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Iran Suspends U.S. Talks Over Lebanon; More Clashes, Arrests At New Jersey I.C.E. Facility; Countdown To Opening Match In Mexico City; PSG Win Second Straight Champions League Title. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired June 01, 2026 - 10:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[10:00:49]
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to the second hour of CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi.
We are following breaking news out of the region this hour. Iran announcing it is suspending talks with the United States, that's according to Iranian
media, which says the decision is in protest over Israel's attacks in Lebanon.
CNN's Oren Liebermann following this story for us. Let me just read for our viewers what we've just heard from the Foreign Minister in Iran. He said
the U.S. and Israel are responsible for the consequences of any violation. He says the ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. is unequivocally a
ceasefire on all fronts. Its violation on one front is a violation of the ceasefire on all fronts. What do we understand to be going on at this
point?
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Well, just moments ago, Becky, we got our first evacuation warning from the Israeli military for Beirut,
for the southern suburb of Dahiyeh. The Israeli military, rather the Israeli political leadership, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and
Defense Minister Israel Katz had said that they would now begin and were planning to strike Beirut and the Dahin neighborhood, considered a
Hezbollah stronghold.
Up until now, Israel had largely refrained from striking Beirut. We saw one strike on May 28th we saw another on May 6th after the cease fire. These
were both after senior Hezbollah commanders, but largely because of pressure from the Trump administration, Israel had not attacked the
Lebanese capital, keeping most of its strikes towards southern Lebanon and lately to the Beqaa Valley.
So, this is opening up a new wave of attacks, as well as an escalation in the ongoing -- frankly ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran's proxy
Hezbollah.
So, given that we just saw the evacuation warning coming from Israel's military for Dahiyeh, we expect that there will be strikes there,
potentially even imminently.
And although we hadn't seen strikes to this point, once that was -- that announcement came from Israel, we have seen this video of people and
residents in Dahiyeh fleeing ahead of those strikes to try to get out of that area.
Again, Lebanon is a country that has seen more than I believe 1.2 million people displaced by Israeli strikes and evacuation warnings, and this, of
course, will add to that now that Israel has made it clear it is striking Beirut, here's what Netanyahu had to say earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Together with the Minister of Defense, I have instructed the IDF to strike terrorist
targets in Beirut. There will not be a situation in which Hezbollah attacks our cities and our citizens, and its terrorist headquarters in Beirut, in
Daniyah, remains out of bounds.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIEBERMANN: Israel says the attacks on Beirut are in response to increased -- an increased volume of Hezbollah rocket and drone attacks, as well as
some rocket attacks that have reached a bit farther into Israel, not just right along Israel's northern border there.
Israel, over the course of the past several weeks has occupied a growing part of southern Lebanon. They've carried out strikes in cities like Tyre
and Nabatieh, which are outside of that occupied zone, and all of this is happening in the middle of what is supposed to be a U.S.-brokered
ceasefire, but on the ground it's incredibly difficult to see any evidence of that ceasefire.
Despite that, the U.S. is still trying to push forward with a political track with diplomacy between Israel and Lebanon, and in fact, D.C. is
supposed to host ambassadors from the two countries for what would be a fourth round of talks to try to get to a broader ceasefire agreement, as
hard as that is to see from where we are right now.
Nevertheless, Lebanon's president said on social media earlier that it is negotiations that are the way to end this war. He insisted negotiations are
not some form of failure or surrender, it's not a quick fix, it will take time, but Lebanon's president said again on social media that it is the
right way, and Lebanon is committed to this. He said the rocket fire that's coming from Lebanon, of course, he said, does not help, but he also says
Israel's repeated strikes on Lebanon, the growing number of people killed in Israeli strikes, and Israel's growing incursion into the country are
also a violation of the ceasefire and make that diplomatic track so hard to see from where we are right now.
[10:05:04]
ANDERSON: That's fascinating. It's good to have you, Oren. Thank you. Joining me now is Mohammad Ali Shabani, he's a Middle East scholar and the
editor of Amwaj.media, very well sourced in Iran. Good to have you.
Our breaking news is that Iran is now suspending talks with the U.S. over Lebanon, and in the last few hours, Iran's Foreign Minister Araghchi
posting this on X. The ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. is unequivocally a ceasefire on all fronts, including in Lebanon. Its violation on one front
is a violation of the ceasefire on all fronts.
Let's be quite clear, the U.S. has not described Lebanon's inclusion in the U.S.-Iran sort of ceasefire as important. In fact, from the U.S.
perspective, there are sort of twin tracks running here: Israel, Lebanon on the one side, U.S.-Iran on the other. That is clearly not the Iranian
position. What do you make of what we are learning?
MOHAMMAD ALI SHABANI, EDITOR, AMWAJ.MEDIA: So, I think first and foremost, I'm not quite sure whether Iran has officially suspended any kind of
exchange of messages. We've seen a media outlet affiliated with IRGC go out with that line, but so far we haven't seen anything from the government
announcing anything. I think until then we have to be a bit cautious about what's really going on.
