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Iranians Urged To Prepare For War As Donald Trump Issues New Threats; Benjamin Netanyahu And Donald Trump Held Call As White House Weighs Iran Options; Cubans Fear U.S. Invasion As Tensions Escalate; Trump Warns "Clock Is Ticking" For Iran To Make A Peace Deal; European Council On Foreign Relations: Six Possible Scenarios; Ukraine Launches 500+ Drones, Targets Facilities In Russia. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired May 18, 2026 - 10:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:00:33]
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to the second day of the show from our Middle East programming headquarters here in Abu Dhabi. I'm Becky Anderson,
time is just after 6:00 in the evening.
Iran says it has responded after the U.S. raised objections to its recent peace proposal, that aid is turning weeks of back and forth between
Washington and Tehran.
People in Cuba say they are preparing for a possible attempt to invade as the U.S. ramps up its rhetoric and turns up the pressure on Havana.
And drama off the pitch. Egyptian football star Mohamed Salah takes aim at Liverpool's tactics, calling for a return to the club's trademark heavy
metal style of play.
Well, make a deal or else there won't be anything left. That is Donald Trump's latest threat against Iran as he tries to nail down a peace
agreement. Iran says negotiations through Pakistan are ongoing, but sources say Mr. Trump appear appearing frustrated with the pace of the talks has
been weighing military options with national security officials.
All of this, of course, putting Iranians on edge. Our team inside Iran is witnessing the population and the government bracing for the possibility of
renewed attacks. CNN operates in Iran only with government permission, but retains full editorial control. Here's our Chief Global Affairs
Correspondent Matthew Chance.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Across Iran, the tension and the rhetoric is getting stronger. Thousands have been
gathering every night for state-sponsored rallies, mobilizing supporters against the United States.
CHANCE: How concerned are you that the war may start again soon?
TIANA, RALLY ATTENDEE: Concern --
CHANCE: Worried?
TIANA: I'm not worried. Why should I be worried? Because I'm so ready to sacrifice my life for my country and for my people. So, no, I'm not worried
at all, at all.
CHANCE (voice-over): This man's sign reads nuclear technology missiles are as important as borders. Key sticking points installed peace talks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need nuclear. Nuclear not for the bomb -- peaceful --
CHANCE (voice-over): Still amid escalating threats from the White House, ordinary Iranians are now being urged to prepare for war.
CHANCE: Well, these rallies or gatherings have been taking place every single night for the past several weeks, and so they're not new, but what
is new is the introduction of weapons, and these kiosks have been set up in each of these sort of squares, where members of the military, there, you
can see them with masks on.
They're showing people, in this case a woman, basic skills of how to use what I think is an AK 47 or a Kalashnikov, and things like that. Look over
here, they're showing children how to use them as well, it's all part of a sort of state-sponsored call to arms in case the war begins again.
CHANCE (voice-over): It's all guns on state television too, and several Iranian channels broadcasting their hosts brandishing assault rifles. They
gave me a weapon, so I could learn how to use it, like you. This anchor tells her viewers.
After his on-air training, this presenter fires off a round into the -- but not all Iranians are gunning for a fight. Just around the corner from the
rally hints at the diversity of views about their country's plight.
CHANCE: Well, it's a very different atmosphere in this part of town. People are sitting with their partners, having coffees.
Strolling around the bookstores or just hanging out with their friends. And if you talk to people, you get very different views as well. You know,
people didn't want to talk on camera, but off camera. One woman said to me, she just wanted peace and freedom. Another one said she wanted to live in a
normal country where there was a potential future for her children.
[10:05:24]
CHANCE (voice-over): But Iran's future to many Iranians looks increasingly clear, especially amid regular threats from President Trump.
CHANCE: Waiting for the war.
FATIMA, RALLY ATTENDEE: We're waiting. We are here because we know this war isn't over. We know he's not negotiating. He's not going to negotiate
anything. He's just going to be like, either you do what I tell you or I'm going to kill you again.
And it may be that bleak sense of inevitability drowning out in voices compromise. Matthew Chance, CNN in Tehran.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, with the fragile ceasefire then between Washington and Tehran already teetering close to collapse, it seems, a drone strike here
in the UAE over the weekend raising fears of a wider regional conflict. Or at least this conflict spreading around the region.
Authorities say the strike on Sunday caused a fire outside the crucially important Barakah nuclear power plant. No injuries were reported. The plant
continues to operate as normal, and to be clear, no radiation concerns.
But Emirati officials suspect Iran or its proxy groups carried out the attack, though no country has claimed responsibility at this point.
Joining me now to discuss all of this is Mina Al-Oraibi. She's editor-in- chief of The National, good friend of this show.
