventh time these two have squared off, and I tell you, what Team USA not going to need a miracle on ice to win
this.
They are looking like one of the most dominant teams we've ever seen, five straight shutouts. They've outscored their opponents 31 to 1, Becky. They
are big favorites for this matchup. But you know, when these two get on the ice together, you can just throw out all the records.
This is certainly a great rivalry. Canada has actually won four of the previous six matchups. So, we'll wait and see the big game is coming on
Thursday.
ANDERSON: I can't wait for that. Good stuff. All right. Andy is back. "World Sport" after this short break. We will be back 15 minutes time with
more world news. Stay with us.
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[09:45:00]
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