I think essentially one from the get-go of the ceasefire with the U.S. has been adamant that there must be a ceasefire on all fronts, and you know,
from April 8th, when the ceasefire was announced, there was a dispute between Iran and U.S. about what the ceasefire actually means, whether it's
just between Iran and the U.S., or whether Israel is involved as well, whether Lebanon is involved as well.
I think the reason Israel, at this point in time, why it's deciding to go and bomb the capital, I think it's very much to do with the Iran-U.S.
track. I think Israel is very intent on making sure that diplomacy between Iran and U.S. is not fruitful.
ANDERSON: One Gulf expert, let me just read out what he has tweeted. This expert is based in Oman, so let's just be clear about that. We tend to see
different perspectives from different places in the Gulf, but this expert said, and I quote, I thought this was interesting, and to your point, the
procrastination in finalizing a U.S.-Iran MOU is buying time for Netanyahu to continue his devastating war in Lebanon, whether by design or default,
diplomacy stalls, while destruction and displacement continue, raising questions about whose interests these delays really serve. Your thoughts?
ALI SHABANI: I think that's absolutely spot on. We've seen a kind of slowdown or procrastination, as the expert says, and the Iran-U.S. track.
Trump, I think, is growing impatient with the lack of an Iranian response, or a comprehensive Iranian response, and I think he's taking to a number of
tactics to kind of press Iran, one of which is to add amendments to the proposal on the table, and I think the Israelis may go to the Americans and
essentially argue that, you know, if we go into Lebanon, we may actually help your hand, even though I think ultimately what Israel really seeks
here is to kind of derail diplomacy throughout in the U.S. I think it's a core Israeli interest for a war to resume to kind of finish the job, so to
speak.
So, I think that's really the bigger picture here. There's nothing that's happened on the Lebanese front in the past 48 hours to kind of justify this
massive escalation at this point in time, unless you look at the bigger picture, which is Iran-U.S. diplomacy, or the state of.
ANDERSON: I do know, as well, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has issued, in the past couple of hours, a condemnation of the Israeli, as they describe,
incursion into Lebanon, as well. We've been talking to our Jerusalem correspondent and bureau chief there, and obviously the Israeli Prime
Minister is threatening attacks on Beirut, the southern suburbs of Beirut. Again, that is Hezbollah-Iran-backed Hezbollah stronghold at this point.
I wonder what your sense is, having just heard the perspective of an expert based in Oman. You see the statement from Saudi Arabia. How do you believe
-- what do you believe the Gulf perspective is at this very point?
And let's remember, just in the past 24 hours, we've seen Iranian attacks on U.S. air bases in Kuwait, they say in response to attacks by the U.S. on
infrastructure in Iran. I'm just trying to get a sense of where you believe the Gulf perspective is at this point.
ALI SHABANI: Well, I don't think there's a, as you point out yourself, there's a unified Gulf perspective, I think overall they're seeing this
conflict as not being in their interest. They want to extricate themselves from this conflict. Obviously, Iran is not allowing that. Iran is making
clear that there will be a cost to being attacked, and the easiest way for you want to kind of hit back is to hit the Gulf states. Much easier to
reach than Israel.
[10:10:17]
So, I think the Gulf states also look at Israel as a spoiler, on the other hand, so they're kind of caught between Israel and Iran, and then you have
the U.S. in the whole mix, and the U.S. is meant to have all these military bases in the Gulf to kind of protect these Gulf states, but what we've seen
in the past few months is actually these bases may actually invite Iranian attack, right?
So, I think they're really caught in a mix here, and you have different groups of countries in the Gulf, you have Oman, which really just wants to
stay out of this whole thing from the get-go. You have countries like the UAE, which have grown closer to Israel, having come under strong Iranian
attack. And then you have bigger countries like Saudi Arabia, which basically is very much focused on a domestic economic diversification plan
for Vision 2030. Instability is not good for Vision 2030. There is no Vision 2030 if you have war all across the region, that's just a big no-no
for Saudi Arabia.
And I think they're really working hard, pressing the Trump administration to get to the negotiating table. I think right now what we're seeing is
procrastination. I think these kind of events that we're seeing Lebanon right now may be a ploy by Israel to try to get Trump to agree to them to
give a green light by saying that we actually strengthen your hand in negotiation, but ultimately I think how Iran will respond may derail
diplomacy altogether.
ANDERSON: So, very briefly, where do things do you see this as a pause at this point, or do you -- and again, this is Iranian media reporting that
Iran has suspended negotiations with the U.S. on this memorandum of understanding. Is this just a pause? Do you see this as sort of days-long
pause, or do you see this as, you know, these negotiations over at this point? I mean, where would you put us?
