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2026 FIFA World Cup Begins Today; U.S.-Israel War with Iran; Pope Leo Meets Migrants in Gran Canaria Port; Data Centers Annoy Neighbors with Noise Pollution; French Protesters Slam Justice System after 11-Year Old's Murder; Fans Queue for Free TVs after Tourist Visas Were Rejected. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired June 11, 2026 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): Welcome to the second hour of the show from our Middle East programming headquarters. I'm Becky Anderson here
in Abu Dhabi, where the time is just after 6:00 in the evening.
We are now five hours away from kickoff for the greatest show in sport. The World Cup begins today with Mexico, one of the three host countries, taking
on South Africa in the opening game.
And millions, if not billions, of eyes will be on Mexico, Canada and the United States for what is usually a unifying global event. But the U.S. in
particular has faced recent backlash over everything, from sky-high ticket prices to visas being denied for fans and officials from some countries.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino says everyone should just chill and relax.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GIANNI INFANTINO, FIFA PRESIDENT: We have been able, when it comes to the U.S. in particular, where the highest number of games are taking place, to
organize, with the American administration, the FIFA pass system. So a speedy procedure to obtain the visas, which I am told is working.
Of course, it is unfortunate as well what happened to Omar, the referee from Somalia. But again, we don't control everything. We try, we will
discuss, we will speak, we will see. Maybe sometimes it's good as well to just, you know, chill, relax. We work on everything. We try to solve
everything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Meanwhile, in Washington, the imagery is striking. There are live pictures from the White House where you can see the UFC cage
set up for the fight this weekend.
But as much as president Trump would have wanted us to focus on the sport, conflict in this region threatening to overshadow some of the biggest
events of his second term.
And Donald Trump is now threatening to escalate the fighting again, saying the United States will hit Iran, quote, "VERY HARD TONIGHT" -- in caps.
This after the U.S. and Iran traded a fresh round of strikes last night.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
TRUMP: We dropped $250 million worth of bombs on them last night. You know the whole thing is crazy. But and there and they're really in submission.
They just don't know it yet. OK. To be honest with you they just don't know it yet. And we are talking to them and all. But you know, look, my
preference has always been take Kharg Island.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Despite that, a source does tell CNN that talks to reach an agreement between Washington and Tehran are still on track. The risk, of
course, now is this tit-for-tat action being treated less like a path to de-escalation and, frankly, more like a scoreboard at this point.
Let's get you the latest from our senior White House reporter, Kevin Liptak.
And what more are we hearing from the president today?
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And the president, I think, clearly frustrated that these negotiations have extended on for as
long as they have. He's talked about Iran tapping him along, not willing to agree to some of his red lines. And he's taken quite a different approach.
You know, for so long, he has seemed optimistic about a deal. Now somewhat less so. And also a previewing very publicly what he's willing to do
militarily, including that remarkable statement that the U.S. will soon try and take Kharg Island, you know, that very critical export point, really
the heart of Iran's oil industry.
It's something that has been on the table throughout this conflict and what White House officials have said is that it would require American troops.
It would require sending U.S. boots on the ground, which is something that the president, up until this point, has been unwilling to do.
And so that would make for a major turning point in the war. Now in the phone interview with FOX News this morning, you did get a sense of some of
the president's frustrations and some of how he's trying every night this week to really ramp up the pressure on Iran.
[10:05:02]
Here's what he said.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
TRUMP: Yes, there will be more bombing tonight. It will be a bigger, a bigger, more powerful. Don't forget, we've knocked out all of their anti-
aircraft. They don't have any anti. They have nothing. They may get lucky with a shoulder weapon or something. But for the most part, you know they
have no-- they have no defense.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What did the representative say in your phone call?
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: They're finished. Excuse me. They're finished.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
LIPTAK: So this interview was really kind of an interesting window into the president's mindset at the current moment. You know, as much as he's
talking about his plans for the military and Iran, the bulk of the interview was spent complaining about media coverage of the war, going
after a whole range of outlets at times.
"The Wall Street Journal," CNN, for, in his view, claiming that Iran had not been defeated. I think it gives you a sense of where the president's
head is at this point in the war, in which he's no longer really able to say that a deal is imminent.
He's not suggesting that the ceasefire is off entirely. He's not suggesting that the war has begun in earnest again. He's at this weird, liminal
moment, disorienting in a lot of ways.
And it's clear he's frustrated. He's not able to break things loose, shake things loose in a way that is more definitive, and lashing out at the media
for how they're covering it. It's a difficult point for him at a moment when he wanted to be celebrating both the World Cup and the UFC fight
that's happening here on Sunday, Becky.
ANDERSON: Well, since returning to the White House in January, Donald Trump has been a frequent presence at major sporting events. He's also been
involved in planning that UFC birthday match. He'll be 80 at the weekend.
