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Connect the World
Six-day Funeral Ceremonies for Khamenei Begin Saturday; Approximately 1,000 Guests Expected at Swift-Kelce Wedding Celebration; Kyiv Observing Day of Mourning After Massive Russian Attack; Assessing the Future of Gulf States After the Iran War; 72M People Expected to Travel on U.S. July 4th Weekend. Aired 9-9:45a ET
Aired July 03, 2026 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[09:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: These are live pictures out of Iran, where preparations are underway, and foreign leaders are arriving for
the funeral of Iran's late Supreme Leader, killed at the start of the war. We'll be tracking that story. CNN is on the ground in Tehran.
It is 04:30 p.m. there, and it's 05:00 p.m. here in Abu Dhabi. I'm Eleni Giokos. This is "Connect the World". Also coming up, in the United States,
the countdown to America's 250th birthday is on. Excitement already gaining pace ahead of tomorrow's celebrations, and the wait is over.
It's wedding day for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce at New York's Madison Square Garden. Right, welcome to the show. And Diplomacy on paws, a space
to close, and donation coming to a standstill. We begin in Iran, which is preparing to bury Former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his coffin,
as well as those of family members, on display in Tehran, ahead of processions across the country and in Iraq between Saturday and Thursday.
Iran's Supreme, Iran's President rather has called on the nation to turn out in large numbers to portray a united front to the world, something that
appears to be part of a defined message to the United States. Fred Pleitgen is in Tehran. CNN operates in Iran only with the permission of the
government, but maintains full editorial control of its reports.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This could possibly be the largest event in the history of the Islamic Republic of
Iran. The funeral ceremonies for Iran's slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Now, those are set to happen here at the gigantic Mosalla
religious complex in the center of Tehran, where big events are often held.
And just to recap, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a joint U.S.- Israeli air strike in the early stages of the U.S. and Israel's attacks on Iran on February 28 the burial and funeral ceremonies, however, were held
up. First of all, because, of course, combat operations were still going on, but then also because the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran was so
very fragile.
Millions of people are set to come here to Tehran. That's why the security here is extremely tight. There's a lot of posters of the supreme leader
that have already been put up here throughout the city. And what's going to happen is that the body will lie here in state, but not just the supreme
leader.
Also other family members of the supreme leader who were also killed in that air strike, including one of the granddaughters in a tiny casket. Some
of the video of that has already been shown on Iranian state TV. As far as the timing in all of this is concerned, first of all, the body is going to
lie in state here for several days.
Then there's going to be a big funeral procession here in Tehran, but then the body will be taken to several holy sites, both in Iran, but also in
Iraq, and then finally brought to its final resting place in one of Shia Islam's holiest sites in Mashhad.
GIOKOS: All right, Fred Pleitgen for us there in Tehran. I want to join in Leila Gharagozlou. The overall conversation needs to be widened here,
because they're sending a really interesting message, one of resilience, one of defiance, but how is that taken up, not only domestically, but also
by the United States, and then, importantly, by, you know, the region.
LEILA GHARAGOZLOU, CNN PRODUCER: Yeah, you know, as you said, they're showing this message of strength, unity, resilience in the face of what has
been a very difficult time. And I think we have to look at this funeral in the context in which it's occurring off the backdrop of this four month
very brutal war, where they were faced off with two of their most fearsome foes, as it were, and have come out as the victors to their own mind.
And they also came off the back of these really, really intense nationwide regime-change protests, so they've had a very difficult six months, they're
coming out of this saying we're stronger than ever. We weren't defeated, we weren't toppled, and we're going to keep moving forward.
And a lot of the symbolism that we've seen already shown through this funeral really show that, you know, Fred talked about this image of the
fist of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei with the words, we must rise, and that really is the message that they're sending externally, but most importantly
internally to really show that they're unified and nothing internally can really damage that.
GIOKOS: I mean, we've seen some of these live pictures coming through from Iran, and what's interesting is that you also have a lot of foreign
leaders, notably Pakistan's Prime Minister, also arriving there and obviously, Pakistan being a key mediator in peace talks.
[09:05:00]
We also know those talks are on pause right now in Doha. I wonder what kind of message that is sending. Were you seeing foreign leaders attending this
funeral procession at a time where you've got the 60-day window and it is really fragile right now?