ALI SHABANI: I think even throughout the war there were multiple channels of communication between Iran and the U.S. That's not a secret, and I think
even if there is a kind of resumption of conflict, there will be communication, so I'll be cautious about what I want in media is
announcing. I would even be cautious about what you want in government announcing, because ultimately, even during conflict, you will have
channels of communication.
I think the question here is, to what extent will this conflict possibly flare up? Will there be opening up new fronts? For instance, Iranian media
is cautioning about the resumption of hostilities and the strategic Bab el- Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea, the Houthis in Yemen may get involved as well to kind of pressure Israel on another front. How may this thing basically
unravel on a bigger scale? I think that's the number one question to look at.
ANDERSON: Yes, Mohammad, it's good to have you, mate. Thank you very much indeed. And we will be right back after this.
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ANDERSON: Right, let me get you back to our breaking news this hour. Iran announcing it has suspended talks with the United States according to
Iranian media reports, they are saying that the halt, tying it -- the halt is tied to Israel's military action in Lebanon.
[10:15:12]
Well, let's get you CNN's Nic Robertson back with us this hour. So, this is Iranian media. Let's be quite clear about this, reporting that Iran has
suspended negotiations with the United States, should that be true? If we can stand that up, what does this mean for diplomacy here?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It means that the sort of tiny little word changes in what was understood to be a 14-point
memorandum of understanding with the U.S. that was supposed to be close goes on ice. Does it get frozen? Does any of the language change? I mean,
what the Iranians are saying on state media at the moment, again, all to be run down, all to be double-checked.
But what they're saying on state media is that they won't talk until this ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon is in place, and Israeli
troops are pulled out of Lebanon. That's a pretty high bar. It's been done before. President Trump has put the pressure on Israel to do it, but I
think as we try to sort of figure out what does it mean, and what does it mean next, if this breaks down further and Israel doesn't do this, and
President Trump doesn't apply that pressure.
Then, some of all those agreements that appear to have been so, so close, then that some of that will almost undoubtedly get washed away. It will
take time to rebuild confidence. It will take even longer to rebuild confidence if there's a resumption of military conflict, particularly in
the Gulf, where you are. We've seen it over the -- overnights, over the past week or so, where there's been small amounts of escalation. It's very
clear both sides are ready to re-escalate militarily if necessary.
The pressure has been on the diplomatic track, but now that's being put on ice, and that's always a very tricky thing to happen in negotiations of
this nature, Becky.
ANDERSON: I just want to be quite clear about why it is that these talks have been suspended if indeed we can stand up that they have, this is Iran
says as a result of the Israeli Defense Forces now effectively warning residents of the southern Beirut suburb Dahiyeh, calling on them to
evacuate to preserve their safety. They say they are going after Hezbollah, which continues launching rockets towards Israeli cities and towns. The IDF
will respond by targeting objectives they say, in the southern Dahiyeh area of Beirut.
So, a significant escalation there between Israel and the Hezbollah-backed -- sorry, the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, having a massive impact, it
seems, potentially on these U.S.-Iran talks.
We've had perspective or at least a response to Israel's decision to go back into Beirut again, if that is what they do. We have had a response on
that from Saudi Arabia. They condemn Israel's incursions into Lebanon and an indication, at least from the Kingdom as to where they stand on this
latest news, this tweet coming out, or this X post coming out before we heard of the potential suspension of these talks.
But I wonder what you make of that Kingdom of Saudi Arabia positioning here.
ROBERTSON: Yes, it's been look a general and sort of slow escalation, and Israel has signaled it all the way that it deemed it decided Hezbollah's
activities were increasing, that the language Hezbollah was using, and they see Hezbollah very much as a proxy of Iran that operates and commits to
actions based on what it hears from Tehran, that Israel has decided that Hezbollah was becoming more offensive, launching more targeted attacks into
Israel, and therefore that they were going to reach deeper into Lebanon to go after Hezbollah.
Again, that would sort of override and overreach the agreement that they'd made with the Lebanese government, not involving Hezbollah directly, of
course, but the Lebanese government, that there would be a ceasefire that has sort of gradually, but in an exponential way, more speedily over the
last few days, if you will, been eroded back to the point where Israel is at that moment of warning residents in Dahiyeh in the southern suburbs of
Beirut that are believed to be strong Hezbollah strongholds, warning residents there to evacuate their homes, and this really seems to be the
point at which the Iranians have just drawn a line. They've watched this slowly ramp up and escalate, and now they're calling the shots on this.
[10:20:05]
President Trump could step back in here and make a difference, but he's already at the moment trying to sort of fine tune the language on the rest
of the deal. It really does seem to be a moment that's become incredibly counterproductive, and if it is stood up, what the Iranian government is
saying at the moment, then this is really going to put a lot of pressure back on President Trump, to put a lot of pressure back on Prime Minister
Netanyahu, and when we hear from countries like Saudi Arabia decrying it, we know that President Trump is going to be hearing from the Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman, as well, putting his position forward, the support for the United States in the region, the basis that all of that comes under
scrutiny again.