I do just want to get out a number of statements, one by the IAEA and another by the U.S. presidential adviser. Let's start with the U.N.'s
nuclear chief expressing grave concerns, Mina, about this incident over the weekend, and says military activity that threatens nuclear safety is
unacceptable.
Anwar Gargash, the UAE presidential adviser, posted this quote, The terrorist targeting of the Barakah clean nuclear power plant, whether
carried out by the principal perpetrator or through one of its agents, represents a dangerous escalation and a dark scene that violates all
international laws and norms. This prohibited escalation serves to reaffirm the nature of the challenges facing the region in confronting the forces of
evil, chaos, and sabotage. What do you make of those comments?
MINA AL-ORAIBI, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, THE NATIONAL: They were very strong comments. We also heard from Sheik Abdullah bin Zayed, the Foreign
Minister, and, of course, the GCC has come out to condemn the attack, but so have international voices like Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada.
First, because Barakah is a nuclear plant, it's a civilian nuclear plant, there hasn't been any radiation leak. There were three drones targeting it,
two were intercepted and one got into the parameter just outside the nuclear plant.
So, it's one showing the severity of such an attack, but two also it's yet another warning of don't let this get into a further escalation at the time
when yes negotiations are oncoming, the levels of trust continue to be eroded. It was very interesting, of course, that the UAE said that this
came from the western border, so indication this is not directly from Iran, could be the Houthis, could be militias in Iraq, they're being vague, it'll
be interesting to see if we hear more.
But of course, just hours later, Saudi Arabia was also targeted three drones, they said it was militia groups based in Iraq, so I think the
statements are strong because the severity, but also it's a calling out of those responsible, as you said, nobody's claimed responsibility, but this
fog of war situation is actually adding to the uncertainty of what happens next.
ANDERSON: Can we just provide some context here? What is going on in Iraq at this point? Iraq at this point, because Iraq, of course, as we're
suggesting, there are Iranian proxies in Iraq, that is, to the northwest of this country, that could have been from where these drones were fired. Can
we just provide a bit of context here?
AL-ORAIBI: So, of course, Iraq has just had a new government sworn in, but only 14 ministries of the 23 have been felt. There's an ongoing political
struggle inside of Iraq. It's not new, it's been going on for some time, but it's heightened.
The new Prime Minister al-Zaidi, was sworn in, and in his speech he promised that the government would have control of the use of arms. Of
course, it's still early days. There's no interior minister, there's no Defense Minister.
And for Iran, Iraq is now the most important country in terms of an alliance. They've lost Syria. Hezbollah is under incredible strain in
Lebanon, and so there is this tussle inside of Iraq.
Now, there are Shia Islamist groups that are traditionally aligned with Iran that don't want to be dragged into this war, and then there are those
militant groups that are publicly call themselves Axis of Resistance and publicly aligned with Iran, and will do their bidding.
[10:10:09]
Of course, from March, we've had concerns from Gulf countries that there are attacks coming out from Iraq, so this is not new. They've targeted
Kuwait, they targeted Bahrain, but now there is this strain inside of Iraq. Will they continue to operate in this way and really put pressure on a yet
to be fully formed government?
ANDERSON: I note, as well as we talk about these, this is not a side issue, it's an issue which is sort of embedded in the discussion we're having now,
that a U.S. -- the U.S. has charged a man with plotting Iran-directed attacks on Jews in London and in New York. I promised that I would bring
that up during this interview, because it's important. Can you just explain why?
AL-ORAIBI: So, it's important because you know it's sometimes hard to connect the dots. There is now a flurry of different militia groups being
formed. This gentleman was previously with Hezbollah, he's suspected of these crimes, but they also have a new group called Harakat Ashab al-Yamin,
which means the holders of the oath, and they have claimed attacks as far as the U.K. and beyond, targeting Jews, but also claiming that they are
against the U.S., they are against Israel.
This is coming at a time, it's the first time you have somebody being transferred to U.S. custody, they haven't said from where, and being
charged in U.S. courts. It's different. We've had al-Qaeda operatives charged in U.S. courts. It's new to see somebody from the Iranian militant
groups being charged in this way, coming from Iraq.
I say this because I think it's important that we look at the bigger picture. The region is going through incredible change, and there are these
groups that really rely on Iran to continue to operate, but also, if we think beyond the immediate, if this war is going to end, this limbo state
that the region is in, it means the full control of arms in countries like Iraq and Lebanon being with the state, but also that Iran's expansionism is
really curtailed and stopped, contained again. This has been 20 years brewing, all of these developments, and now they've really come to a head,.
