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Russia's War on Ukraine; U.S.-Israel War with Iran; NATO SecGen Says Europeans are Backfilling Resources; Obama Center Set for Grand Opening Ceremony; Abu Dhabi's Hub71; New York Knicks' Victory Parade Moves through Manhattan. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired June 18, 2026 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Welcome back to our second hour of the show. I'm Christina Macfarlane In London.
Dramatic video out of Moscow as Ukraine launches its largest attack yet on the Russian capital.
European leaders are gathering in Brussels as the Ukraine war comes back into the spotlight.
Plus, a dedication ceremony for the Obama Presidential Center. The Obamas will be joined by former Presidents Clinton, Bush and Biden with a lineup
of musical performances.
And these are live pictures coming from New York City. The Knicks' parade down the Canyon of Heroes is kicking off, celebrating their first NBA
championship since 1973. It is a city-wide celebration and a major security operation.
More than 10,000 police officers will be deployed with record crowds expected and the team will then head to a ceremony with Mayor Mamdani,
where they will receive the key to the city.
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MACFARLANE: This hour, E.U. leaders are convening in Brussels, with Ukraine high on the agenda. Kyiv just launched its biggest attack on Moscow
since the war began. Moscow says nearly 200 drones were shot down overnight, part of a broader Ukrainian barrage on Russian territory.
And the Kremlin says the latest Ukrainian attack set back the prospects for a face-to-face meeting between President Putin and Zelenskyy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YURI USHAKOV, KREMLIN AIDE (through translator): It is fair to say that Ukraine's latest attacks does not bring personal contacts between the head
of the Kyiv regime and our president any closer. It does not bring them closer.
Europeans are clearly insisting that the war must continue basing this on a completely incorrect and false assumption that the situation on the
battlefield is supposedly shifting in favor of Ukrainian forces, which is categorically untrue. From this point, they are trying to influence Trump
to take a more clearly pro-Ukrainian position.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Sebastian Shukla is following developments from Berlin.
So what more can you tell us about what happened here with these attacks and that response we've just had there from the Kremlin?
SEBASTIAN SHUKLA, CNN PRODUCER: Yes, Chrissy, I think the ferocity of these attacks last night is clear to see and very, very evident from those
images. If we can play them again, there is one in particular that I'd like viewers to see, which is the Moscow city skyline covered with black plumes
of smoke.
And that is just a real indictment about the level of the attack that the Ukrainians unleashed this morning or late -- or early -- late last night on
the Russian capital. The focus was an oil refinery here. I mean, it has left several people wounded there. There are no dead.
But the fact that the Kremlin or the -- Kyiv have been able to launch an attack like this, as is becoming the kind of the symbolic way that both
sides are fighting each other at the moment in this war, nevertheless sends a message to the Russian people and to the Russian president that Kyiv is
able to bring the war home to Russia.
And as the Ukrainian president called it a little while ago, when he was at NATO, he said that all of these attacks are completely and utterly
justified as retribution for Moscow's attacks on Kyiv.
And subsequently, we've been hearing from the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, too, speaking ahead of that NATO summit that you just
mentioned. Take a listen to what he had to say about the attacks last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: We have the tools and they are strong enough to put Russia on a path where diplomacy becomes the only
choice. We all see that Putin is now relying on one lasting thing, constant missile attacks. And he has ballistic missiles. So we need anti-ballistic
capabilities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHUKLA: So anti-ballistic capabilities there. Chrissy, what he's talking about is there has obviously been huge development in this warfare on both
sides toward drone warfare that both sides are able to attack each other with consistent ferocity.
What the Ukrainians are hoping now is that attacks like these are eventually able really to force President Putin to the negotiating table.
[10:05:00]
And the message that he's sending around Brussels today, the meeting at NATO that I mentioned, the upcoming E.U. summit, is to try to bring the
Europeans back together, as they have been for some time now, just to refocus and double down efforts.
And remind President Putin that Kyiv and Brussels are able to hurt him where it hurts the most, Chrissy.
MACFARLANE: And additionally, I mean, fresh off the G7, E.U. leaders are meeting in Brussels today for a two day summit. What do we know?
What's going to be on the agenda for this?
SHUKLA: Well, it's very much going to be focused on Ukraine. This has been a week of Ukrainian diplomacy, if I can say so, because it started by the
European Union opening the first cluster, so-called, of negotiations with Ukraine for its ascension (sic) into the European Union.
That is still many, many years away but nevertheless a very symbolic moment. But European diplomats that I've been talking to in the last couple
of days, looking, previewing this European Council, have been telling me that the mood in Brussels is very different to what it was even six months
ago.