GHARAGOZLOU: Yeah, so the foreign leaders and dignitaries that we're seeing there aren't as high level as perhaps they would have been if it hadn't
come off the back of a war, but they are some of Iran's key allies. You know, we're seeing dignitaries from China, Russia, India, Pakistan, people
who've really stood with Iran throughout this whole conflict, and it does speak to the fragility of this moment.
You know, there's a very fine balance between the U.S. and Iran, and these talks, which are on pause for the six days of this funeral.
GIOKOS: All right, so just give me a sense of what we're expecting for the rest of the day in the next few days. And again, talks are on pause for
this funeral procession. What do you anticipate will be coming through in the next few days?
GHARAGOZLOU: Well, the next few days are really going to be focused on the funeral. The Iranian state media isn't showing anything else but the
funeral. Tomorrow is the very start of that. It's going to be through Tehran, eventually ending in Mashhad at the hometown of Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei.
Hopefully, on Thursday, we also get a glimpse of Mojtaba Khamenei, the New Supreme Leader. He hasn't been seen yet, so that's going to be something
that everyone's going to be watching and waiting to see.
GIOKOS: All right, Leila, great to have you. Thank you so much for that analysis. OK, so moving on, and Tehran is sparing no expense to send off
Khamenei in a grand ceremony shrouded in religious symbolism. The timing overlaps with the 250th U.S. Independence Day celebrations, both stories
highlighting the power of national symbolism, and that's a topic that you can read about on our website.
And we want to focus now on how the United States is preparing for that major milestone, 250 years of independence. This July 4th promises pomp and
pageantry across the country with parades, fireworks, flyovers, and more. The anticipation is already building with huge events planned in the
capital, Washington, D.C.
U.S. President Donald Trump will be spending Independence Day eve at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. CNN's Kevin Liptak is at the White House for us.
Good to see you, Kevin. So, President Trump heading to Mount Rushmore. I want you to give me a sense of the symbolism here.
It is unmistakable. You've got patriotism, national pride, celebration, but have the recent controversy surrounding his finances and cryptocurrency
ventures coupled with growing disillusionment among sections of the federal workforce after sweeping government cuts and dismissals fundamentally
changed the mood.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, you know, I think it's clearly a tension-filled moment in the United States, politically. I think
socially as well. And so, this anniversary is coming at a very fraught time. You know, the president, when he's going to Mount Rushmore later
today is actually reviving a trip that he took in his first term.
During that term, he mused about potentially seeing his own face on that monument at some point in the future, and seems likely that he might
mention that again. He's also flying there on the new jet that was donated from Qatar, that I think only aggravates some of the concerns about the
conflicts of interest and the president's financial disclosures that just came out earlier this week.
You know, this whole anniversary has been, I think, politicized in a lot of ways that were meant to be avoided. You know, there was a bipartisan
commission, the America 250 Commission, that was created a decade ago in the Obama Administration to try and plan for this seminal anniversary in
the United States.
But in a lot of ways, it was overtaken by a different Trump-organized institution, Freedom 250. It took some away some of the funding, and in
fact, just yesterday, Democrats accused Freedom 250 of committing essentially wire fraud by donors who were thought they were donating to the
more bipartisan faction, and instead sent their money to the Freedom 250 organization.
That's the group that has been organizing the state fair. The pictures that you're seeing there on the screen, they also organized the UFC fight, an
Indy race that's taking place in Washington. All of these anniversary events that are really centered around President Trump himself.
And you'll see that tomorrow when the president delivers what he claims will be a very long speech ahead of what they hope will be a record-
breaking fireworks display here in Washington. Now, there are a lot of questions about how that exactly that will proceed, given that the high
temperature in Washington, both today and tomorrow, is hovering around 105 degrees.
Some real concerns about individuals' safety during that event, and then, of course, the smoke created by those fireworks also causing warnings about
air quality in the Washington region, as well.
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There are, I think, also private concerns at the White House that perhaps the crowd at that event will not necessarily meet the president's
expectations. All of this, I think, making it hard for people to look at this anniversary sort of within imagination that goes beyond some of the
contentious political battles of the day and more towards the historic importance of this anniversary.