ANDERSON: It's good to have you, Nic. Thank you.
I want to get a closer look at the economics of all of this. Iman Nasseri is an expert in energy economics, focusing on the Middle East for the
advisory firm FGE joining me now live. And I want to take a look at the live oil price moving higher on this news. Iranian media reporting that
Iran has suspended U.S. talks over Israel's threat of further action in Lebanon, including on Beirut.
Are you surprised to see these prices moving higher on oil, for example, with nearly 97 on Brent, that would be a six-hour percent rise, 93 and
change on WTI, a near 7.5 percent rise today?
IMAN NASSERI, MIDDLE EAST MANAGING DIRECTOR, FGE NEXANTECA: No, Becky, I'm not surprised. In fact, nothing has changed on the energy and oil market
fundamentals since mid-March.
In fact, even mid-April when the blockade went into effect, the flows have been really marginal. There have been coordinated movement of vessels in
and out, but nothing close to basically the pre-war levels, and all the price movements that we have seen from the highs of $120 plus per barrel
Brent, and way over $160 or more in terms of Dubai crude and the benchmark for Middle Eastern barrels, which have been absent from the market, and
prices in excess of $200 for products.
We came down mainly based on the peace narrative, started with ceasefire, although immediately after that we had the blockade, which basically killed
all the hopes for peaceful resumption in flows.
So, nothing has really changed in terms of fundamental supply has been absent from the market, but the market has been pricing in as soon deal to
allow basically vessels to go in and out.
Any headline that negates that hope or works against that basically should offset some of that calming impact and bring prices back to towards $100
for Brent, and even higher.
And I wouldn't be surprised to see prices continue to rise to $100 or more in the coming hours, if there isn't any reaction by the U.S. administration
as the working hours begin, and if this situation stays in the sense that market believes that all the hopes given since middle of last week in an
imminent deal, which I always doubted, to be honest with you, given that the narrative is mainly coming from the Western side that this is going to
yield in any meaningful development.
ANDERSON: So, Iman, let me -- let me jump in here. We -- as you and I talk, we've got a picture of the Strait of Hormuz up a live tracking shot, the
Strait of Hormuz, there are some vessels moving through that Strait, as I understand it, hugging the coastline of Oman, but nothing like the number
of vessels that were going through pre-war.
You make a very good point, there seems to be a peace premium priced into these oil markets at sub $100 on Brent. Anything over that, you know,
really suggest that this market is not convinced we are looking at a peaceful deal on this anytime soon.
Of course, you know it is about the shipping industry and the cost of insurers, which, in the end, will move these prices around. U.S. and Iran
can agree to opening the Strait of Hormuz, but in the end, the shipping industry has to believe that that will happen and price insurance
accordingly of course.
[10:25:17]
Tasman News Agency, which is an Iranian news agency, today, in the past hour or so, adding that Tehran and allied militant groups in the region
have placed on their agenda the complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the activation of other fronts, including the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at
the southern end of the Red Sea, where Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have previously launched attacks on passing vessels.
Look, you know, part of what the Gulf is hoping is that they, any deal between the U.S. and Iran will see the end of this malign influence of
Iranian proxies around this region. Not even sure that that is on -- you know, is a point on this memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and
Iran present. We hear the sort of threat that I've just read out to you, I mean, what does that mean for the region?
NASSERI: Yes, that means a prolonged shot in their production capacity, an even longer strain on their economies, which is heavily driven by the oil
revenue. I've always told people who talk to me about this Project Economic Fury, which is basically the blockade and cutting Iranian oil revenue. I
remind them that this has been also the same economic theory has been going on on the other GCC economies, especially those that do not have an
alternative route like Saudi and the UAE have, such as Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar.
These economies have been under immense pressure because their production shutting came before Iran, and Iran's shutting ratio to the capacities is
much less, as well as exports and loadings have been have stopped before that.
So, it is really furious for the region, which has been wishful and hopeful following these developments that there will be an end to the hostility of
shipping industry put together on the flows by Iran and the U.S. on both sides.
So, we always doubted, and even in a scenario that the agreement that they were talking about to be close to be signed or reached, I always doubted
that the flows will go back to prewar levels anytime soon, and we built a 50 to 60 percent recovery inflows by the end of the year. I still think
that that scenario seems to be reasonable when we look at the fundamentals outlook.
ANDERSON: Understood, Iman, we got WTI crude trading at 94 spot 30, nearly eight percent higher at present. Brent crude around 96.75, that is above
six percent at this point.
As we've been talking to you, we have had a skyline of Beirut up. The reason for that is in the last half hour, the IDF has announced evacuation
orders for southern Beirut with a view to going back there, they say, to take out rocket launchers and other assets of the Iran-backed Hezbollah,
they say, using that southern suburb Dahiyeh in Beirut for cover. More on that as we get it. You're watching -- thank you, Iman.
You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. We are going to stay very close to this breaking news throughout the rest of this show.