ANDERSON: And it's -- and it's the effort to ensure these proxies are contained that sits as part of the sort of, you know, wish list for the UAE
and this region, alongside the degradation of the ballistic and drone missile program, the nuclear file, the opening of the Strait of Hormuz.
There's a lot going on at this point.
I do want to just get back and focus for a moment on the UAE as a target for Iran at present. I want to pay our viewers this moment where an Iranian
state T.V. presenter fired at a UAE flag during a live broadcast. Mina, what do you make of that sort of propaganda and messaging coming out of
Iran, specifically directed at the UAE at this point?
AL-ORAIBI: Part of it, of course, is for domestic consumption, that Iran has direct enemy, almost becoming public enemy number one.
Now, what the UAE presents is an openness, is you know, we've said this several times on this program together and beyond, that the UAE represents
a country that's looking towards the future and is targeted by the Iranian regime. There are many Iranians that only, not only live here, that come
and visit here, that have family here. This is not a popular view, but it's one that the government is trying to ramp up.
They are in negotiations with the U.S., so it's almost taking the heat of how they feel towards the U.S. And let's put the focus on the UAE. It's
incredibly worrying, because they're trying to drop this narrative of the UAE being an enemy, despite, of course, not only the UAE being against this
war, but for years having this attitude of trying to bring in the Iranians from the cold. This is now becoming almost impossible.
ANDERSON: And Karim Sadjadpour, who you and I know very well, in an article for The Atlantic this weekend wrote in part, quote, Building takes decades,
destroying takes days. Stability requires hundreds of billions of dollars in defense, intelligence, and cyber security. Instability can be achieved
with $20,000 drones. Distinguishing between what he sees as sort of Iranian model of decay and the UAE's model, which is these decades of deep
investment into a model navigating sort of a new Middle East.
AL-ORAIBI: Karim's article is brilliant. I just saw him recently in Washington, and this idea that he proposes, that many of us have witnessed,
that the UAE thrives not only on stability but on planning prosperity, everything from the focus on artificial intelligence to thinking about free
movement of goods, people, and so forth.
[10:15:08]
Iran thrives when there is instability and the ability to actually take out vulnerabilities in countries like Iraq and Lebanon, where there is chaos,
and Syria previously under the Assad regime, where there is chaos, they thrive on decay, and those are the two models.
And therefore, the alliances with each of these countries, the different groups of different politicians, but even culturally, where do we want this
region to go, and that's why it's so important that this is not just about the UAE alone, but actually what the UAE presents as a vision for the wider
region,
ANDERSON: And that inconvenient truth is that that vision to Iran is that vision includes, for example, a relationship with a deepened relationship
with Israel as part of the Abraham Accord signed back in 2020. I could sit and talk to you forever. Our viewers know that I'm going to have to move
on. It's always good to have you. Thank you very much indeed. It's good to have you back.
Let's bring in CNN's Jeremy Diamond, then, who is in Jerusalem. Jeremy, CNN has learned that the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a call
with Donald Trump on Sunday as the White House currently weighs whether to pursue further diplomacy with Iran or restart military strikes.
I can tell you, when you talk to sources around this region, there is a heightened sense that we could be facing the restarting of kinetic action
at some point very soon at this point. What reaction are you hearing from the Israeli side about the seemingly slow pace of diplomacy with Iran, and
what happens next?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, I think in some ways the Israeli government's position about these negotiations with Iran
is basically the same as it's been since those negotiations began, since the cease fire came into effect in the first place, and that is that the
Israeli government simply doesn't believe that Iran is, you know, capable of making the kinds of concessions that would amount to a good deal in
order for this war to be resolved diplomatically rather than via a return to strikes inside of Iran, and Iran striking back, of course, as a result
of that.
And so, that doesn't mean that the Israeli Prime Minister has been making that case publicly, necessarily. He's been quite clear that he doesn't
believe this war is over. He believes that more still needs to be accomplished, but he has been relatively cautious in terms of not publicly
cheerleading for a return to war, especially given the extent to which we saw this narrative take hold in the United States, that Netanyahu was the
reason why President Trump went to war against Iran in the first place. This notion that Israel dragged the United States into war, he's very much
trying to avoid that impression this time around.
But that doesn't mean that that's not exactly what he would like to see. It very much does seem to be the case that the Prime Minister believes that a
return to war is necessary in order to achieve all of the objectives that he has set out, everything from preventing Iran from further enriching
uranium, removing the quantities of enriched uranium that are still inside of Iran, and of course the damage that still would need to be done from the
Israeli perspective to Iran's ballistic missile weapons, which we've learned Iran has been able to reconstitute and gain access to missile
launchers that had previously been buried underground during the first month of this war.