But nonetheless a lot of, I think, stops being pulled out. President Trump certainly very eager to celebrate this moment, he has talked frequently
about he thinks it's a fate that he is president during this anniversary moment, but I think politics finding a way to seep into all of it as well -
-
GIOKOS: Yeah, it always does. Kevin Liptak, thank you so very much. Good to see you. Now, amid the Independence Day fireworks and festivities
celebrations of a very different kind for possibly the world's most famous couple, pop icon Taylor Swift and NFL star Travis Kelce have kicked off
their wedding celebrations at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Sources tell CNN the event is said to be an extravagant affair with around 1000 guests expected to attend, despite the size, plans have been subject
to utmost secrecy, with the event expected to enforce a strict no phones policy. Brynn Gingras is outside Madison Square Garden now, hopefully with
a bit of detail of what's going on.
So, actually, Red, before we get into the details, I've got to ask, are you a Swifty?
BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Eleni, you know, that's a really tough question to ask me right now, considering it's been, you know,
the third day of sort of tracking this wedding, and it's over 100 degrees every day. So right now, she's not exactly my favorite person, although I
do enjoy her music, so whatever that makes me, that's what I am.
GIOKOS: OK, yeah. No, I get it. I mean, it's a tough assignment, but sounds like a lot of fun.
GINGRAS: Yeah.
GIOKOS: And the truth is, whether we like it or not, there are a lot of Swifties out there, and very excited about this event, but you've got, you
know, it's shrouded in secrecy.
GINGRAS: Yeah.
GIOKOS: Give me a sense of what people are saying, what people are thinking. Have they caught a glimpse of what might be happening?
GINGRAS: Yeah, you know, look, we are seeing a lot of Swifties come down to Madison Square Garden, the heart of New York City, to hopefully get some
sort of peek at whatever clues they can see about what is happening inside. And quite honestly, we are doing the same thing every time we see a truck
go down 31st street, which is where the main entrance to where guests are going to be arriving, where the set-up crews have also been going through
in Midtown Manhattan.
We, you know, kind of piece together what's going to be happening through this quote, unquote, garden party extravaganza that's expected to happen
for the wedding later tonight. We've seen baked goods, we've seen cut stuff to make pizzas. We've seen air conditioner units, we've seen lighting
transform the arena of Madison Square Garden.
So, it has been a little bit of fun trying to get some clues, but it has been completely shrouded in secrecy. There are major tents built along that
street, so that when the guests do arrive later today, we're understanding 1000 guests are invited to this, all being rolled up in tinted SUVs.
They'll be able to literally drive into a tent, go completely undetected as they enter this enormous party. And streets have also been shut down around
New York, around Madison Square Garden rather. We've actually been seeing police officers honking their horns if any yellow cab tried to even pull
over close to Madison Square Garden.
And it's only 09:15 in the morning here. This wedding isn't supposed to kick off until about 04:30 in the afternoon. So, yes, security has
certainly ramped up, but it's going to be quite a party from our understanding.
GIOKOS: Yeah.
GINGRAS: As I mentioned, people are expected to arrive around 4, 04:30 There's going to be a cocktail hour, and then we're understanding the
wedding is going to take place on the arena floor, and that will be followed by the usual dinner and dancing, I imagine, until early morning
hours of July 4th.
We've heard it's turned into a garden party. It is a black-tie event, is our understanding. No phones are ever going to be allowed inside, so no one
can get pictures, they want to have this completely to themselves, possibly, maybe to make a movie later on, that's what other people are
suspecting.
But I got to tell you, as far as Swifties are concerned, we have -- we've seen a few, and there are people are excited, some people have said this is
like the royal family getting married here in the United States.
GIOKOS: Yeah.
GINGRAS: So, there is a lot of excitement building as we get closer to the start of this wedding.
GIOKOS: I mean, to shut down some of the busiest streets in New York City is just absolutely, I think, indicative of how important this moment is.
Stay cool, and good luck.
[09:15:00]
Hope you catch a glimpse of some, you know, interesting people Brynn Gingras for us in New York.
GINGRAS: Yes.
GIOKOS: All right, we're watching, you're watching "Connect the World", and you're watching all the news that matters. There's more right after this.
Stick with CNN.