I just wonder how -- what's the sense behind the scenes about how this escalating conflict, if that is what we're looking at -- and it's not clear
that it is. I mean, we could still get an announcement of an agreement even before the World Cup kicks off in the next five hours.
But I wonder, I just want to get a sense of the atmosphere behind the scenes, because it's quite clear that, you know, this administration would
like to be shed of this war, surely before this series, this sequence of events, domestic events -- sporting, Independence Day, the 250th
anniversary on July the 4th.
So what are you hearing?
LIPTAK: Right. And, you know, when you talk to White House officials, I don't think I've talked to one who thought that this war would be still
going on at this point in time. They thought this would be well over by the time the UFC fight occurred on the South Lawn, by the time the World Cup
kicked off, by the time the G7 kicks off next week.
They really thought that they would be through of it well before this point. And there is a degree of frustration that it is shadowing them at a
moment that they had anticipated would be a celebratory one.
You know, there's going to be more than 100,000 people on the South Lawn and on the ellipse as part of this UFC bout. And I think the president's
focus has been in a lot of ways on that.
You know, you hear him talking about it during every public appearance. The Iran war has been kind of percolating in the background in a way that's
impossible to escape. And I think he very much wanted to just be through of it at this celebratory point in time.
But clearly that has been unable to come to pass. And that has lent, I think, some of the frustration that you're seeing bubbling up this week,
because he knows all of this will be juxtaposed with an ongoing conflict with the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz, with oil prices still
elevated, although down somewhat from their highs earlier this year.
And so it is an extraordinary frustration of his. You're right, this could all get wrapped up relatively quickly if Iran does come to some agreement.
That would be very welcome news here at the White House. But so far, no one seems to be previewing that that is actually what's going to happen.
ANDERSON: Yes. Good to have you, Kevin. Thank you very much indeed.
I want to get Iran's view of president Trump's latest missive. More now from Fred Pleitgen, who filed this report from Tehran and spoke to my
colleague, Omar Jimenez, a little earlier.
And a reminder once again, as ever, CNN operates in Iran only with the permission of the government there but does maintain full editorial control
of our reporting
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, the Iranians are completely denying that they called President Trump
last night and demanded an end to these strikes. Several Iranian news agencies and official channels also saying that simply is not true.
And then as far as negotiating through bombing is concerned, that's also something where Iranian officials are saying that bombing is going to
achieve exactly the opposite of what the president wants it to achieve.
I actually spoke to a senior Iranian official just a couple of hours ago.
[10:10:00]
And he told me that, from the Iranian perspective, they believe that the Trump administration needs to respect the resilience of the Iranians, also
needs to respect the military capability of the Iranians as well, specifically looking at the Strait of Hormuz.
And I asked that official whether or not there was a chance that the two countries would go back to war and he said it all depends on the Trump
administration right now. If they want to make a deal, if they stop firing, then there can be a deal.
However, if they continue to bomb Iran, then a full-on war and a return to full-on war is certainly something that is fairly possible.
So right now, certainly, these negotiations still at a very difficult state. Iranians from their perspective have said that this was a serious
breach of the ceasefire what happened last night and the night before.
At the same time, both sides are still saying that they want to move toward that memorandum of understanding, which we have to say is just the next
step in these negotiations that would end the hostilities between the two countries and then lead to a period of larger negotiations for a possible
full peace agreement.
But, again, right now, especially after what happened last night, it seems a little bit more difficult. But certainly, from what was also going on
here overnight, we certainly had a busy night here in Tehran. It certainly seems as that diplomatic process is still on.
One of the things that happened was that during these overnight hours, even as the bombing was going on, Omar, there was a team of Qatari negotiators
here on the ground in Tehran trying to move that process forward. Those negotiators have now left. Going to wait and see whether or not much
progress was made on that.
Certainly, again, the Iranians are saying they're up for a deal. At the same time, if the U.S. keeps pressing and especially dropping bombs, it
will have exactly the opposite effect.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(OFF MIKE COMMENTS)
ANDERSON: He was exhausted.
Well, FIFA's president trumpeting his organization's achievement in ensuring that, despite everything that's going on, Iran's national team is
able to take place, take its place at the World Cup. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
INFANTINO: When people were saying, well, it would be impossible for Iran to come to the World Cup, I told them and I promised them that they would
come. And if I had to go with a bus to Tehran and drive them here, I would do that.
I don't know who else would have been able to ensure that, in these circumstances, which we cannot influence, obviously, in these
circumstances, Iran could come and play.
And when Iran plays, the stadium will be full and I hope there will be a positive atmosphere because this is football. This is about people
forgetting for a moment their realities and being able to focus on a match and on a team.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The team's allocation of tickets, it has to be said, seems to have disappeared. Not sure how many fans will actually be traveling from
Iran to watch but there are a lot of American Iranian fans who will be up for seeing the team if they can get tickets.