Six months ago, there was a feeling that the Ukrainians may have been on the back foot and that perhaps they would have been kind of forced to sue
for peace in some way.
The dynamics on the battlefield, including what we've seen today in Moscow, is a reminder that that mood has definitely changed, where the Ukrainians
and the Europeans feel that they are the ones who have the upper hand here.
There's no need to rush into negotiations, is kind of the message. And that a series of these continued military attacks, the -- another round of
sanctions packages, another round of money for Ukrainian military procurement is to be discussed and likely to be forthcoming.
And what they are hoping is that that, these, all of those measures together is enough to send a message again, to the Kremlin, to say, look,
you have to talk to us. Your time is running out. As it stands at the moment, the Kremlin does not seem to be very forthcoming about the idea of
talks in any way at all.
And we heard that sound bite that you played just before you came to me from a senior Kremlin aide there, saying that distance between the two is
as wide as it's ever been. The message coming from Europe is that we need to be ready to talk to the Russians when they are ready.
And discussions are focusing about who can be a mediator, perhaps to start diplomacy with Moscow. But there is one key person or one key party in all
of this who's not ready to talk yet. And that's the Russians, Chrissy.
MACFARLANE: Sebastian Shukla there from Berlin. Thanks very much, sir.
Well, let's get a bit more on the Ukrainian attack on Moscow and what it says about the wider conflict. Nigel Gould-Davies is a senior fellow for
Russia and Eurasia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies and a former British ambassador to Belarus.
Thank you so much for joining us. So look, the attacks overnight that we've seen are the biggest in two years and an example, I think, of Kyiv's
dramatically improved drone capabilities since the start of the war.
I mean, how much are these long-range attacks, particularly as we saw last night, focused on oil refineries, not just frustrating but seriously
weakening Russian momentum in the war?
NIGEL GOULD-DAVIES, SENIOR FELLOW FOR RUSSIA AND EURASIA, INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES: Yes, absolutely. This is a very visible
as well as economically significant attack.
The Kremlin has worked very hard to minimize all the impacts that the war is having on Moscow, the capital and, of course, by a long way, the most
important city.
The fact it's not only been attacked again but this these enormous plumes, these balls of smoke are rising up over Moscow is more than anything an
optical and unignorable sign of just how increasingly, effectively Russia, Ukraine's long range strike capability is having.
And it has these economic effects as well, because Russia is fundamentally dependent on a daily outflow of oil products to the world and an inflow of
petrol dollars. But this is part, in turn, of a larger picture that on every front is increasingly slowly but inexorably turning against Russia.
That includes some important developments on the battlefield itself but also Ukraine's capacity, again, with long-range strikes to really challenge
Russia's capacity to hold on to and supply the areas of Ukraine that it occupies, especially Crimea.
MACFARLANE: And another sign of perhaps momentum turning against Russia was a potentially significant moment that we heard at the G7 from European
countries and the U.S. saying for the first time that they were prepared to license Ukraine-based companies to build long range missiles and air
defense systems.
[10:10:05]
I mean, how significant a move is that at this moment?
GOULD-DAVIES: It is very significant. Ukraine understands better than any other country in the world the new and emerging ways of warfare. It has
seen around corners. It's had to use some extraordinary adaptation and innovation to arm itself in this rapidly evolving, increasingly drone-based
war.
It still lacks all of the resources to do that. But what it has consistently shown is that it can produce important new military products,
faster and cheaper than Europe can. Europe is not only a supplier. Europe itself needs the Ukrainian expertise and capacity that it's developed in
these difficult circumstances.
So this is an obvious win-win for everyone on the continent that complements Europe's finance and technology with Ukraine's knowhow and
ability to scale up new products at speed. That is good for Ukraine. It's good for Europe as well.
MACFARLANE: You'll have noticed, of course, that the Evian summit seemed to produce something that had been elusive in recent years, which is a
relatively united Western front on Ukraine, including the likes of president Donald Trump, who seemed to take a noticeably firmer tone than
anyone was expecting on Russia.
What did you make of his comments yesterday?
And how do you think that will be being viewed in the Kremlin in light of what Sebastian was just talking to there?
You know, all of this is sending a message to the Kremlin and forcing them into a position of considering coming to the negotiating table.
GOULD-DAVIES: Yes. So first, on president Trump, I think that one constant of his, to some degree, shifting views about the war but also on other
issues as well, is that Trump always wants to be seen to side with the winner, the side in a conflict that appears to be stronger.
A year ago, he was telling Zelenskyy that he had no cards. Zelenskyy and Ukraine have dramatically disproved that. It seems that Trump, in some
sense, understands the number of ways that the war is turning against Russia and that, in turn, is prompting a shift in Ukraine's favor.