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GIOKOS: Ukraine's capital is observing a day of mourning right now to honor the victims of a massive Russian attack on the city. Ukraine said at least
30 people were killed and more than 90 wounded. Search and rescue operations continue for a second straight day amid concerns that more
people could be buried under the debris.
CNN's Sebastian Shukla joins us now live. Sebastian, I mean deadly attack, seeing the images of the aftermath of this Russian strike. What is the
update in terms of search and rescue operations as you know, day of mourning has been announced?
SEBASTIAN SHUKLA, CNN PRODUCER: Yeah, the search and rescue operations, as we've seen from the video of that apartment block in the southern part of
the city are actually ongoing, and as you said, 30 people have now sadly been killed as a result of this attack, but the brutality and barbarity of
this attack, I think, has really come to light in the last few days, Eleni.
The Ukrainian armed forces, particularly the air force, have been briefing about the change of tactic here used by the Kremlin, you mentioned that
there were some 500 drones and 70 missiles that were used to try to overwhelm Ukrainians' air defenses. That's not something that's new, that's
actually the tactic that has been used by both sides in this instance.
What is new, according to the Ukrainian armed forces and the air force, is that 28 of those 70 missiles were ballistic missiles, which are travel at a
much higher trajectory compared to cruise or hypersonic missiles, and therefore makes it incredibly difficult to take down.
And the only way to combat those is to use those American-made Patriot missile systems, known as the PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles, specifically. And
what the Ukrainians are saying is that they are currently experiencing a dire shortage of those weapons, which means that a tactic, this new tactic
used by the Russians, means that there is a higher likelihood of those missiles making it through Ukrainian air defenses.
The other new tactic, which appears to be new here again, is the -- of these 500 drones that were launched, a new type of drone, one that appears
to be jet powered, which means it can travel at a much faster speed and is able to evade the ground patrol crews, who basically fire up at the skies
when they see these drones makes it much more difficult to combat as well.
And a combination of both of those new tactics from the Kremlin has resulted in this really devastating attack. What the Ukrainians have been
asking for, and as we look ahead to the NATO summit next week, they are asking for more money and more weapons to be delivered at an increased
pace, but particular emphasis is on the Patriot missile systems.
[09:20:00]
I want you -- I'm going to read to you a statement from the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, which said the Ukrainian Minister of Defense has already
sent a letter to nearly 40 partner nations requesting the urgent transfer of Patriot missile systems from existing stocks to Ukraine this month in
exchange for future deliveries already contracted for Ukraine.
I think that message from the Ukrainian Defense Ministry is particularly pertinent, Eleni, because I think that shows just how serious they are
viewing the problem of Patriot missile systems, and the missiles in those batteries, because they are spread out across the country.
GIOKOS: Yeah.
SHUKLA: It's not just Kyiv that gets targeted, and if they are running low already, that means that they need to be replenished. And the question is,
the only country in the world that makes these Patriot missile systems is the United States. Do they have them able to be transferred to the
Europeans, who then send them on to Ukraine, because obviously the U.S. and its allies in the Gulf used so many of those Patriot missile systems to
combat the attacks that were emanating from Iran during that war.
GIOKOS: Yeah.
SHUKLA: It's a really delicate situation, Eleni, because we may, that the Kremlin potentially have now seen a new tactic work, and will that heap
more pressure on Kyiv and the Ukrainian people as a potentially new deadly method of attack, Eleni.
GIOKOS: Right, Sebastian Shukla, thank you so much for that analysis. Well, authorities in Monaco say the main suspect in Monday's bomb attack is a
Ukrainian woman who disguised herself as a man. The attack injured a Ukrainian-born businessman, as well as a woman, as well as a child.
The bombing has shaken the small city state of Monaco, where violence is extremely rare, as Nick Paton Walsh explains.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: An extraordinary development in the bombing in Monaco that injured a Ukrainian
millionaire. CCTV images had suggested the prime suspect for police was indeed a man, but they have ascertained they are now in fact looking for a
woman.
She was in disguise, and they've named her as Anastasiia Berezovska, a Ukrainian national. Now, the detail of this investigation is fascinating.
They looked at CCTV images in the days ahead and spotted what looked like the prime suspect, a man in a hat and a hoodie, around the area, looking at
the door of the residence where the bomb was left and hit Vadym Yermolaiev, the Ukrainian millionaire and a woman and child in his company.