We are just hours away from the first match. Let's bring in Mina Rzouki, who is sports reporter with "The National" here in Abu Dhabi.
Talk about some of the storylines that we can expect from this year's tournament. Let's focus on the football because that is ultimately what
it's all about. This is quite literally the biggest World Cup tournament ever -- 48 teams, 104 games over a month or so.
That does mean that there's more opportunity, of course, for the smaller teams. Just set the scene for us, especially for those who perhaps aren't
quite as obsessed with football as you and I are.
(LAUGHTER)
MINA RZOUKI, SPORTS REPORTER, "THE NATIONAL": You know, I'm interested to see if there's going to be any shocks, right?
Like, are we going to -- are these wonderful teams that have come in or the debutantes, whether it's like the Curacao or Jordan, are they actually
going to be able to make an impression in this huge World Cup?
Or is it going to be really easy for the big boys, like your Germanys and your France and your Brazils and Argentinas?
And I worry about that. But I do think heat will play a factor. I'm interested to see how the Europeans will fare, because I was just speaking
about this with you, with Harry Kane. He looked exhausted after his training.
And obviously, like I remember after the '94 World Cup, the Italians still talk about the excessive heat and they're used to that in their country. So
I don't know whether that's going to play a factor.
But it's a lot of games, some of them dead rubber, maybe not as exciting. But there is going to be some matchups, Brazil-Morocco being the absolute
highlight.
ANDERSON: Well, you don't think Mexico-South Africa is going to be the highlight?
RZOUKI: It's a repeat of the 2010s.
ANDERSON: It is. And it was 1-1 in 2010. It was in South Africa, of course, was hosting the World Cup. And they played Mexico in the opening
game. You're absolutely right, 1-1. That game kicks off later on today in Mexico City.
[10:15:05]
When it comes to who can win this. I mean, you know, ultimately, you never know, right?
You never know. But Simon Cooper of the "FT" -- I don't know if you read his piece today -- captured the spirit of the tournament quite well when he
wrote, quote, "Football is a dance in space. Expanding it when you have the ball, shrinking it when you do not.
"And Europeans," he says, "have mastered that geometry. At the same time, though," he writes, "it's one of the most unpredictable events in sport.
More than most sports, football favors the underdogs. A weak team can defend all match, get lucky once and win."
So who are the top dogs and the underdogs on this occasion?
(LAUGHTER)
RZOUKI: Oh, the top dogs have to be obviously the Europeans, right?
Other than Brazil and Argentina, we're looking at your -- I don't think Germany can get far but I certainly think France and Spain can do quite a
lot. They have excessively great squads; Portugal...
ANDERSON: You and I both pulled it out in the -- in our -- in our sweepstakes at work. We've both got Portugal. I don't stand a chance. Well,
I'll do it for Ronaldo, like Argentina did it --
(CROSSTALK)
RZOUKI: -- Messi.
ANDERSON: Exactly.
RZOUKI: You know what I think is interesting?
Actually, we were having this discussion on our desk in "The National" and we were talking about which sides could dominate. And defensive prowess and
midfield excellence could make the difference. Which means Portugal is a runner for this, I think, you know.
It's going to be a lot about defense. You're not going to see very high- pressing, intense games like you see in European leagues because, like I said, the heat will play a factor.
Underdogs, let's see. I don't know --
(CROSSTALK)
RZOUKI: -- Erling Haaland potentially.
Is the rest of the squad good enough?
But I mean they did really bash Italy when it came to World Cup qualifying. You've got Japan. Really think that they can do something and they very
much believe in themselves. I don't know whether they have the goods to really keep up.
But Belgium, I don't really think so, to be honest with you. And I'm still going to look at Morocco. I'm still going to look at Senegal because I do
think they're two sides that can make a difference.
But do you think the USA can?
ANDERSON: Well, I don't know about that. I'm not sure with this squad although Pochettino big love of mine.
RZOUKI: Yes, of course. Of course.
He did coach Spurs (ph). He came, I think, eighth that season and they sacked him. We nearly got relegated this season. We'd love to have him
back. So let's see how they do.
U.S. immigration concerns have put a huge damper on the tournament. We always get these news lines ahead of any tournament, the Olympics, the
World Cup. But this has been particularly galling, I think, for anybody who thinks of this as the beautiful game.
Because as I was saying yesterday, there have been some quite ugly scenes, haven't they?
Africa's top referee barred from entering the States. Iraqi striker detained for hours and the team's photographer denied entry.
I just wonder how the people you are talking to, the fans, the players, how are -- how are people grappling with this hostility?
RZOUKI: Well, I think that Aymen Hussein spoke well in the time, the striker for Iraq, when he said, you know, why are you hosting a World Cup,
which is supposed to really unite people, and making exclusion a part of the game?