Also, have a look at some of the other headlines here on CNN, including a new nightly curfew, accusations of inhumane conditions, and angry protests.
The very latest on the New Jersey ICE demonstrations that erupted into clashes with police. More on that is after this.
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[10:32:02]
ANDERSON: Welcome back. You are watching CONNECT THE WORLD, with me, Becky Anderson, from our Middle East programming headquarters.
Here are your headlines: Iran has reportedly suspended peace negotiations with the United States. Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency alleges
that the current ceasefire was violated by Israel's actions in Lebanon.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, ordered military strikes on a district of southern Beirut, regarded as a Hezbollah
stronghold.
Well, the head of the World Health Organization is meeting with the leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo to discuss the Ebola outbreak there. He
is urging community responsibility and coordination to bring the spread under control. WHO says four nurses in the DRC who were being treated for
the virus have now recovered.
Well, arrests have been made as a nighttime curfew took effect outside a New Jersey immigration facility. An ICE detention center in Newark has seen
days of protests as it faces allegations of inhumane conditions.
The head of Homeland Security is set to hold a news conference later today.
And I want to bring in CNN's Brynn Gingras on this. The curfew, as I understand, at 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time, in effect until further
notice. We are expecting to hear a press conference later today.
Meantime, do authorities expect this to calm these clashes in some way? I mean, what do we understand to be going on here?
BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Becky. I mean, that was the hope. Right? That was why the curfew was put in place, because more than a
week now, they have seen these clashes with law enforcement and these protesters, some politicians saying these are outside of state agitators
coming in and creating all of this disruption. But even with that curfew in place, we were still seeing it overnight. The first full day of that curfew
being in place.
According to the Attorney General of New Jersey, there were people who were coming to the protest site, Delaney Hall, the ICE detention site. And
basically, they said that they had helmets, they had, you know, pepper spray, they had weapons, and they were coming at law enforcement as such.
So, it's not quite what they want to see right now, but of course they are asking everyone to just bring down the temperature and really get back to
what the core of these protests were, which was to bring attention to the fact of these inhumane conditions that are happening inside the ICE
facilities.
We saw a number of lawmakers going to the facility over the weekend, getting eyes on it themselves, and reporting back that nothing has really
improved, essentially saying that the food that is being served in some cases is spoiled, also that they are not getting the medical care they
need, and bringing to the forefront the fact that some of these detainees are people who are business owners in this country, are people -- an 18-
year-old, according to a congressman, who is a dreamer and was taken into custody just a week before her high school graduation.
So, that is the purpose, of course, of the peaceful protest, but that's not what we are seeing on the streets, even with this curfew in place, unclear
what's going to happen next.
[10:35:03]
But certainly, it's been over a week now that we've been seeing these violent clashes outside of the detention facility with the peaceful
protests, you know, have been also taking place.
ANDERSON: Yes, and we will continue to monitor that situation. Brynn, always good to have you. Thank you.
GINGRAS: All right.
ANDERSON: We got our viewers now back to our breaking news.
Tehran suspending talks with the United States, according to Iranian state media, tying this suspension to Israel's military action in Lebanon.
Iranian state media also reports that Iran and its allies are weighing the quote complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Hamidreza Azizi joining us now from Berlin. He is a visiting fellow there at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. You've been
a regular guest on CNN with me over the past 12 weeks or so. And you have posted on X: "What this suggests is that the U.S. and likely Israel have
consistently underestimated how structurally central Lebanon is to Tehran's position. The assumption appears to have been that enough pressure on Iran
would render its Lebanon commitments rhetorical. That calculation," you say, "looks wrong."
And an X-post by the Iranian foreign minister in the past couple of hours really sort of underscores the conceit of your thinking here.
Just explain to me why you believe Iran is so tightly aligned itself with what is going on in Lebanon at this point.
HAMIDREZA AZIZI, VISITING FELLOW, SWP GERMAN INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL AND SECURITY AFFAIRS: Well, I think this has to do with long-standing,
analytical, and also political mistake on the side of the United States, especially, considering Iran-Hezbollah relations as patron proxy
relationship, Tehran using Hezbollah only, you know, when it benefits its battlefield needs or political-kind of circumstances, and then, abandoning
its -- when you know, it is no longer useful. But this has never been the case.
And especially over the past couple of months, and as a result of this war, the value of Hezbollah as a support front for the Islamic Republic itself
and as a cornerstone of Iran's regional policy has only improved. One of the things that governments affiliated analysts frequently mentioned, and,
you know, kind of cite as a -- as a kind of logic necessitating Iran's support for Hezbollah is that it was thanks to Hezbollah's kind of firing
of rockets and missiles toward Israel during the 40 days of war that Iran could concentrate more on the U.S. bases and also on the Gulf countries.
Otherwise, Iran would have had to fight itself on two different fronts
And also, you know, kind of the ideological affinity that, especially, the current leadership, very much security-oriented, very much, you know,
centered around the IRGC fields regarding Hezbollah. All these are the factors that explain the importance of Hezbollah.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Right.