The same person conducted two separate recce missions to look at that door, but on the third day, the day before the explosion, a woman conducted
exactly the same path, leading to police to believe that indeed the man in disguise was in fact the woman as well.
Now they've retraced her steps, they believe she's resident in Germany, that she took a hire car from Germany into Monaco, and of course, now she's
a subject of a Europe-wide manhunt, a Ukrainian national herself. They consider the device to have been relatively sophisticated, and it was
carried in a shopping bag seen on the CCTV in the days ahead as well.
So, it was left there and then detonated by remote. The police say it was a homemade device, and they are looking, perhaps, too, to see if there were
any other perpetrators that assisted Ms. Berezovska, and indeed, who ordered that particular attack. Why it's still unclear as to why Mr.
Yermolaiev was the target here.
He has no obvious links to the war in Ukraine, but this extraordinary attack has rattled the otherwise tranquil and wealthy world of Monaco, but
now a swift police investigation has led to this Interpol red notice seeking one particular female suspect. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN London.
GIOKOS: Right, Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez is defending her country's response to the devastating twin earthquakes. Search and rescue
efforts have been ongoing since the quakes hit last week, including this remarkable rescue that you saw live on "Connect the World" yesterday.
A man pulled from the rubble alive after eight days. At a news conference Thursday, President Rodriguez said search and rescue efforts will continue.
CNN Contributor Stefano Pozzebon was there and has more for us.
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: We're coming to you from the International Press Center in Caracas, where the Venezuelan Acting
President Delcy Rodriguez has just concluded an international press conference with members of the media here in the country.
And the responding to a question from us, by the way, from CNN, she said that the new death toll has been updated to 2,595 victims. In the press
conference, Rodriguez was asked several times about the frustration angered by thousands of Venezuelans over the slow pace of the search and rescue,
and now the recovery operation.
[09:25:00]
Rodriguez said that the government has done everything they could, that they deployed more than 19,000 members of the armed forces and civilian
officers to the State of La Guaira, which is where the majority of the damages have been confined. And that they opened the international borders
to allow rescue workers from countries with whom Venezuela doesn't even hold diplomatic relationship with, in order to speed up the process.
Rodriguez also concluded in saying that the Venezuelan government has already reached out to international organizations, such as the World Bank
and the International Monetary Fund, in order to obtain funds to start the reconstruction process, as this country tries to turn the page from the
most catastrophic natural disaster and tragedy in almost 30 years. For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Caracas.
GIOKOS: All right. Coming up on "Connect the World", a look at the future of Gulf nations in the wake of the Iran war. I'll be talking to a regional
expert who says this region faces unprecedented challenges, but will emerge stronger than before. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: Welcome back. Now, a war this region did not choose, and a war unlike any other around the Gulf. Those are the overriding themes of a
report by the management consulting firm Kearney. It points to data showing more than 80 percent of Iran's 6500 strikes before an April ceasefire were
directed at Gulf nations, rupturing infrastructure and causing long-term economic consequences.
The report also emphasizing that Iran's weaponizing of the Strait of Hormuz has created structural security risks for regional trade that will persist
for years after any ceasefire, but it concludes the Gulf region will emerge stronger and more resilient and more strategically consequential in the
global economy than before the conflict began.
Rudolph Lohmeyer is Chairman of Kearney Foresight, Middle East and Africa, and joins me now here in the studio. Really good to see you, Rudolph.
RUDOLPH LOHMEYER, CHAIRMAN OF KEARNEY FORESIGHT, MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA: My pleasure.
GIOKOS: Thanks so much. Really fascinating report. I mean, one thing that I think struck a lot of people at the start of the war is just the resilience
that many of the Gulf economies have actually shown in moments of immense distress and this existential threat, and many said no one knew just how
prepared the Gulf countries were.
Give me a sense of what your discoveries were as you started collating the data.
[09:30:00]
LOHMEYER: You know, in addition to collecting the data, those of us who have worked in the region for years up close, we saw that resilience being
built. In effect, these countries have been building adaptation machines for 10 years. I think more important than the specific destination, the
metrics, the KPIs is this relentless commitment to adapting and building the institutional and financial resources to continuously adapt.