So obviously having their team photographer sent back, this is a man who has lost his father, who has lost his brother to all the different, you
know, wars in Iraq and seven hours detained, unfortunately, for questioning.
You saw the way that Uzbekistan was searched. Fabio Cannavaro, their coach, came out and said, oh, no, there's nothing to see here. We're all fine. It
provoked a lot of comments on his social media, asking whether he'd been paid to say these things.
But I think there are concerns with the way that this is being treated. It's being compared to Qatar 2022, which attracted a lot of criticism.
But is this worse now with the way that we're seeing how things are being handled at the moment?
Why are some countries not receiving the same as others?
Is racism a factor over here?
And what I think is most galling is the way that Infantino spoke before.
I mean, think of Iran, right, 15 of their administrative team have not been allowed to travel. Fans are not getting visas. One Scottish fan hasn't been
able to get a visa to come, even though they have World Cup tickets.
ANDERSON: What'd he say, chill.
RZOUKI: Chill.
ANDERSON: Relax.
RZOUKI: I mean...
ANDERSON: It's not.
RZOUKI: He's always great for a terrible sound bite and I would I would say this is --
(CROSSTALK)
(LAUGHTER)
RZOUKI: -- once again.
ANDERSON: Look you've been keeping track of some of the rising stars, particularly out of this region. When I say this region, I'm talking about
the Arab world. And then we extend it a bit. We're talking about the Gulf - - the Gulf, North Africa, the Middle East and the wider Middle East.
Because, because we want to just give, you know, we want to give this region as much of a platform as possible.
So, rising stars, who should we keep an eye on?
RZOUKI: Well, there's quite a few, I think. I just want to start it off by saying, you know, unfortunately, there was a really good one for Jordan but
he's recently been injured, Ibrahim Sabra. So he's not going to be involved. But we've got to look at Ibrahim Maza for Algeria.
[10:20:00]
Who is a young midfielder, who is physical, can really glide through, has been absolutely wonderful. Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. So
definitely one that I think can bring a lot to Algeria, who for me are the total underdogs -- I think they've got such a lovely squad.
And they, of course, have Zinedine Zidane's son in goal, so that should be fun to look out for as well.
And then you've got Hamza Abdelkarim. He is the first Egyptian to play in Barcelona. He plays for the B squad. But a number nine that I think we
should definitely be looking at, not just Mohamed Salah (ph), Mohamed Hadj Mahmoud (ph) and all the others, there's the likes of Ayupa Azi (ph) and a
Saudi one called Musab Al-Juwayr.
ANDERSON: I'm glad you said him. He's been terrific.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: He's really strong in that team. I mean, he's you know, he's partly of this real sort of, you know, strength of that team.
RZOUKI: Yes. And what I love so much about him, he's got a character like mine, very passionate. You know, can get a bit angry. But what it -- he is
so driven, so creative and he's been so important to Kadzi (ph) and Brendan Rodgers this season in the SPL.
So I think he's definitely one to look out for because obviously we all know what Zalettfan (ph) and Dulcetti (ph) can do. But he is that young and
up and coming talent who's already just done so much so far for club football.
Can he now produce that for Saudi Arabia?
Because we know that they've got problems. They sacked their coach, they've got somebody new. But we believe in the youth.
ANDERSON: We're all over this region like a rash. We will also be supporting, because I know that you grew up in the U.K. as well. So -- and
I say the U.K., of course; there's Scotland and England represented at this World Cup.
I will say is it coming home after 60 years for England.
Is it going to get so boring?
I don't think so. I think we're going to get knocked out by Mexico.
RZOUKI: Do you really?
ANDERSON: Yes, I do. Yes. At altitude. Anyway. Let's see. Let's see. They've got good squad.
RZOUKI: I believe in (INAUDIBLE) --
ANDERSON: Scotland aren't going to go very far. But you know we'll support them all the way as far as they go as well. But good luck to everybody.
Thank you, Mina. And you are going to be with us a lot more as we go.
RZOUKI: Good luck to Kane (ph).
ANDERSON: Yes, good luck to Kane who could get the Golden Boot if he, you know, deals with the weather. All good.
Pope Leo's been visiting migrants in Spain. Coming up, the powerful message he delivered at the place once dubbed the dock of shame. And what he had to
say about the FIFA World Cup. That is after this.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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ANDERSON: Pope Leo is making good on his mission to speak out for migrants' rights, making his final stop on his tour of Spain. He's been
meeting with migrants in the Canary Islands.
The islands have been a landing spot for tens of thousands of people arriving to Europe from one of the world's most treacherous migration
routes. Well, our Vatican correspondent Chris Lamb is there in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and he joins me now live.
And I just wonder what, how you explain the significance of the trip today.
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, I think it is very significant.
[10:25:00]
Because Pope Leo has made the plight of migrants an important part of his papacy, as did Pope Francis. The pope today going to the port of
Arguineguin, which has been described as Spain's port of shame because of the squalid conditions in which a number of migrants were living.