So, there's no question that Israel is at a heightened state of readiness once again for all scenarios, and we'll see how that diplomacy unfolds.
It's all in President Trump's hands right now.
ANDERSON: Can I just, before I let you go, Israel launched fresh strikes on southern Lebanon, despite an extension of the U.S.-backed ceasefire. So,
before I let you go, what can we expect at this point?
DIAMOND: Yes, well, we have seen continuation of Israel and Hezbollah trading fire back and forth. Just yesterday, we know that there were
Israeli strikes, including one that killed a commander of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, as well as his 17-year-old daughter, according to local
reports.
Today, we've seen that there have been more Israeli air strikes in southern Lebanon, and sirens sounded in two northern Israeli communities closest to
the Lebanese border as a result of Hezbollah rocket attacks on Israeli troops in southern Lebanon. Some of those rockets, it would seem, crossed
over into Israeli territory and set off those sirens as a result.
So, I think it seems clear that this 45 day continuation of the cease fire is going to take place very similarly to the way that the first month of
that cease fire took place, which means not a total cease fire, but rather a reduction in the kind of intensity of the attacks on either side, but
certainly not a halt altogether.
[10:20:02]
But nonetheless, it seems like the diplomatic willingness on both the Israeli and the Lebanese government side remains to pursue these
negotiations, even as the fighting continues, Becky.
ANDERSON: Always a pleasure, Jeremy. Thank you very much indeed for your reporting.
Tensions escalating between the U.S. and Cuba. Going to explain why some Cubans are getting ready for what they describe as an invasion.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Iranians aren't the only ones bracing themselves in case they are invaded by the United States following a visit to Cuba by CIA Director John
Ratcliffe. Many Cubans fear military action by the U.S. may be imminent. Ratcliffe accused the Cuban authorities of hosting Russian and Chinese
listening posts on the island.
U.S. officials are also believed to be seeking an indictment of the former Cuban President Raul Castro. It's left some fearing a repeat of the U.S.
operation against Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro, or worse.
Joining us now from Miami is Nora Gamez Torres. She's a Cuba reporter at El Nuevo Herald and the Miami Herald. Good to have you. Thank you.
Just how serious do you assess the situation in Cuba to be right now?
NORA GAMEZ TORRES, CUBA REPORTER, EL NUEVO HERALD AND MIAMI HERALD: Well, certainly military experts told me that we have yet not seen the sort of,
you know, movement of military assets to the region that, you know, would signal an immediate attack, but they did notice that it seems the
administration is, you know, building the foundation for in case a military action would be, you know, needed, or you know, the decision is taken by
the Trump administration. We've seen the CIA director traveling to Cuba to deliver a message, a warning that the time to make significant reforms is
now, and that the island could not be used by U.S. adversaries, and then we see also that the administration against -- the Department of Justice is
moving to indict Raul Castro, likely next this week.
And then, we also seen this weekend this report about Cuba allegedly having acquired drones, and that being another issue considered by U.S. officials.
So, what we're seeing is the building up of a case in case the Trump administration is going to, you know, make some sort of law enforcement
action, like in Venezuela. Or some other kind of military intervention, perhaps framed as a humanitarian intervention, but we are definitely seeing
that apparently diplomatic talks are stalled, and what we're seeing is an increased tension at a time the island, it's going through, you know, one
of it probably it's worth humanitarian economic crisis in several decades.
[10:25:16]
ANDERSON: So, have a listen to what former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on "Face the Nation" this weekend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT GATES, FORMER U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: I think that actually the biggest risk is that we end up with another Mariel evacuation from Cuba
that has 10s of thousands of Cubans heading to the United States out of desperation, as happened a number of years ago, so I think that's actually
at this point the biggest threat.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Do you agree with that assessment? Is that -- and from, you know, you clearly talking to sources all the time, is that a fair assessment?
GAMEZ TORRES: Well, there's always -- the U.S. government has always plans to address migration, a southern migration crisis. People coming from Cuba,
but in this case, I've talked to, you know, so some academics that they don't believe that the risk of kind of a Mariel exile, you know, wave, it's
likely at this point, especially not as you know, as big as Mariel was, because you know, in the past five years, about 2 million Cubans have left
the island, and those are the, you know, the younger generations are leaving the island, left the island on a credit with paste.
And so, you know what we -- you have in Cuba right now, it's the oldest Cubans, the children, the sick, the people have that little means, so I'm,
I'm not sure that in this case, you know, we, the administration is planning for this kind of massive migration wave, but it's still, you know,
it's always possible.
ANDERSON: Axios had a new report out, which I'm sure you've seen, suggesting that Cuba could possess as many as 300 drones may be considering
targeting nearby U.S. assets. Havana denying this, calling it a fraudulent case.