So, I think that's where the resilience came from. They built foundations, for example, fiscal resilience, where they had pre-staged arrangements
where, should a shock occur, they had the financial resources to buffer it, and so that's why their ratings have been so stable, despite the war.
GIOKOS: Yeah, it's really fascinating. I think a lot of other sorts of geographies wouldn't have bounced so easily, you know, in this type of
moment. I want you to give me a sense of the competitive edge that has emerged in all of this. I mean, whether it's economically, whether it's
geo-strategically, you know, what are you reading into this?
LOHMEYER: I think actually the fiscal example is a good one with respect to competitiveness. So having invested the effort to build institutions that
had pre-staged resilience responses, responses to strategic shocks. That's why their ratings have been so stable, which, of course, creates a
competitive advantage.
We see around the world the intense competition for foreign direct investment. You know, investors that have followed your coverage of this,
investors are so focused on risk in this global environment, not just in the Middle East, so to have sustained their ratings despite a war tells
investors that this region is ready for whatever the future may hold.
GIOKOS: I mean, you think about the lifeblood of goods coming into this region, really is through the Strait of Hormuz. I mean, that basically has
come to an enormous standstill, right? And it's not just about oil leaving, it's about goods coming in. What are you seeing in terms of resilience in
that part of the economy, and the ability to sort of diversify and actually look at other trade routes?
LOHMEYER: It's one of the main findings.
GIOKOS: Yeah.
LOHMEYER: And it's what we already see, but also, we see as an imperative, which is this diversification and building of corridor optionality. So
that's infrastructure, of course, we've already seen this work to double the capacity of the pipeline to Fujairah, the Yanbu pipeline, no doubt,
will be expanded, but also in other aspects of physical infrastructure, rail lines, of course, automotive transportation across the region.
They are now in the process of funding and building the infrastructure that will reduce their exposure to the Strait of Hormuz. And I think over that
it's a long-term effort, but over the next two years, a significant portion will be done.
GIOKOS: Look, we know that there's been so much talk about regional integration, and even through the GCC, that hasn't occurred as it should be
economically, and so forth. But that's actually one of the interesting findings, that actually integration is going to create an even better
buffer. What's the argument for that?
LOHMEYER: Absolutely. Listen, we don't know the trajectory that Iran will take, but we're aware of its scale and its resources. What does that mean?
It means to balance Iran and our new regional security architecture. The Gulf countries require critical mass that only comes through genuine unity,
genuine integration, not just symbolic, not just on paper.
So, the imperative has never been stronger, and it doesn't mean all six of the states have to proceed together on everything. It's about we call
variable geometry, where there are aligned interests, where a small group of countries can come together and deliver a result, demonstrate the value,
others will join, so progress can proceed, but the case for deeper integration has never been stronger.
GIOKOS: Yeah, I mean, look, Iran weaponized the Strait of Hormuz. It weaponized, you know, some of the key products the entire world uses. I
mean, it's incredible just to see the impact and the fallout here. And I wonder, when you look at this, and what the long-term impact is ultimately
going to be? What is your sense?
LOHMEYER: For the region?
GIOKOS: Yeah.
LOHMEYER: This thesis sounds like a polite one.
GIOKOS: Yeah.
LOHMEYER: That the region will emerge stronger. It's not a polite one, it's the truth. Because these countries have adaptive capacity that is almost
singular in what we see in the world right now, and of course we work across all the countries of the world. They have demonstrated their ability
to convert these challenges into opportunities and to adapt to change.
And so, from infrastructure corridor optionality, even this difficult choice to pool their sovereignty to achieve more sovereignty, they are
capable of making those changes, they've shown that they are, and that's why we believe they will emerge stronger, and already see the early
indications of that.
GIOKOS: But you've already seen there's been an economic impact on businesses, on tourism, and all of that. I mean, we can't discount.
LOHMEYER: Absolutely.
GIOKOS: The reality on that front.
LOHMEYER: Oh, no doubt.
GIOKOS: Targeting of oil and gas infrastructure. I mean, you know, that's sort of the new reality.
LOHMEYER: Absolutely, the pressure is intense, especially in the near term. The signal that we see is just the pathways to respond to it. One, two
years in the future, we think three years in the future, the region will emerge stronger than it was when it entered it. Remember, the world is so
geopolitically unstable.