Now we know that there's always a gap between Trump's words and Trump's deeds. it's also worth bearing in mind that sometimes a neglected point,
that for all of the ways last year that a lot of people worried that Trump, you know, was looking to side with what he then thought was a stronger
Russia.
In some respects, if you look at America's policies, they were in some ways helpful toward Ukraine. Trump actually imposed new oil sanctions on the
most important Russian oil producers late last year, measures the Biden administration hadn't taken.
Look also at the beginning of the year at Ukraine's access to Starlink, which remains strong. But SpaceX, it's not the administration but it's Elon
Musk, whose administration cut off Russia's access to the Starlink system, which played a very, very important role in Russian targeting of Ukraine.
So looked at in the round, you get this sense, I think, of despondency, alarm, an alarm in the Kremlin that all the hopes that they had when Trump
took office early last year, that Trump might impose a very severe peace on Ukraine that would serve Russia's interests and threaten Europe.
Those hopes, those expectations have essentially been dashed now. But to the final point, how Russia responds to this, I would be very, very
cautious indeed in suggesting that the setbacks, which are real and significant that Russia is facing, will somehow induce Putin to the
negotiating table.
I think the probability of that is exceedingly low, that Putin continues to be driven by a historical obsession with Ukraine. That makes it extremely
unlikely that he will shift his view, even if many people around him would like him to do so.
MACFARLANE: Yes, as evidenced by that response we saw from the Kremlin this morning. Nigel Gould-Davies, always great to have your analysis, in
moments like this. Thank you.
Well, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth says the U.S. is launching a six-month review of its military footprint in Europe. Hegseth is warning
NATO allies they'll be judged on whether they're doing enough for their own defense. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE HEGSETH, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: Our allies must step up.
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President Trump has been very clear on this point for many years in over two administrations. And for too long NATO has been a paper tiger and a
one-way street, no more. And that's what the Hague summit is all about.
That's what defense spending commitments are all about. Transforming NATO back into a real-world military alliance that's focused on hard power and
real deterrence, a NATO 3.0.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Well, the review comes as the Trump administration pushes Europe to take greater responsibility for regional security, while
insisting the U.S. remains committed to the alliance. NATO secretary general Mark Rutte downplayed the impact.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK RUTTE, SECRETARY GENERAL, NATO: The U.S. has said they will lower somewhat their contribution. I cannot tell you exactly what, because that,
of course, is classified.
But the good news is that, when it comes to that planning tool that Europeans are already backfilling a lot of those resources, in other cases,
we are nearly there. And there is still areas where we need more work to do. So we are in a good place.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Well, Switzerland says talks on Friday about implementing the U.S.-Iran agreement are good to go. The memorandum of understanding has
already been signed that was originally planned for tomorrow in Geneva.
But now Switzerland's foreign ministry says initial talks between Tehran and Washington will get underway at a resort on Lake Lucerne. Well, this
comes as the Iranian president calls the agreement a, quote, "message from a strong Iran." Some U.S. Republican lawmakers are heaping criticism on the
agreement.
CNN's Betsy Klein is standing by at the White House.
And no doubt, Betsy, president Trump returned home to the White House today to a barrage of criticism even within his Republican ranks.
What has he been saying to defend what many have been calling a capitulation today?
BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, as that criticism from his fellow Republicans pours in, the president's response is
essentially to lash out at his haters.
And at 4:30 in the morning, in a social media post, the president saying that those who are being critical of this deal are either "jealous, bad
people or stupid," in his words.
Now as for what comes next, there are going to be so many questions ahead for vice president JD Vance, who has taken a leading role in these
negotiations. He is set to face reporters just about an hour from now here in the White House at the Briefing Room.
So we'll be watching very closely for what he has to say as he is preparing to head to Switzerland for what Swiss officials are describing, as you
mentioned, as a first round of negotiations on the thornier issues about what happens with Iran's nuclear material.
Now this White House has a very, very challenging job right now and that is to convince a skeptical American public that this agreement they have
reached with Iran is both different from the Obama-era Iran deal, that president Trump has been so critical of.
As well as the idea that it is a good deal for the United States, president Trump trying to make that case at a press conference in France yesterday.
He says that Iran will not be able to procure or produce a nuclear weapon. He says that the Strait of Hormuz, that critical oil thoroughfare, will be
reopened.
He also defended waivers that allow Iran to export oil, as well as a plan to develop a $300 billion fund for economic development and rehabilitation
in Iran that he says the U.S. will not be spending money for and is also contingent on good behavior.