Given the country's deep economic crisis, its power shortages, and showing pictures of, you know, streets with no lights, food insecurity. How
credible do you believe that reporting is?
GAMEZ TORRES: Well, I've been talking to former U.S. officials as well, and I'm reaching out to the administration. I think you know few people believe
that Cuba would attack first.
The case laid out by Axios is, you know, that Cuba had been acquiring these drones in case of a U.S. attack, and that's what exactly what you know, the
U.S. -- the Cuban leader, Miguel Diaz-Canel, was making the case today that they have a right to defend, but they don't have attack plans.
They -- I have to say, he did not deny the fact that Cuba had acquired drones, nor the Foreign Ministry, in their first reaction to this report
denied, and I've talked to former U.S. officials, also saying that it's credible that Cuba has drones, probably from Russia, they didn't know if,,
you know it was unclear to them that they acquire them from Iran, but certainly this is another step in this build up towards making a case that
Cuba might be, you know, it's a threat to U.S. national security.
ANDERSON: It's good to have you. Thank you very much indeed for joining us. We will continue to monitor what is going on there in Cuba.
Ahead on CONNECT THE WORLD, Iran's nuclear activities and how its opponents are striving to contain them. An expert weighing in after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:31:42]
ANDERSON: Welcome back. You are watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. Here are your headlines this hour.
An international effort is underway to contain a deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. Health officials say it has
infected hundreds of people and is suspected of causing at least 88 deaths.
Now, the head of the Centers for Disease Control in Africa tells CNN, there is an urgent need to increase screening.
Republican Senator Bill Cassidy signaled he could be more critical of President Trump in the remainder of his time on Capitol Hill after losing
the primary race for his Louisiana seat.
His defeat comes five years after Cassidy voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial. In Saturday's primary, he lost out to a Trump-
endorsed challenger.
Well, the bodies of four missing scuba divers have now been found in the Maldives, following a dangerous mission to locate their remains in a
network of undersea caves.
The recovery effort was launched after five Italians died on Thursday, exploring what are the Vaavu Atoll caves. It's still unclear what went
wrong.
Well, Donald Trump appears to be seriously considering new military action against Iran as he tries to coerce Tehran into a peace deal. The U.S.
president posting on Sunday, and I quote here. "The clock is ticking, and they better get moving fast."
He is been meeting with top security officials at the White House, while the Pentagon constructs plans, sources say, for potential strikes on
Iranian targets.
So, let's get the latest, as we understand it on White House thinking. CNN's Kevin Liptak standing by. Kevin.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, and I think it's clear, just in talking to officials, that they do see the president now kind of
approaching this decision point moment. Does he resume the bombing campaign inside Iran or does he allow more time for some of this diplomacy to
proceed?
You know, we just heard this morning from the Iranian foreign ministry that they have sent back the latest proposal. Whether that's enough to convince
the president to continue allowing these talks to proceed remains to be seen. I think it is evident that the president is growing more and more
frustrated with the pace of these talks.
He is impatient that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. He still has some questions about who exactly inside the Iranian regime is going to make the
final decision here. That's part of why he has convened members of his national security team over the last several days to discuss and plot
exactly how they will move ahead. He met on Saturday with his team at his golf course out in Virginia, and he is expected to convene that same group
again early this week.
And that message that he posted on social media, I think, just further evidence of his frustration. Exactly how quickly these negotiations are
proceeding.
You also hear, I think, rising urgency, frankly, among the president's team about rising gas prices amid the continued closure of the strait as the
Midterms grow ever closer. They are in November. And new polling out today, I think, only underscores some of the predicament that the president finds
himself in.
When The New York Times asked Americans whether the decision to go to war with Iran was the right decision, only 30 percent said yes. 64 percent said
that it was the wrong decision.
[10:35:03]
And when it comes to the president's handling of the conflict himself, similarly poor numbers for the president. 31 percent said they approved of
the president's handling of the conflict, 65 percent said they disapproved.
So, you see how the president has found himself in this conundrum. He wants to get the war finished because it's unpopular, but at the same time, none
of the objectives that he set out for the conflict, namely that Iran not be able to obtain a nuclear weapon, have yet been met.
You know, though, Iran continues to have that stockpile of enriched uranium. So, quite a difficult decision for the president, I think, Becky.
ANDERSON: Kevin, good to have you. Thank you.
My next guest says, in her words, there is a lot of conflict and chaos around Iran right now.
Ellie Geranmayeh is the Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa program at the European Council on Foreign Relations. She is been
monitoring Iran's nuclear activities to determine which of six possible scenarios is most likely, and she joins me now live from London to discuss
this.