The regions that have been tested, that have been through a test like this one, and emerge stronger, will be stronger. But the near-term pressure,
that's the adaptive pressure that is going to drive this change.
GIOKOS: Rudolph Lohmeyer, great to have you with us.
[09:35:00]
Thank you so much for joining us in studio here in Abu Dhabi.
LOHMEYER: My pleasure. Thank you.
GIOKOS: -- Right, so we're expecting records to be broken this weekend for the number of people traveling in the United States amid the celebrations
for the country's 250th birthday. More than 72 million people are expected to be either flying or driving over the Fourth of July holiday.
The AAA is projecting over 60 million will go by car, that is phenomenal number. And American Airlines says it's expecting 8.1 million passengers,
while United says it's set to carry another 6 million. CNN's Ryan Young is at Hartsfield Jackson Airport in Georgia ahead of the weekend travel rush.
And what a rush. I mean, these numbers are mind-boggling. What's the advice? Stay home.
RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah.
GIOKOS: I don't like what is the advice?
YOUNG: No. Yeah, not at all. The advice is to get on the road and spend that money. Look, we're talking about a massive amount of people. When you
throw out the 60 million people are hitting the roadways, more than 5 million in the air. Added a couple World Cup travelers, and you know we are
just exploding with people traveling through this country right now.
Look, we're at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport. This is the world's busiest airport behind us. We've seen people checking in all
morning long, but when people come to the airport, one of the first things they think about always is the security checkpoints and how long they're
going to have to wait.
If you look up there right now, you can see the numbers, four minutes, one minute, six minutes. You guys know that is nothing, considering what we've
seen across the world when it comes to people waiting in security lines to get through the checkpoints. And as we walk you this direction, just to
show you guys, people walking.
How you folks doing? You know, people are in a good mood when it comes to traveling today, and if you look back this direction, another one of the
security lines that we've seen here, it's been breezing through all morning long. I've been told the real pack days here, this airport in particular,
was Tuesday and Wednesday, and the reason for that was because we had all these World Cup travelers coming through who were excited to see England
play.
And so, you understand how this has just been filling some of these airports with people in terms of the excitement. Take a listen to one of
the travelers we talked to.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We do have a lot more freedom.
YOUNG: Yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I'm excited with -- I hate to spring up the politics.
YOUNG: Yeah. OK. That's good.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I like it.
YOUNG: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I like it. So, I'm optimistic about our future.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The World Cup is here in the United States, and it's awesome to see these people from all over the country coming here to watch
a world sport that's worldwide. Billions of people are watching these games.
YOUNG: Feels good?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Feels awesome.
YOUNG: Look, I'm wearing my Team USA jersey. The reason why people are excited about Monday in the game here. In fact, most of the people that
we've talked to today have been saying they want to mix their Fourth of July celebration with the fact that the World Cup is being played here, so
there is some of that true excitement when it comes to seeing the especially the Team USA team play so well.
But, of course, for our international travelers, we've been seeing tons of people from around the world who have been enjoying the festivities here,
especially for the World Cup. And why not eat some of the great food that we have here? It's been pretty busy.
GIOKOS: Listen, Ryan, I mean, I just remember how amazing it is when a country hosts the World Cup when it was happening in South Africa. So, I
feel you, I hear you, and I know it's amazing moment. All right, Ryan Young for us, look after yourself. Portugal is through to the round of 16 by a
hair.
And I mean literally have all the drama for you that's coming up next. Stick with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:40:00]
GIOKOS: The lion sleeps tonight, according to a famous song, but on Sunday night into Monday morning, fans of Three Lions will be up well past their
bedtime. Pubs in England and Wales have been given the green light to stay open until, wait for it, 05:00 a.m. local time.
The match against Mexico starts at 01:00 a.m. England supporters will be hoping to repeat scenes like these when the national team beat the
Democratic Republic of Congo earlier this week. Mexico will prove a tougher challenge, and the last time England were at the Azteca Stadium in a World
Cup.
Diego Maradona produced his infamous Hand of God moment, but that England side, of course, didn't have Harry Kane. All right. Croatia is probably
still seething this morning. Their late equalizer against Portugal ruled out by a head. Patrick Snell will have those controversy details in "World
Sport" updates right after this. Stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:45:00]
(WORLD SPORT)
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