He also said that ending this conflict, in his words, will avoid an economic catastrophe. He said that it would have led to that if it kept on
going and he didn't want to be compared to Herbert Hoover. That is the U.S. president who presided over the Great Depression.
Now the president signed that hard copy of this agreement at a dinner at the palace of Versailles last night before heading back here to Washington.
And this agreement is going to start the 60-day clock for those more complicated technical negotiations.
The president has indicated that that deadline might be flexible. Meanwhile, the White House fielding all of this criticism. And just to give
you a little sampling of what they are hearing from senator Ted Cruz, he says that that $300 billion fund would be a mistake.
Senator John Cornyn says it's a mixed bag at best as well as senator Bill Cassidy, who has called it the worst foreign policy blunder in decades. The
White House very clearly still has work to do to sell this. We'll be watching the vice president very closely.
MACFARLANE: Yes. Strong words. We'll keep an eye out for JD Vance in the coming hours. Betsy Klein, thank you.
And as we've been reporting, the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding is threatened by continuing fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
We've learned in the past hour that three people were killed in Israeli drone attacks in Lebanon, according to the Lebanese national news agency.
[10:20:07]
CNN's Oren Liebermann is in Jerusalem as the fate of the U.S.-Iranian agreement hangs in the balance.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF AND CORRESPONDENT: Well, Israel and Israelis generally view this whole development, the memorandum
of understanding and president Donald Trump's remarks, as incredibly negative.
In fact, in one Israeli media outlet, Trump's remarks yesterday on the agreement itself and, for example, saying that Iran needs ballistic
missiles for its own defenses, they are viewed as, quote, "one of the most difficult speeches in American president has ever given" regarding Israel
and its prime minister in a time of war.
And that's just a bit of a flavor of what you're hearing here in terms of the agreement itself and how it's being viewed, especially as the U.S. is
effectively going to force Israel to end the war in Lebanon, not on Israeli terms but on, frankly, Iranian terms.
And that's part of the issue here. Now prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tried to convey to Trump that Israel is not a party to the agreement or
a signatory to the understanding and isn't going to withdraw from Lebanon.
But obviously, Trump has drawn pretty severe boundaries around what Israel is allowed to do in Lebanon. He has quite publicly criticized Israel and
Netanyahu for attacking Beirut since the last ceasefire. So you see Trump effectively boxing Netanyahu in.
And yet, if you look on the ground once again, after the latest ceasefire and after the one before that and the one before that, going back to
November 2024, the conflict there continues.
Israel is still striking southern Lebanon. Hezbollah is still carrying out drone attacks against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon. So the conflict
there continues with the possibility, if it expands, to cause a real problem for the U.S.-Iran negotiations over the next 60-plus days.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: Oren Liebermann there.
Now, in the coming hours, former U.S. president Barack Obama will officially open his Presidential Center in Chicago. We'll take you on an
inside tour of the $850 million facility.
And later this hour, look at the New York Knicks' victory parade celebrating their first NBA championship since 1973.
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MACFARLANE: Nearly a decade after leaving the White House, former U.S. president Barack Obama is opening his Presidential Center in Chicago.
Today's ceremony is expected to draw a number of VIP guests, including former Presidents Biden, Clinton and Bush.
CNN's Jeff Zeleny received a sneak peek of the $850 million center in Chicago and takes us on this tour.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: When you walk inside the Obama Presidential Center, the first thing you see is toward a
more perfect union. A bit of a history lesson with a message from the president, saying America has always been a work in progress.
[10:25:00]
You stop and listen and hear the president's remarks. Yes, we can. We all remember that anthem of his candidacy that led him to the White House. We
often think of Barack Obama as a two-term president but so much happened before he got to the White House. When you walk past these signs, I'm
really taken back to how he got there.
It was not a foregone conclusion that he would win that primary campaign back in 2008. But he did win Iowa, fired up, ready to go, a key slogan of
his. And he went on to a very bruising campaign with Hillary Clinton.
MICHELLE OBAMA, FORMER FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: All of us driven by the simple belief that the world as it is just won't do.
ZELENY: This is not just about Barack Obama, it's about Michelle Obama as well. And this speech of hers during the Democratic National Convention in
2008 really was one of the first times where the country was seeing not just one Obama but two Obamas.
And look, Joe Biden picked as the senator from Delaware to add experience to the ticket. Of course, we had no idea at that point what history would
have in store. So now that he's reached the White House, clearly what was waiting for him was the economy.
But the reality is, going through the first term, it wasn't clear that he would win reelection because of the economy.