AZIZI: And I wasn't surprised with this announcement, actually.
ANDERSON: So, let me just be quite clear for our viewers who may just be joining us. Israel has said that it plans to strike Beirut, coordinated
with the United States. An Israeli source told CNN on Monday, the Israeli prime minister has instructed the Israeli military to strike Beirut's
Dahiyeh district, according to what was a joint statement with the Israeli defense minister, Israel Katz, and I just going to quote Katz here. "If
there is no quiet in the north, there will be no quiet in Beirut. We will not allow a situation in which our towns and civilians are attacked while
calm is maintained in Beirut."
That is the Israeli position. The U.S. position, of course, is that the U.S.-Iran talks and the Israel-Lebanon talks are a twin track. They are not
seen as one. They are seen as one, of course, by Tehran, as you have rightly just suggested.
I wonder, if we stand up as correct what Iranian state media is reporting, that the Iranians have now suspended negotiations and messaging with the
U.S. on any peace talks.
Do you believe that this is a real strategic shift away from negotiations, or to your mind, a tactical pause to potentially increase leverage?
AZIZI: It can be both in a way, because, look, Lebanon was the trigger in a way. I mean, as important as it is as I just explained, but from the
perspective of Iranian strategic thinkers, there has been an attempt by the United States especially and also by Israel to change the reality as on the
ground. Iranian strategic thinkers, there has been an attempt by the United States, especially, and also by Israel to change the reality as on the
ground before anything in terms of a memorandum of understanding or an agreement can be finalized between the sides.
[10:40;16]
And they see this as the main reason for the delay, or better to say, reluctance, by Donald Trump to kind of endorse the text that was supposedly
agreed between the two sides.
So, we have seen clashes on two fronts. On the one hand, around the Strait of Hormuz, we have seen almost every night now clashes between the between
CENTCOM forces and Iran, you know, firing some kind of rockets or drones by Iran, and then, the response by the United States, and also, incremental
steps by Israel to change the realities on the ground in Lebanon.
So, the assumption on the Iranian side is that these two are actually connected. And from the viewpoint of Trump, they are also connected, and
they want to, you know, change the kind of realities on the ground in a way that Iran would have the lower hand on the negotiating -- at the
negotiating table.
ANDERSON: Hamidreza, thank you. Always a pleasure. Good to get your perspective.
Folks, we will be right back with more.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- the face of his manager, they are winners in every sense of the word, and their moment has come.
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ANDERSON: Euphoria for Paris Saint-Germain, lifting the Champions League trophy for the second year in a row, after beating Arsenal 4-3 three on
penalties in what was a dramatic final in Budapest.
Back home in France, though, I have to say celebrations took a horrible turn, very violent. Authorities say 780 people were detained as clashes
erupted in Paris and other cities.
Well, meantime, in London, there was plenty to celebrate for Arsenal who took to the streets on Sunday, greeted by thousands of their fans. Just a
week earlier, they had lifted the English Premier League trophy, ending a 22-year drought.
Of course, they would have loved to have gone home as Champions League champions as well. But as a consolation prize, they won the league, and
they got what was a huge fan base out on the streets of one side of North London.
There are just 10 days to go to the start of the world's biggest sporting event, that being the World Cup 2026 of course, the World Cup taking place
in Mexico, the U.S., and Canada. 10 teams from the Middle East and North Africa will be there, from countries with World Cup experience, like Egypt,
Iran, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, to newcomers, Jordan.
[10:45:04]
Well, over the coming month we here on the show will be keeping a close eye on teams from this wider region, and their standout moments, and I do hope
there will be many of those. We are in it to win it for the teams from this region, so do join us.
For that. Joining me now is Mina Rzoki. Is this how I pronounce your name?
MINA RZOUKI, SPORTS REPORTER, THE NATIONAL: Rzouki.
ANDERSON: It's Rzouki, isn't it? I think, the last time you and I met, which was about 14 years ago, I pronounced it wrong. So, I'm going to
apologize out loud for that. Your sports reporter these days at the national, you have done some superb digital videos on teams from the region
who will be in the states, Mexico, and Canada for the World Cup.
Before we talk about the World Cup, I've got to talk to you about the PSG- Arsenal game. I mean, is that I'm a Spurs fan. So, I'm not a fan of Arsenal at all.
RZOUKI: You are thrilled.
ANDERSON: I have to say, you know, I was supporting PSG. It got to the end. It's always a nail biter when it gets the pens.
RZOUKI: Yes, yes.
ANDERSON: It was a superb victory in the end.
RZOUKI: Well, here is the thing, I think a lot of people were like a bit on the fence, right?
ANDERSON: Yes.
RZOUKI: I mean, did Arsenal do as much as they could? Did they show a lack of courage about really trying to get there? Because they caught the
opening goal? Right?