And the pope today, hearing the testimonies, very moving testimonies of those making that perilous journey from West Africa into Europe, into
Spain. And the pope also responding to them. And this is some of what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POPE LEO XIV, PONTIFF, ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH: We cannot grow accustomed to counting the dead. Human dignity has no passport and does not lose its
value when crossing a border.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAMB: So Becky, here in the Canary Islands, the pope will spend two days and he is, as I say, going to be emphasizing the importance of defending
the dignity of immigrants.
He also threw a wreath into the port and he was standing shoulder to shoulder with migrants during this part of his trip. It comes, of course,
at the end of a seven-day trip across Spain, where he's been in Madrid and Barcelona.
There was a stunning display yesterday at the Sagrada Familia, where Pope Leo blessed the Tower of Jesus Christ, which makes the Church of St.
Barbara the tallest in the world. But today the focus is on migrants and their plight. And Leo speaking out very strongly for them.
ANDERSON: Right. He's also a -- he's a big sports fan.
What message has he sent ahead of this World Cup?
LAMB: Well, he has been talking about his enjoyment of soccer and he has said on the plane from Rome to Madrid that he's a Real Madrid fan and that
he is going to be following the World Cup that starts today.
And he'll be following and supporting the U.S. as the first American pope. And he also has talked about how he grew up playing American football. Then
later in Peru, playing soccer, he was a defender, he said. And he is someone who enjoys exercise and keeping fit. And he also plays tennis.
And sport is important for Leo. He's obviously also a big White Sox baseball fan. So, he is, he said, hoping to watch a few games. I don't know
how. He doesn't know how many but I think he's going to be following it as closely as any pope might be.
ANDERSON: Good to have you. Thank you very much indeed.
It's a windy day there on the Canary Islands. Well done for getting through that. Thank you, Chris.
Coming up, Iran says the Strait of Hormuz is closed to shipping. The U.S. says it is making sure traffic can still get through. We're going to get
the very latest for you on that situation after this.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:30:00]
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ANDERSON (voice-over): Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. Here are your headlines this hour.
Mexico City getting ready for its big moment on the world stage, the opening match of the men's World Cup kicks off there in a few hours from
now, with co-host Mexico taking on South Africa.
Pope Leo making good on his mission to speak out for migrants' rights, making his final stop on his tour of Spain. He's been meeting with migrants
in the Canary Islands. The islands have been a landing spot for tens of thousands of people arriving to Europe from one of the world's most
treacherous migration routes.
The U.S. president Donald Trump says he'll go on bombing Iran, hitting it, quote, "very hard tonight" -- he said that in caps -- if Tehran doesn't
agree to a deal. The U.S. and Iran exchanged more air attacks, making what was anyway a shaky ceasefire look more vulnerable.
At the same time, a diplomatic source does say that talks to end the war are still on track.
ANDERSON: Well, Iran says the Strait of Hormuz is now closed, quote, "until further notice" following the latest exchange of fire with the U.S.
U.S. Central Command pushed back on the Iranian claims, saying that commercial ships continue to transit in and out of the strait, a claim
which the IRGC denied.
Meanwhile, India says three of its seafarers were killed after a U.S. strike on a tanker in the Gulf of Oman.
Well, earlier this week, "Financial Times" U.S. national editor Ed Luce spoke with president Trump. Reflecting on events that followed their
conversation, he said Trump, quote, "has turned himself into a prisoner of other people's decisions."
That's after Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu defied Trump to attack Iran earlier this week. Well, Ed joins me now from Washington, D.C.
I know there's a World Cup fever, I guess, where you are and around the States as things get set to kick off. Donald Trump surely wanted to be shut
of this conflict at this point and ahead of the UFC fight on Sunday for his birthday. And yet it still goes on.
What do you make of the latest missive that we've had from the U.S. president this morning?
ED LUCE, U.S. NATIONAL EDITOR, "FINANCIAL TIMES": Well, I think it's a measure of how few options he has. And, of course, he has mentioned one of
those options is Kharg Island.
But that reeks of desperation because that would be U.S. boots on the ground. Of course, the intention would be to throttle Iran's revenues
because that's where most of its oil exports are passed through.
But it would also make American troops, who had taken control of the island, a target for Iranian drones and short-range missile attacks. And so
I don't think Trump is considering this seriously.
I might have to eat my words but I think this is negotiating bluster because he keeps pushing Iran to accept the contours of a deal. And Iran is
not that interested. Iran feels it's got the upper hand.
ANDERSON: Have a listen to president Trump on the -- or a deal with Iran.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We have two major points of agreement. I would say almost all points of agreement. They want to make a deal so badly. You have no idea
how badly they want to make a deal.
QUESTION: Could you foresee a deal on Iran this upcoming week?
TRUMP: I do see a deal in Iran.