ObamaCare, of course, this nearly cost him his reelection, there's no doubt about it. It was viewed as a huge liability for his party. He lost control
of Congress because of this. Obviously, being commander in chief was one of the weightiest responsibilities of his presidency. I'm struck by how
basically that is summed up just in like one panel here.
The challenges here from ending the war in Iraq, expanding the war in Afghanistan, the war in Syria, the drone program, those are some of the
most controversial pieces of his legacy still to this day.
Here is the replica Oval Office. When you walk inside here, it's reminiscent of most every presidential library and museum. Everyone has
them, right down to the replica Resolute Desk.
Of course, Donald Trump is not mentioned at all in this presidential center. But when you look around this room, perhaps this is the most
striking example of how very different things are.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You see the new and improved Oval Office.
ZELENY: And on the eighth floor is the Sky Room. It has sweeping views of the South and West Sides of Chicago, as well as Lake Michigan. But even
more than that, these giant letters that are etched in stone are from a particular speech, the one he delivered on the 50th anniversary of the
March on Selma.
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Oh, what a glorious task we are given to continually try to improve this great nation of ours.
ZELENY: The architect said seeing these letters is like looking into his mind as he's writing the speech. This is one part of his legacy. But
finally, this Obama presidential center is opening nearly 10 years after he left office -- Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Chicago.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: All right, let's get you up to speed on some of the other stories that are on our radar right now.
Apple says it may have to raise the price of its products as the cost of memory and storage chips continues to climb. CEO Tim Cook told "The Wall
Street Journal" the company has absorbed higher costs for as long as it could but says those increases are now becoming unsustainable.
Luxury items from the collection of a jailed Vietnamese billionaire are being auctioned off to repay the billions she owes her victims. In 2024,
Truong My Lan received two life sentences for her role in a $44 billion banking fraud.
So far, her Birkin bags, cars and yachts have sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars. But that's just a tiny fraction of the billions she
still owes.
Still to come, Iran celebrates the agreement signed with the USA as a message from a strong Tehran. We'll get analysis on whether this really is
a win for Iran.
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MACFARLANE (voice-over): Welcome back to CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Christina Macfarlane. These are your headlines this hour.
Some U.S. Republican lawmakers are criticizing the president's agreement with Iran. It's been signed by both Donald Trump and his Iranian
counterpart. The 14-point memorandum of understanding aims to end the war on all fronts and reopen the critical Strait of Hormuz.
Ukraine launched its largest attack on Moscow since the start of the war with Russia. Moscow says nearly 200 drones were shot down overnight, just
part of a broader Ukrainian barrage on Russian territory.
It came as NATO defense ministers met in Brussels, where the U.S. Defense Secretary announced a review of America's military commitment to Europe.
Nearly a decade after leaving the White House, former U.S. president Barack Obama is set to officially open his Presidential Center in Chicago today.
Obama's $850 million center is the first U.S. presidential museum to open since 2013 and includes a number of exhibits, cultural experiences and
public spaces.
MACFARLANE: Pens have been put to paper and the U.S.-Iran peace agreement has been signed. The presidents of both countries, plus mediator Pakistan,
inked the document separately, as you can see here, pledging to work together to end hostilities.
On the Iranian side, president Masoud Pezeshkian calling the memorandum a message from a strong Iran and the country's lead negotiator said it was
only made possible because Iran showed restraint.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMMAD BAGHER GHALIBAF, IRANIAN LEAD NEGOTIATOR (through translator): Everything that we wanted to get by striking, we got several times more of
it through negotiation. It is not comparable at all.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (from captions): So in return for not responding, you obtained concessions?
GHALIBAF (through translator): What exactly did we want from that?
You saw that, by 2 o'clock in the morning. Trump, the president of the United States, announced a ceasefire not just in Dahiyeh but throughout all
of Lebanon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Iran has always maintained that an end to the fighting in Lebanon must be part of any agreement. And that is included in the initial
framework. But the U.S. president's goals in this war have been less clear throughout. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I don't see them getting back involved in the nuclear business anymore. I think they've had it.
QUESTION: If they come back after the signing of this and say they want to continue to have a civilian nuclear program, is that acceptable to you?
TRUMP: Well, I've said to them always, I say, look, you have probably the third largest oil reserves in the world.
What the hell do you need nuclear for?
It's also -- it is a little hard, though, when you say that somebody wants it, other people have it, other adjoining states have it and you're not
letting them have it for purposes of electricity and things like that. It's always a little tough. You have to use a little common sense.
To prevent this very wicked radical dictatorship from threatening America and our core national security interests, we are going to destroy their
missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground.
QUESTION: You said you don't mind Iran having ballistic missiles.