Ellie, thank you. Let's talk about your nuclear monitor. Where are we in terms of Iran and its nuclear capabilities, to your mind?
ELLE GERANMAYEH, SENIOR POLICY FELLOW, EUROPEAN COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: Becky, thanks for having me on the show. So, for the past year,
since the U.S. launched a military campaign against Iran, we have been monitoring but. Both the damage assessment done by the bombings of now over
15,000 targets inside Iran, but also have forecasting what options remain based on Iran's existing continued nuclear capabilities.
Right now, our indicators show that Iran is neither actively rebuilding its nuclear program to the way it was before the 12-day war began last June,
but it's also not able to genuinely find a breakthrough with the Trump White House on a deal. So, we are stuck at this impasse now for some time,
but our assessment is that this is unsustainable.
And at, you know, some point, probably in the near future, either the U.S. is going to be forced to go back to bombing, which we think is quite
futile, or the two sides are going to have to make concessions to get to a deal that caps Iran's nuclear capabilities going forward.
ANDERSON: And I want to talk about what happens next. Before we do that, given that you have done, you know, a lot of work on this monitor. This was
President Trump speaking just last week. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If I didn't terminate that Iran would have a nuclear weapon, that they would have used it within
probably two years ago, three years ago.
If I didn't go in with the B-2 bombers nine months ago, Iran would have a nuclear weapon, and nobody would be able to talk to them. By the way, they
would have used it already.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: We could have chosen any number of incidences when Donald Trump spoke those words. That was just one example. How close was -- given your
data, how close was Iran to a nuclear weapon before these latest attacks?
GERANMAYEH: Well, look, before June last year, Iran had reached this nuclear threshold status and had enough capabilities to make nine or 10
nuclear bombs, and it still, however, needed some time to actually make those bombs in a way that could be launched to become a major deterrent
against other countries.
But the pure facts are that those metrics haven't massively changed because of the bombing. And part of that, as your previous correspondent alluded
to, is because a huge amount of Iran's highly enriched weapons-grade nuclear material is buried deeply underground.
Now, Iran has chosen not to access those, but it's become very, very difficult also for the U.S. to militarily deplete those or retrieve those.
And so, this is where the stalemate is at.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Yes.
GERANMAYEH: And unless both sides now use this position of confidence they have gained from this military conflict to pivot to a deal, we are going to
very quickly go back to this futile bombing campaign.
ANDERSON: Right. So, I want to put this to you. Do you agree with the assessment that Iran's aim now is to consolidate strategic gains of this
war, not a narrow nuclear deal?
When and while I talk about strategic gains, these are gains that it sees, the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. That's leverage, of course.
And by not falling apart by surviving effectively this massive assault they saw in the first weeks of this latest conflict.
[10:40:07]
GERANMAYEH: That -- that's certainly correct. And Trump from going back to war with Iran again in February, has now not only having to manage this
nuclear dilemma, but now, he has a new Strait of Hormuz dilemma. And the longer this war goes on, my prediction is that the more dilemmas the U.S.
is going to have to deal with them, particularly, the Trump White House, as you mentioned, this deeply unpopular war ahead of domestic elections.
Now, I think, for the Iranian side, there is a sense that we are picking up in our tracking that parts of the political establishment in Iran
understand that this moment of perceived confidence now has to be traded in for a deal that ends this enmity with the U.S. and guarantees that the U.S.
and Israel will not restart this bombing campaign again.
ANDERSON: Fascinating. That's really interesting. It's good to have you, Ellie. Thank you very much indeed.
On Britain's south coast, an unassuming office has become a lifeline in the Middle East conflict. The U.K.'s Maritime Trade Operations Centre collects
and distributes real time security information for shipping.
Right now, it's where vessels under attack in the Strait of Hormuz often call for help.
CNN went to find out how it works.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice over): This unassuming office is playing a crucial role in international warfare.
When a vessel runs into trouble in the Iran-controlled Strait of Hormuz, it's more than likely that they will call this office.
COMMANDER JO BLACK, HEAD OF OPERATIONS, UNITED KINGDOM MARITIME TRADE OPERATIONS CENTRE: It can get very stressful. The vessel may be actively
under attack. You may hear alarms and sirens in the background on an occasion. We have even heard gunfire.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations Centre, based in the coastal city of Portsmouth, affiliated with the Royal Navy.
It's staffed by just 18 people who rotate across 12-hour shifts.
Since the start of the Iran war, the number of calls they receive has skyrocketed.
BLACK: At the start of March, we were very much seeing military activity. There were missiles, there were drone attacks, there were fast inshore
attack craft as well. More recently, it seems to be taking a change towards constabulary action, with vessels being challenged as they approached the
Straits of Hormuz, interrogated us to verify their claims.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But how exactly does it work?