We were very close to a deal.
Most of the points are already negotiated and agreed to.
We're very close to making a deal.
I don't think there are any sticking points. We're very close to having a very, very good, strong, powerful deal.
We're really close to a deal but they keep tapping us along.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Since a week or so into the conflict there, nearly 40 times he has said that we're close to a deal or it is merely overlooked. Sources
that we speak to in this region -- and I'm, of course, in Abu Dhabi, in the UAE -- do say and very specifically, obviously, Qatar and Saudi, UAE,
to a degree, involved in what is going on in this mediation.
[10:35:03]
And we are being told, you know, it's a -- it's a sort of, you know, pen stroke away from an agreement at this point. I mean, you recently wrote a
striking analysis, arguing that Donald Trump is, in some ways, becoming Jimmy Carter.
You wrote, quote, "No two human beings, let alone U.S. presidents, could be less alike than Donald Trump and Jimmy Carter. But they have Iran in
common. Carter's presidency was hijacked by the Iran hostage crisis, a disaster he could never escape."
Expand on that, if you will.
LUCE: Yes, this is certainly not a full-spectrum comparison between Jimmy Carter and Donald Trump, because they were extremely different presidents,
though I think I've succeeded in annoying all Trump supporters and all Carter supporters with this headline.
Nevertheless, the --
(LAUGHTER)
LUCE: -- what I call the scent of impotence that Iran has visited on Carter. I mean, really that the hostages became a barometer of American and
American power in those 444 days. And Carter never really recovered his credibility as an actor on the world stage.
Trump is heading in the same direction. He no longer dictates the pace of events and the direction of this war. Iran is very much, in its own mind,
sitting with a lot of leverage there.
Israel, as you referenced earlier, is not necessarily -- Netanyahu is not necessarily listening to Trump's requests. He asked not to retaliate last
Sunday after the Iranian missile strike. And Netanyahu felt that he had to, albeit a pretty pinprick response.
So Trump is no longer a master of events. JD Vance, his vice president, who's the only person, along with Witkoff and Jared Kushner, to have
actually had talks with the Iranians, the only talks so far, which was in Islamabad in early April, said this war could be over next week or it could
take many months.
I'm inclined to take JD Vance's expectations a little bit more seriously than Donald Trump's, who, of course, you know, is the master of bluster. I
don't think we're anywhere close to Iran agreeing to the terms of a deal that Trump wants, which would include getting rid of all its enriched
uranium.
And therefore, I guess, you know, Iran's key piece of leverage. And I think that this talk of taking Kharg Island and seizing Iran's oil is a measure
of the lack of options that Trump has available.
ANDERSON: So I know that you've spoken to Donald Trump a number of times, not least in the past week, when he said, I call the shots. Benjamin
Netanyahu doesn't call the shots.
And then we saw we saw how that turned out. I'm fascinated to understand more about how these conversations go, how you actually connect with each
other.
But I'm also fascinated to hear from you as to how you think the World Cup kicking off today, the UFC event at the weekend, Independence Day, the
250th anniversary at the beginning of July, how all of this factors into Trump's political orbit right now.
We've been saying for a long time that, you know, it does feel as if he wants to be shut of all of this and back, focused on these big celebration
events in the States. And he's not been able to kind of, you know, shake off this conflict.
LUCE: He would dearly love to put it behind him. I mean, he's, you know, approaching desperation here. He wants to get Operation Epic Fury over and
done with.
But as I think people warned when it began on February the 28th, you can start a war and you can choose when and how. But you don't get to choose
when and how it ends. You lose control the moment it starts. And you particularly risk losing control if you don't have a clear end game.
And his end game has shifted. Initially it was regime change. Then he dropped that and it became, well, they have to renounce nuclear weapons.
Then it became opening the Strait of Hormuz. Various gamut he's run through of what the end goal is of this war. And I think it's really a measure of
his impotence.
The World Cup ought to be and might well turn out to be a really big and triumphal event.
[10:40:07]
Not feeling the World Cup fever at the moment, I'm not sure Trump or even FIFA ticket pricing are necessarily to blame it. I mean, America is not a
soccer nation in the way most hosts of FIFA World Cups are. And I'm not really feeling that, in the Knicks versus the Spurs basketball game in New
York last night, that I felt.
ANDERSON: Sure.
LUCE: FIFA not yet, not yet.
ANDERSON: Right. OK, well, we'll see. And you're right. I mean -- and there's always, you know, the news is always dominated by the kind of, you
know, the controversy around any big sporting event.
And we absolutely should be telling those stories because they are really, really important. We tend then to get into these events. And you and I have
been around long enough to know that then the sort of, you know, the sport tends to take over.
Before I let you go, who's going to win and who are you supporting?
LUCE: Well, I'm -- tragically, I'm supporting England. And, as we say, it's the hope that kills.
ANDERSON: Yes.