ANDERSON: Yes.
RZOUKI: It's like you can build on this.
ANDERSON: Yes.
RZOUKI: But PSG are the better team.
ANDERSON: Yes.
RZOUKI: And I think that overall, with their -- with what they have done this season, yes, you could say it's totally deserved. I always feel bad
when it's like Gabrielle's penalty.
Imagine Tottenham had gone relegated, and they won the Champions League. What perfect year.
ANDERSON: That wouldn't have been in my bingo class for 2026.
Listen, you know the situation here in this region, and a relegation for Spurs would have made a really bad start to 2026 for me. They stayed up, of
course, and so, the rest is history.
We are not going to talk about Spurs, because I want to talk about other things today. Champions League wasn't short of injuries, Of course, William
Saliba might not play for France in the World Cup, of course, due to aggravating an injury.
Do you think the long European season is going to affect the performance of clubs from that region? Is -- it is an extraordinary long season. I mean,
it's literally just come to an end, and the World Cup starts next weekend.
RZOUKI: Yes, this is what we were talking about as well. Like, for Arsenal coming into this, they paid at least over 63 games. I mean, it's an
extortion amount. This was an issue for Inter Milan last season when they went into it. And what I thought was so interesting with PSG is, like, take
for example the semifinal against Bayern, they were allowed to take the weekend off and not play their lean game, which meant that they could relax
a little bit.
The French league was actually working to make sure they were in optimum condition, at least, physically, to take part in the competition and try to
win it, because it was the name of France. And do, enough leagues help their teams in the same way to say, well, you know what, let's give you
guys a break over the weekend?
But it's worth noting that, despite all of that, I think that how it's just the way of the world.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Yes.
RZOUKI: It's 48 teams. And I would actually say to you that there isn't really a standout team that I think is coming to this world.
ANDERSON: So, that's what I want to talk to you about, because there are a lot of predictions out there, and some of which, you know, are by, some of
which I don't at all. Spain and France sort of clear favorites to a degree when I look at across the board at some of these sort of prediction
markets. Goldman Sachs have got Spain to win with the probability of 26 percent France by 19 percent. Kalshi got both at 17 percent.
If you were a betting woman, who would you put your money in?
RZOUKI: Spain. Which, listen, I would say Spain. I think, Brazil can do something. I think Argentina can do something. I don't like these betting
web sites, because they usually go by legacy a lot.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Yes, that we talk about that earlier.
RZOUKI: That is a huge factor.
ANDERSON: And that's not a good idea when it comes to -- well, for the very reason we have just been talking about.
(CROSSTALK)
RZOUKI: Exactly.
ANDERSON: He might be going in with a lot of injuries. These two teams are full of players who play in Europe.
RZOUKI: Do you think anyone had it on their bingo card that Saudi Arabia would be Argentina?
ANDERSON: No.
RZOUKI: So, this is all that Morocco would reach the semi-final.
ANDERSON: Semi-finals in2022, absolutely.
RZOUKI: So, it's not really working on history. Otherwise, Spain would never have been considered when they won in 2010, because they had never
won it before. So --
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: And I also feel like Spain, are -- isn't they sort of, you know, the proverbial sort of, you know, what do we call it? Those who turn up,
but they don't just make it? You know, they just --
(CROSSTALK)
RZOUKI: Spotless.
ANDERSON: Yes.
RZOUKI: Well, I think, they have changed that reputation a bit. I mean, look at -- look, they won the Euros.
ANDERSON: They did.
RZOUKI: But what I would say is, what was so brilliant about that side is that they had Lamine Yamal on one wing, they had Nico Williams on the
other.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Yes.
RZOUKI: There was just so much movement. And France really dug themselves a grave with the defensive football that they were playing. I really hope
that's not something that we are going to see this occasion. But here is the thing. Right?
Outside of Europe, whenever the World Cup's abroad, outside of Europe, Europeans don't tend to always do that well. I mean, obviously, Spain won
it in South Africa in 2010, but this could be an opportunity for Carlo Ancelotti to do something with Brazil, although, the whole Neymar thing is
distracting us, and maybe a Mina region.
[10:50:02]
ANDERSON: Well, let's talk about the Mina region. Look, I mean, you remind our viewers. Saudi beat Argentina at the beginning of the -- at an opening
rounds of the Qatar World Cup back in 2022. I mean, I was there. I think, you were there as well.
RZOUKI: Yes.
ANDERSON: Like, I mean, Doha, just -- it was electric, it was madness what -- And then, of course, Argentine is going to win.
So, you know, these things -- these crazy things do happen. Morocco is a good team, like you say, they have got to the semifinal back in 2022 as
well. What do you make of the teams that we've got from the region? They are up on the -- they are up on the screen for our -- for our viewers.
RZOUKI: Right. So, I mean, you have got Jordan, right, debutant.
ANDERSON: Yes.