LLOYD PRIEST, LEAM LEAD, UNITED KINGDOM MARITIME TRADE OPERATIONS CENTRE: So, the call comes in -- onto the phone over there, the emergency phone,
it's fully recorded, and then -- and then, we will deal with the incident from there.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The team will talk to the vessel in danger and seek to alert other ships around it. They will speak to the shipping companies
affected, local coast guards, and military forces.
And Commander Jo Black said the future for the Strait is difficult to predict, with the contentious peace talks ongoing.
BLACK: The mainstream industry is not yet sufficiently comfortable that it is safe to send their seafarers back through the straits. Again, that is
changing on a daily basis.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, Russia launches a barrage of overnight strikes on Ukraine after Kyiv carried out the largest drone attack on Moscow in over a year.
More after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:45:21]
ANDERSON: Well, the bodies of four missing scuba divers have been found in the Maldives, following a very dangerous mission to locate their remains in
a network of undersea caves.
Excuse me. The recovery effort was launched after five Italians died last week exploring the Vaavu Atoll caves. It's still unclear what went wrong,
but strong currents and complete darkness make diving extremely hazardous.
Well, the body of the group's instructor had been found on Thursday at the mouth of the cage. You know what, I'm going to take a very quick break and
glass of water. Back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, Ukrainian officials say one person has been killed, more than 30 people injured in large-scale Russian strikes overnight. A school
in the kindergarten among the sites hit in the attacks, which targeted the cities of Odesa and Dnipro.
Well, the night before, Ukraine carried out what Russians did. Media calls the largest drone attack on Moscow in more than a year. At least three
people then were killed.
CNN's Anna Cooban following the developments for you from London.
ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS REPORTER: Ukraine's massive attack on Moscow involved over 500 drones fired towards the Russian capital.
That's according to Russian state media agency TASS. And TASS says that this was the largest attack on Moscow in over a year.
This comes a few days after, over Wednesday, Thursday, we saw a huge bombardment of Russian drones and missiles towards Kyiv, the capital of
Ukraine, where at least 2025 people died, according to Ukraine authorities.
So, this attack involved over 1500 drones and over 50 missiles.
Now, it's painted stark picture from where we were a little over a week ago, when there was a limited three-day ceasefire agreed between the two
sides, an agreement to exchange prisoners, and comments from Putin that suggested that he believed the war was nearing its conclusion. But quite
clearly, with huge attacks over the past few days, it seems the war is very much raging on.
Now, zooming out, it's important to note that Ukraine's had some recent successes, or at least Russia has been stalling in its territorial gains.
Last month, for the first time since August 2024, Ukraine managed to liberate more territory than Russia was able to seize.
However, it is still a deadly war that's raging on. Last year, according to the U.N., marked the deadliest year for Ukrainian civilians since 2022,
which is the year the war started, and Russia still controls around a fifth of Ukrainian territory.
Anna Cooban, CNN, London.
ANDERSON: Well, now for something completely different for you. No Arab athlete has captured global attention quite like the Egyptian footballer
Mohamed Salah.
[10:50:08]
Now, as he prepares for his final match for Liverpool, Salah has sparked headlines with a strongly worded social media post after Friday's 40 loss
to Villa. He wrote that watching Liverpool crumble this season has been painful, adding that the club had lost the identity that once made
opponents fear them.
Salah insists Liverpool should always be a team that competes for trophies, not simply one that wins some games here and there.
That is a dig at manager Arne Slot and the club style of play, but it wasn't always this difficult. When I spoke to Salah during his first season
at Anfield back in 2018, you could already see the connection that he had with the club, and just how much playing for Liverpool meant to him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: So, what was your feeling the first time you walked out into this pitch?
MOHAMED SALAH, FORWARD, PREMIER LEAGUE CLUB LIVERPOOL: Crazy, I first time I played here was unbelievable. I feel like I have never played before
football.
ANDERSON: Do you have a favorite player from Liverpool past?
SALAH: Yes, of course. From Liverpool, yes. I used to play with Gerrard in PlayStation. So, this is one I remember all the time, because if he shoots
from far and he score many goals.
ANDERSON: So, Steven Gerrard was on your PlayStation, where you were playing Liverpool team.
SALAH: He shoots from everywhere at his corner. So --
ANDERSON: Does he know that? Does he know that?
SALAH: No. I didn't say that before, but --
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Well, he knows it now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: I'm sure he does now. Well, after I spent the day with Liverpool legend, I joined Neil Atkinson on The Anfield Wrap podcast.