LUCE: Because England never wins. The last time it won, I was minus two. I'm expecting --
ANDERSON: Right. OK.
LUCE: -- I don't know, I think Spain is going to win again.
ANDERSON: OK. All right. I mean, England could win and you will be supporting them. So it could have been the same answer there. But I think
you're not the eternal optimist that so many England fans are, certainly at the beginning of the tournament.
It's always good to get you on, Ed. Thank you very much indeed. And your reporting really, really important for us and insightful. Thank you.
Well, the demand for energy continues to be a major source of contention amid the explosive growth of artificial intelligence. Residents across the
United States are fighting to keep data centers out of their back yards. CNN's Shimon Prokupecz now reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RON GIBSON, INDIANAPOLIS CITY-COUNTY COUNCIL: One, two, three, four.
SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ron Gibson counts the bullet holes in his front door.
GIBSON: Twelve, 13, 14, 15. And it was a sign that someone conveniently put up under the Indianapolis coach's mat and said there's no data center.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): Gibson is an Indianapolis city counselor, targeted, he says, for supporting a data center in his community.
GIBSON: At some point that night after midnight, we heard loud banging on glass and glass breaking.
I didn't realize that my house had been shot up until daylight. And I saw this door and I could see through the door out.
I mean, I could see daylight was coming through the door. Really touching to me was my son's LEGO set was on the dining room table where the bullets
went around. And I like to think about it. I wonder if he'd have been in that space at that time of night. Scary stuff.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You better vote no. You better vote no.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): The political backlash to data centers has been fierce nationwide, aided by the rise and fear of artificial intelligence.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We don't need it. We need water.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): In Utah, residents are fighting a proposed 40,000- acre data center that when combined is twice the size of Manhattan.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maybe this decision should be made after the election.
PROKUPECZ: So meetings like this in Union, Missouri, are happening all across the country and really showing the fear and concern.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The burdens would stay local. The profits will leave town. We're asking you please stop this theft and rape now.
PROKUPECZ: What could a data center do to a community like this?
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): To find out, we traveled 850 miles from Union, Missouri, to a place already familiar with data centers. Loudoun County,
Virginia, outside D.C., this is Data Center Alley.
PROKUPECZ: Just in this area alone, there are over 200 buildings that contain data centers, some 50 million square feet, enough to fit eight
pentagons.
BUDDY RIZER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LOUDOUN COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: Having even one data center can double the amount of tax revenue. We've
been able to build 30 some schools and 15 fire stations and six libraries.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): But not everything went right.
GREG PIRIO, UNION, MO. RESIDENT: It is like having constant jet airplanes flying overhead.
PROKUPECZ: Because you can hear it right now, right?
PIRIO: Yes, yes.
PROKUPECZ: Like, take a listen here, right?
This is --
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): That hum you hear, that's coming from this, a massive data center just feet from these homes.
PROKUPECZ: What's it like when you're trying to sleep?
ETHAN DOUE, UNION, MO. RESIDENT: It's like a July 4th fireworks going on.
HARI DOUE, UNION, MO. RESIDENT: Last night, my son Lucas got up in the middle of the night and said he couldn't sleep and came into our room. So
it is affecting their sleep and they have to go to school.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): There's another problem.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If it was a southern wind today, all that would be blowing right over this. Our houses.
[10:45:00]
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): Diesel backup generators, when they're tested, they pollute.
PIRIO: Those are the days in particular that I feel irritation in my throat.
PROKUPECZ: How do you respond to them?
RIZER: It's a very unfortunate situation because when it was built and approved, it was intended to be on the grid. Then in 2022, we had Dominion
tell us, well, we're out of power. They had already built and leased the building. So the only solution for them was the gas turbines. It is a
temporary situation. Eventually the power will be delivered to the site but that doesn't help them tonight when they're trying to get to sleep.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're opening a Pandora's Box that can't be closed.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): Back in Missouri, they're fighting two proposed new data center campuses in Franklin County. Bill Hubbard's century old
farm is next to one of them. Recent reports about a Georgia data center draining water from nearby farms has Hubbard worried.
BILL HUBBARD, FARM OWNER: They say they're not going to drill wells. All these guarantees, you know, 737s weren't supposed to crash.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): The company behind one of the campuses says they won't tax local resources.
ROMAN PASEWICZ, PROVIDENT DATA CENTERS: We're developing a closed loop water system, so it conserves water. We believe we could develop them in a
conscious way, getting feedback from the community.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): Most here are like the Hubbards. They worry because the land is their life.