RZOUKI: So, we are not expecting that much. More importantly, they have got heavy injuries to the guys that really took them there. And so -- and now,
there is controversy surrounding one other as well. Then, you look at Iraq and you think, gosh, you know, the last team to qualify, but --
Have you seen their group? It is the group of death. It is genuinely the group of death.
ANDERSON: Well, let's bring up the Iraq death -- the rock death. The Iraq group of death, please, on the screen, so, our viewers can see that.
You, of course, are --
RZOUKI: Iraqi.
ANDERSON: Iraqi.
RZOUKI: Yes.
ANDERSON: Yes. Will you be supporting them, young lady?
RZOUKI: Well, I mean, I (INAUDIBLE)
ANDERSON: I'm Italian. (INAUDIBLE).
RZOUKI: That's it. Unfortunately, they not. The Italians were, they are out. So, it's all about Iraq right now. Yes.
ANDERSON: Good.
RZOUKI: And you look at that team, where we have got Erling Haaland in Norway. And apparently, that's the one that they are going to target,
right?
And I'm thinking, all right, this is the team Norway that totally trashed Italy in the qualifiers. Right.
ANDERSON: Yes.
RZOUKI: Which is why Italy eventually couldn't make it, although, they lost it in the playoffs as well. But, and then, you've got France and Senegal,
who were effectively African Cup of Nations winners. But then, that was taken away from them, given to Morocco.
I think Morocco -- I think, Algeria could do something.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Yes, you are.
RZOUKI: I think they have a nice team.
ANDERSON: Yes.
RZOUKI: -- to be honest with you.
ANDERSON: Yes.
RZOUKI: Perhaps, didn't do as well as they should have in the African Cup of Nations, but they have got a great player, a beautiful 18-year-old,
obviously, as well as some big hitters like Ryan Morris. But I think they could do something you never know with Egypt. I wonder about that, but I'll
be honest with you, the ones from the Asian side, the Saudis, the Qataris, I'm not sure.
ANDERSON: How about Iran?
RZOUKI: Iran has always been a very -- I think, it's always been probably one of the standout Asian teams, to be honest with you.
I would really like them to do well, only because, I think it'll be really interesting to watch them against USA, and that possibly -- that could be -
-
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: They did have fought back in 2022. Yes. -- the time
RZOUKI: And we had it in -- was it '98 football? Yes.
ANDERSON: Yes, yes, yes.
RZOUKI: And so, I think that it would just be from a geopolitical situation, like it will be very interesting to watch what will happen.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Yes. And the training, if you want to.
RZOUKI: So, it's like --
ANDERSON: And angering the states. Yes.
RZOUKI: I'm cheering on the USA, and I'm cheering on Iran, just to see what will happen, and grab the popcorn, but Iran is great.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Brilliant. All right. We'll look. I mean, we will -- and we've committed, and I'm delighted to do this. Committed to really providing some
platform for these -- for these men, Middle East and North Africa team. So, I'm really looking forward to, and I hope that you will join me back on
set.
(CROSSTALK)
RZOUKI: I am with that.
ANDERSON: As we move through this tournament, which is just 10 days or so out.
Before I let you go, this just in from elsewhere in the world of sport. Serena Williams making return to professional tennis. She is set to play in
the doubles competition at the HSBC Championships next week in London. Queens, I believe.
According to Queen's Club, the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion never officially announced her retirement. But it has been nearly four years
since her last match. Closing thoughts, if you will, on that news.
RZOUKI: The legend doesn't want to give up just yet.
ANDERSON: She doesn't, does she?
RZOUKI: How lucky would you be to watch it right now to watch her be on that Queen's Club? So, she is still going to be somebody whose name will
always spark fear in the opponent. So --
ANDERSON: I remember seeing them play doubles at Wimbledon when I think Venus was 18, it was -- they were early, and it was one of the outside
courts, and I remember thinking at the time, there is no way you can beat these two women.
I mean, playing together at that time, there was really -- it was really -- they --
(CROSSTALK)
RZOUKI: Yes, yes. You could tell.
ANDERSON: Wow, they are fantastic. Good to have you.
RZOUKI: You could tell. Thank you for having me.
ANDERSON: Thank you.
See you back here, same place.
RZOUKI: Same place.
ANDERSON: Same time over the next month --
(CROSSTALK)
RZOUKI: Hopefully talking about a shock win, right?
ANDERSON: Yes! We have more news after this.
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[10:55:52]
ANDERSON: Well, the reminder of the breaking news that we are following out of this region. Iran announcing it is suspending talks with the United
States. That's according to Iranian media, which says the decision is in protest over Israel's actions and attacks in Lebanon.
Now, the semi-official Tasnim News Agency says that Iran and allied militant groups in the region are looking at the complete closure of the
Strait of Hormuz and action on other fronts.
More on that, of course, as we get it here on CNN.
Now, that's it from this show with the team working with me here in Abu Dhabi. It is a very good evening. Stay with CNN. "ONE WORLD" is up next.
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