Can you elaborate on that?
I want to make sure we understand your position.
TRUMP: No, I want to -- I'm saying that if other countries have them, it's a little bit unfair for them not to have some.
I stopped them my first term when I terminated the Iran nuclear deal, which was Barack Obama's deal.
It gave everything to Iran, including billions of dollars in green cash.
[10:35:04]
I don't mean cash. I mean green cash, flown over by airplanes.
It's not our money. It's their money and we froze it. At a certain point in time, I guess we're going to have to give it back. You know, if we didn't
give it back, nobody would ever invest in the dollar again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Wow.
Really lays it out, doesn't it?
Well, I want to bring in Iranian foreign policy expert Hamidreza Azizi. He's the visiting fellow at the German Institute for International and
Security Affairs and he joins me from Berlin.
Thank you so much for your time. So look, we just heard president Trump there outlining remarkably different goals from the ones he put forward at
the start of the war.
What are you -- first of all, what do you make of this huge shift?
HAMIDREZA AZIZI, IRANIAN FOREIGN POLICY EXPERT, VISITING FELLOW, GERMAN INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL AND SECURITY AFFAIRS: Well, I think on both
sides we are witnessing kind of a pragmatic shift.
And kind of a totally different rhetoric because you also aired Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf during a parliamentary speaker's words, earlier as well.
And in his words, I think, this shift is also kind of evidence.
You know, when he says that if we wanted to actually strike or if we wanted to, you know, remove the naval blockade by force, we would have started a
war, maybe bigger than the 40 days war that we fought.
So I think both sides actually came to a point where the possibilities and also the constraints in terms of what military force -- and on the Iranian
side, of course, what the resistance, let's say, can achieve, became clear to them.
And now this is basically reflected in this document, which is, I think, broad enough for both sides to be able to claim victory but, at the same
time, open to interpretation to the extent that now we are seeing criticisms in both the United States and Iran about certain points of this
understanding
MACFARLANE: Yes, open enough to claim victory on both sides. But it is Iran really who are doing all the claiming here. I mean, we mentioned there
the Iran's president calling this agreement with the U.S. a message from a strong Iran. You mentioned Ghalibaf just then. He also said the agreement
is a record of U.S. failure.
I mean, are they right?
How much of a win is this for Tehran?
AZIZI: Well, there is no doubt that if we are to judge this memorandum of understanding against Trump's, claims when he initiated the war and also
during the war -- and if we even go back to the time that the two sides were negotiating a potential agreement right before the war at the end of
February.
So what Iran is now achieving is more than, you know, what it could achieve through the diplomatic track in February. And what it is offering is
probably less. But at the same time, there's no clarity on the details.
And that is where I think the criticism from the Iranian side, from the hardliners in Tehran, is coming from, especially when it comes to the fate
of the nuclear program itself, although, in principle, it seems that the United States has agreed to, you know, Iran having an enrichment program
domestically.
But then when it comes to the details, for example, potential suspension of enrichment or the shipping out of the stockpile, these are the points that,
given the deep mistrust, there are arguments that this might all be a kind of deception tactic by the United States in the end.
MACFARLANE: Interesting. And it certainly, as you say, creates room for maneuver in the next stage that is to come.
And when we consider that negotiations are now set to get underway tomorrow, I know you have said that the ambiguous nature of the agreement
will create problems further down the road.
Can you just explain a bit more what you mean by that?
AZIZI: Well, there are a few concrete examples here. One is, for example, about the Lebanon being included in the agreement. And this is, of course,
something that the Iranian leaders have been maneuvering on a lot, saying that we actually managed to include Lebanon and support for Hezbollah in
this.
But, look, the language is quite vague. It's about respecting Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity. And here one can argue that it is
Hezbollah that is challenging the sovereignty of the Lebanese state. So it really depends on how the two sides want to interpret that.
Another example is, when it comes to the Strait of Hormuz, you know, the memorandum of understanding speaks about the reopening of the strait to
commercial shipping.
[10:40:00]
So what if, for example, the United States want to send some warships through the strait?
How is Iran going to react to that?
So these are all the kind of parts of the MOU that are open to interpretation. And depending on how this or that party, you know, act or
react, this can, you know, lead to some unwanted escalation eventually.
MACFARLANE: Yes. And as you rightly point out, the question of Lebanon is a big one, especially as we've been reporting just in the past hour that
three people have been killed by Israeli drone attacks. A lot to watch here moving forward. But Hamidreza Azizi, thank you so much for your analysis.