HUBBARD: This is home. There's no amount of money that could get me to sell this. No amount of money.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): Shimon Prokupecz, CNN, Union, Missouri.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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ANDERSON: Well, the killing of an 11-year-old girl in France has sparked significant protests, outrage and scrutiny of the country's judicial
system. Critics say authorities missed clear warning signs about the suspected killer long before the girl's death. My colleague, CNN's Saskya
Vandoorne, filed this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN PARIS BUREAU CHIEF: A man accused last year of raping a 10-year-old girl was never investigated or charged. Now France is
asking whether that failure cost an 11-year-old girl her life.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): The 11-year-old went missing from her family home in southwest France at the end of May, authorities said. After several days
of searches, her body was found on a nearby farm, according to French media reports.
The suspect, the 41-year-old father of a classmate, is now under formal investigation and in custody. He told police Lyhanna was in his car on the
afternoon she disappeared but that he dropped her off at a swimming pool, BFM T.V. reported.
The man, Jerome Barrela, had previously been flagged to police on at least two occasions for allegations of sexual violence against minors, with the
latest coming in 2025 when he was accused of raping a 10- year-old girl.
No police action was taken in regard to either complaint. An attorney for Barrela told BFM that his client was presumed innocent.
VANDOORNE: Many here are shocked that repeated warning signs were apparently missed.
[10:50:00]
With critics accusing authorities of prioritizing procedure over protection. The case has reignited a broader discussion over how seriously
sexual violence is treated here in France.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): One person who's been campaigning on this issue is Caroline Darian, the daughter of mass rape survivor Giselle Pelicot.
CAROLINE DARIAN, GISELE PELICOT'S DAUGHTER (from captions): When you see the suffering of victims - I know what I'm talking about - you see the
ordeal victims have to endure. It destroys lives. In Lyhanna's case, as in so many others, we have a problem in France.
What is our justice system doing?
We have four times fewer prosecutors in France than the European average.
People file complaints and nothing happens.
VANDOORNE: And with the French presidential election less than a year away, candidates from across the political spectrum have seized the case as
evidence of systemic issues, forcing the current government to acknowledge failings in the French justice system--
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (from captions): One must know how to recognize when we make mistakes that lead to tragedy that we know, out of respect for the
family, of course but out of respect for all French people.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): -- and tasking authorities to look into 70,000 other complaints of sexual violence toward minors by mid-July. French Prime
Minister Sebastien Lecornu has even gone as far as suggesting that the punishment for serial rapists of children be raised to a life sentence from
the current 20 years.
Lawmakers in the French Parliament held a minute of silence on Tuesday to mark the tragedy.
But all this has done little to placate the thousands of protesters who took to the streets across France this week.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (from captions): We have a real issue: How can we ensure our children can go out safely and won't encounter repeat offenders?
This is today's topic.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): Meanwhile, the family of Lyhanna is still struggling to come to terms with her tragic loss.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (from captions): Our whole little world has collapsed. Once again, I have no words to describe this horrific tragedy that has
struck our family. Standing before you all today and talking about Lyhanna feels surreal.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): The pressure is now really on for the French government to try and quell this very palpable anger by pushing through
stricter laws tackling sexual violence toward children and addressing what French President Emmanuel Macron called unacceptable failings in the
justice system -- Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And I'll be back with more news after this.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ANDERSON: We are over an hour into the U.S. trading day. Equities are higher by about 0.5 percent, thanks to a rebound in chip stocks, although
tensions in the Middle East are somewhat capping gains as things stand. Let's check on the price of oil as well.
Prices had jumped earlier after Donald Trump vowed to take control of Iran's oil and gas infrastructure. He then published a post on his social
channel, suggesting that he, the U.S., will hit Iran hard in the coming hours or overnight.
And, of course, just hours from now, the men's World Cup kicks off in Mexico. Co-hosts Mexico take on South Africa in Mexico City and it will be
South Africa versus Czech Republic in Guadalajara.
[10:55:00]
Before the matches will be the first of three opening ceremonies today, featuring Shakira performing the World Cup anthem. The other two will take
place tomorrow in the joint host countries, the USA and Canada.
Well, as the World Cup kicks off, many fans are actually not going to be able to see the team in person because there are significant visa issues,
controversy that has dogged the runup to this tournament.
But there is a silver lining for at least some of those fans. Argentines, whose U.S. tourist visas were rejected, lined up in Buenos Aires. They
received free TVs from an electronics brand. By the way, Argentina opens World Cup play next Tuesday against Algeria in Kansas City stadium in the
United States.
Well, switching codes (ph), the New York Knicks are one win away from their first NBA title since 1973. On Wednesday night, they pulled off the
greatest comeback in the history of the NBA finals.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shot no good. The tip. It's gone, it's gone, it's gone. With 1.2 remaining, Knicks take the lead.
ANDERSON (voice-over): I can just see the crowd going mad. The Knicks rallying from 29 points down to win game four over the San Antonio Spurs
107-106. Fans went crazy after that last shot, not just in the stadium but all over the city.
That's it for CONNECT THE WORLD. Stay with CNN. "ONE WORLD" is up next and enjoy the football.
[11:00:00]
END