Now eight years later, and in a full circle moment, he is joining me live from Liverpool. It's good to -- it's good to see you, and the pods done
superbly well, by the way. So, congratulations on that in the past eight years.
What do you make of this post? And does Salah have a point, mate?
NEIL ATKINSON, HOST, THE ANFIELD WRAP PODCAST: Salah has a point. Liverpool this season haven't been anywhere near good enough. It's worth saying that
Salah himself this season hasn't been at the level you'd expect, and there is a couple of tactical reasons for that, but also, he's got a bit older as
well.
The thing about Salah is, so, approximately two years ago, at around this point, when Jurgen Klopp was leaving, Salah fell out with Jurgen Klopp. And
he -- Salah got this persona that at times verges on feeling like a reality T.V. star, and he walked through the mix zone, and he said, if I speak,
there will be fire, which is, you know, remarkably reality T.V.-like language, and that was about Jurgen Klopp.
And now, in this -- in this little bit here with our slot, he sort of paraphrasing Jurgen Klopp's language, and he is talking about Jurgen
Klopp's football.
I think, Salah is a man who's always been emotional, and I think your interview with him all the way back then told us that. And I think everyone
thinks because he is often quite calm on the pitch, they think he is inscrutable, but I think he is a very emotional personality, and I think he
feels this season and everything that's got on, on and off the pitch. I think, he feels it keenly. Becky.
ANDERSON: What's been reaction to this place from both inside the club and from the fans?
ATKINSON: I think it's been mixed. I think that there is some people who think that you should never do this sort of thing publicly. There is other
people who agree with Salah, think he could have waited a week. There is some people who think ultimately you never ever do this, and there is
others who just basically, at the minute, fallen out to such an extent with the team's level and style of football this season.
They are pleased to see anything that comes out and is critical. So, I don't think there's just one answer to that. Me personally, as I say, I
feel as though it's been a really hard year for Mo. I think, it starts off with the tragedy around Diogo Jota, where he said himself, he was not
looking forward to going back to the training ground.
And then after the first game of the season, we saw him in tears against Bournemouth, really publicly in front of the whole crowd, lots and lots of
tears. And I think he's felt his own performance, and the fact that the team isn't built around him as much. I think that that's weighed heavily on
him as well.
And then, at one point, when it was going very badly for Liverpool, the manager chose to drop him for a few games to get a bit of defensive
structure back, and I don't think he liked that either. So, I think that all of this, I think, it's been a really hard year for him. And I've got
sympathy for him. I've got sympathy for the manager, because of everything that's gone on, ultimately, it's got to be better, and it's going to be
better what it's. well. It's got to be better now once Mo leaves.
He's got the --. We have got this game on Sunday, and then, that's the season over.
ANDERSON: Can you just describe his legacy at Liverpool?
ATKINSON: Yes. He is the -- he is my favorite ever player. He is Liverpool's third highest ever goal scorer. He is the highest goal scorer
Liverpool have had in the Premier League era.
(CROSSTALK)
[10:55:00]
ANDERSON: Wow! OK.
ATKINSON: And Liverpool have had a lot of great players. Liverpool are the most successful side in English football history. So, if Mo Salah does get
into your Liverpool all-time 11, that is one hell of an all-time 11 to get into, and that's the football that he's been.
Salah is exceptionally special, and his legacy is also cultural, because of his background, that you know, not just from a Liverpool point of view, but
I think globally he is an Arab, Egyptian, Muslim icon, and that makes his, you know, he's got all these different identities that compete, I think, Mo
Salah, and that's one of the things that makes him so special. But he is now also a Liverpudlian, you know, that's another one of his identities
that he now takes with him. Wherever he goes next, he is a Liverpool legend, he is a Liverpool icon. And I think that's so special, and it's
something of which, you know, I'm proud to have played some small part, just simply by having the privilege of watching him, but it's -- it is hard
to underestimate how significant he's been for this football club. How wonderful a man he is.
ANDERSON: Well, it's wonderful to have you. Thank you for accommodating me back in the day. And, like I say, I listen to the pod, it's fantastic, and
I know, you know, the club will replace him, and he will, you know, you will all move on, and you know, good luck for next season. It's a terrific
end to the season.
ATKINSON: Thank you very much.
ANDERSON: I'm a Spurs fan, so it's not a terrific end of the season at all for me.
It's been an exciting season for some, a disappointing season for others. But we are nearly at the end of it, which is a good thing, I guess.
(CROSSTALK)
ATKINSON: But we're at that together.
ANDERSON: Looking forward to the World Cup. Good to have you. Good. All right. Thanks, mate.
And that's it for CONNECT THE WORLD. Stay with CNN. "ONE WORLD" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