OK. Some from within Donald Trump's own party have been quick to criticize the U.S.-Iran agreement. Senator Bill Cassidy, who lost his primary
election last month after intervention by the president, labeled it the worst foreign policy move in decades.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BILL CASSIDY (R-LA): This will go down as a tremendous foreign policy blunder, Iran ends up stronger.
SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): Now I don't want to see theocratic Islamists who want to kill U.S. made stronger. So if this deal is giving them $300
billion, that's a mistake.
TREY GOWDY, FOX NEWS HOST: They're better off than they were before the hostilities began and that should not be the consequence of war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: President Trump hit back at his critics, posting on social media that those who think he hasn't been tough enough on Iran are either
jealous, bad or stupid people.
OK, we'll be back with more news after this. Stay with us.
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MACFARLANE: The UAE is banning social media for children, specifically all those under the age of 15. This move follows similar moves by the U.K. and
Australia and makes the Gulf country the first in the Arab world to introduce such restrictions.
Under the new rules, kids will be banned from creating, using or operating a personal account on socials. The goal is to shield them from the risks
and negative impacts of these online platforms.
Now where will the next Silicon Valley spring up?
That little corner of the world that will be home to the next SpaceX or Amazon, the next company that will change the way we live?
Well, Startup Genome monitors the factors that make cities good incubators for innovation. And in its 2026 Global Startup Ecosystem Report, Abu Dhabi,
where CONNECT THE WORLD is based, makes it into the top 50, largely due to the staggering scope of investment in new tech.
The startup ecosystem value of Abu Dhabi is $73 billion, three times the global average. Well, driving Abu Dhabi startup ambitions and focusing that
massive investment is Hub71, a home for new companies looking to disrupt legacy industries since 2019.
[10:45:06]
Becky Anderson spoke to CEO Ahmad Ali Alwan and they began by discussing AI, almost a prerequisite for all new players today, no matter what the
industry.
AHMAD ALI ALWAN, CEO, HUB71: We're at the cusp of transformation. I think now we feel it even at Hub71. The way we think about it as a team, not only
the companies we're attracting but also how we're running our business.
We want to be AI first, making sure we're investing a lot of that into how we do our operations but also attracting companies that are not riding the
wave of AI technology but are on the frontier of it.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST: You know, startup ecosystems are very, very competitive. Everybody wants to be the new Silicon Valley.
So what do you believe sets Abu Dhabi apart?
ALWAN: Out of here, you get access to different markets across the different parts of the world. And our founders feel that they can become
global businesses from day one.
Among my favorite things, I'd say this is something that stems from an Abu Dhabi and the UAE value that we try to cascade into. Our startup ecosystem
is community, is the feeling that we are here together is the feeling of tolerance, diversity.
We don't isolate sectors or programs. When they come together, we get them to work alongside each other.
ANDERSON: I have to ask, I mean, how concerned are founders and indeed investors at this point about the regional instability that we've all
experienced here and the general global economic uncertainty?
ALWAN: Great investors, great founders always look for opportunity. So what we have seen is that a lot of people are focused on ensuring that
there are the type of tools, technologies that would support localizing technology.
COVID (ph) became the biggest trend of technology adoption because, you know, when people were used to attracting technology from different parts
of the world, all of a sudden, they realized the solutions needed to stop here. And this is just, you know, another situation where it emphasizes the
need of local localization.
ANDERSON: Abu Dhabi has made a massive investment, a huge bet on AI and advanced tech. More than 80 percent of your latest start up cohort, as I
understand it, is building AI-driven products.
Can you just talk a little bit about that?
ALWAN: Of course, AI in many ways today is effectively a prerequisite. It is foundational to any company that's building technology or any product or
platform.
The UAE has a long-term leadership position and vision when it comes to AI. Startups are beneficiaries of that. They see opportunities they have to
cater their product, their offerings to support this vision and mission. And our role as Hub71 is to be a conduit between the opportunity that
exists today and the startups.
So what does a savvy AI startup or just tech startup look like today?
Then in 2026, when I started with Hub71, it took a startup 3-6 months to build a business. Today, it takes 3-6 days.
So savvy investors are really now looking at, OK, how do we maintain the edge?
For us always when we see that founder with a dream, with that, you know, with that obsession about building a company, ultimately that tends to also
help a lot.
ANDERSON: You just made the top 50 emerging areas for tech startups.
How quickly can you get into the top 10?
ALWAN: As quickly as we could.
(LAUGHTER)
ALWAN: That's the mission. You know, you've been here long enough to know that the deadline is yesterday. So we're just running as fast as we can.
It's being very technology first, ensuring that you have propositions that would support and benefit the wider startup ecosystem.
It's believing in the different initiative that supports startups, SMEs in Abu Dhabi, not only believing but also bringing them to reality.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: Becky Anderson there, considering the future of where this might all go.
OK. Up next, we have a look at the New York Knicks' victory parade -- you can see some of the live images now -- celebrating their first NBA
championship since 1973.
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[10:50:00]
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MACFARLANE: This hour, the New York Knicks' championship parade is making its way up Lower Manhattan Knicks. Players and coaches are celebrating
their first NBA championship in over 50 years.
And as we can see with these live images here, the fans have turned out in force, as have the police. Over 10,000 officers are working to manage a
crowd expected to be over 1 million. CNN's Maria Santana is live for us in New York on the phone.
Maria, it's a sea of orange and blue down there. Tell us what you're seeing and what the mood is.
MARIA SANTANA, CNN EN ESPANOL ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Oh my God, this is absolutely crazy down in Lower Manhattan today, I've never seen anything
like this. There's just so much enthusiasm, so much pride, so much love for the Knicks. And they're really bringing the city together.
I'm telling you, the city is totally paralyzed today. I don't think anybody wants to work. I don't think kids went to school. Everybody is down here.
And as a matter of fact, by 7 am, the police were turning fans away. All the viewing vans were completely full. The trains were full.
It took about a half an hour for people just to come out of the subway, trying to get close to the parade route. It started just a few minutes ago,
so, as you can imagine, the atmosphere is absolutely electric.
We were seeing the players, Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jose Alvarado, all just come on the blocks behind us, waving their flags, waving
Knicks gear. We saw the trophy. The trophy was also here. It's finally, these fans say, some of them got to touch it.
As one of the players got off his bus and came over with the trophy and let some of the fans get close to it, you know, it's been 53 years. Many people
have been waiting for this moment.
And I've spoken to families of different generations. A mother who was here in 1973, she was at the Garden when the Knicks last won the championship.
And she was here with her son for this parade. So it's the love for this team has been passed down from generation to generation.
And I'm telling you, the whole city seems to be down here. There is a lot of security. People had to go through security checks, metal detectors,
more than 10,000 agents down here at this parade.
And at the end, there's going to be over a ton of confetti dropped from the sky, the buildings of New York. And it's all going to end in a ceremony at
City Hall, where the mayor, Zohran Mamdani, hands the key to the city to the players.
And then we're going to have Alicia Keys as one of the performers here who's going to do a version of "Empire State of Mind," the thing that has
become the song, that has become the anthem for this team and for this city during this time.
MACFARLANE: Yes, I mean, a 50-year wait. There are generations of fans, as you say, down there on the streets. And as you've been speaking, we've been
looking at this float making its way down this -- I think it's about a mile it has to travel. And it looks, quite honestly, very small in comparison to
the number of people who've turned out.
It's dwarfed, in fact, by the crowds. And as you say, Maria, I mean, this float is going to head down to City Hall, where it will meet with Mayor
Zohran Mamdani. And the Knicks will be handed the keys to the city. Just speak to the symbolism of that, how often that happens and you know just
how unprecedented today is, what we're seeing.
SANTANA: Yes. I mean, it's very rare to see the city. You have to, you know, perform a heroic act that needs to be loved by New Yorkers. And so it
is. The last time we had one of these parades was in 2012 for the New York Giants. Before that, 2009 for the New York Yankees.
[10:55:00]
I've been to several of these and I can tell you this is the most people, the most enthusiasm I have felt at one of these parades. You know, New York
fans, we are now (ph) we are gracious. We come out in numbers.
But this does feel different. And different in, you know, 52-53 year wait. People who say they've been Knicks fans their entire lives, since they were
little kids, have been waiting for this moment.
I spoke to a woman, a very emotional story. She was 1 year old in 1973. Her dad was a lifelong Knicks fan and filled (ph) this love of his team on her.
He died three years ago, so he was not able to be a part of this celebration.
And she said she just had to be here, to be here for her father so he could experience this, because she could feel his presence here.
It was absolutely amazing. And these are the kinds of stories that we keep hearing, you know, the city just coming together. Like no other type event
can bring people together like the love of sports. And we're seeing that right now too, with the World Cup, which is in our area also --
(CROSSTALK)
MACFARLANE: Yes. And it does feel like the Knicks are slightly dwarfing the World Cup.
It does feel like the Knicks are slightly dwarfing the World Cup at the now. I've got to be honest, Maria. We're going to have to leave it there on
these amazing pictures. Enjoy the moment.
And unfortunately that is it for CONNECT THE WORLD. But stay with us. More of this coming up and plenty more on "ONE WORLD." That's up next.
END
