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U.S.-Israel War with Iran; On Board the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln; Ukraine Ramps Up Pressure on Russian-Held Crimea; Turkiye's Crackdown on Dissent Casts Shadow over NATO Summit; Israeli Strike Kills Organizer of Gaza Watch Parties; Global Esports Event; World Cup Highlights. Aired 10- 11a ET

Aired July 09, 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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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): And welcome to the second hour of the show from our Middle East programming headquarters. I'm Becky Anderson

in Abu Dhabi. Time here is just after 6:00 in the evening.

And millions of Iranians on the streets today mourning their late supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.

This as the U.S. renews strikes inside Iran, raising the risk of a dangerous escalation in this conflict.

President Trump surprises Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy with a public promise on Patriot missiles during the NATO summit.

But can they get to the battlefield soon enough?

And a big night for the wider region. Morocco, the last Arab team left in the World Cup, take on tournament favorite, France. We're live in Paris

with fan reaction.

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ANDERSON: Well, Iran's late supreme leader ayatollah Ali Khamenei is being laid to rest today in a private ceremony at the Imam Reza shrine in the

city of Mashhad.

The world watching to see if Khamenei's son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, will make a public appearance in today's final stages of this

funeral.

It comes after another day of back-and-forth strikes between U.S. and Iranian forces. U.S. Central Command says it hit 90 military targets along

the Iranian coast overnight. Iranian media releasing these images that it says show the aftermath of U.S. strikes this Thursday in Bushehr province.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard says it targeted American bases in Bahrain and Kuwait, while the Iranian army says it hit a U.S. site in Qatar. Well,

for more then, let's bring in CNN's Frederik Pleitgen. He is in Tehran.

And anticipation there building for the possibility, at least, of Mojtaba Khamenei's first public appearance as supreme leader.

The question is, will those there and the rest of the world see him?

Will he appear?

What's the -- what's the talk there, Fred?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the anticipation has certainly been building there in Mashhad and generally

across this country about whether or not Mojtaba Khamenei, the successor of ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Who, of course, was killed in the early stages of the U.S. and Israel's attacks on Iran in an airstrike on February 28th, together with several

members of his family, including a 14-year old granddaughter.

Whether or not his successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, would make his first public appearance at that final ceremony as the body of ayatollah Ali Khamenei is

laid to rest in that very important, the most important Shia holy site here in Iran, the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad.

Right now, the expectations, though, are not very high. This -- these proceedings, these funeral proceedings have been going on for the past

couple of days. The bodies have laid in state here in Tehran. There's been a big procession here in Tehran.

And at every stage of the way, the question did arise, is Mojtaba Khamenei going to make an appearance?

And so far that has not been the case. Of course, the other thing to keep in mind is that if Mojtaba Khamenei indeed is generally in the Tehran area,

simply bringing the supreme leader to Mashhad would be a big logistical operation.

Especially under the current conditions, when the Iranians are saying the security situation and the threat of possible attacks against the supreme

leader are still very high. So certainly the expectations are not very high.

However, if we look at some of the videos that we've been seeing out of Mashhad, we can see that there are really thousands, if not hundreds of

thousands of people on the street here, lining the streets, giving their final farewell to the supreme leader, ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who will be

laid to rest in that family ceremony.

But in that, of course, very, very important shrine, the Imam Reza shrine, this really the culmination point of several days of those funeral

ceremonies that have really been all over state TV here. And, of course, have been big public events in the cities that they've taken place in.

[10:05:00]

ANDERSON: Qatar, which has been mediating the U.S.-Iran talks over this MOU, which president Trump, of course, yesterday, Wednesday, said he, you

know, felt was over at this point.

But we've seen these Qatar calls with Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, as strikes hit Gulf states for a second day, they say, in retaliation to these

U.S. strikes on Iran.

Is whatever progress do you believe -- and this is leaning into what you're hearing there -- is whatever progress has been made between Iran and its

Gulf neighbors on the line again, at this point?

PLEITGEN: It certainly seems as though it could very well be on the line. I think one of the things to keep in mind, if you ask around here in

Tehran, especially among political circles but in general, then, certainly people will acknowledge that the Qataris have been extremely important

mediators between the United States and Iran.

Especially in the final stages before the memorandum of understanding was signed. When there were still several open points or points of

disagreement, it was the Qataris who sent delegations here on the ground to try and iron some of those things out.

And so certainly that role is something that has been acknowledged here by the Iranians. At the same time, right now, in the current time, you can

feel that there is renewed friction between Iran and its Gulf neighbors.

And, of course, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz is really the centerpiece of that, with the Iranians apparently targeting some vessels

that belong to some of these Gulf states. The Saudis, also the Qataris, an LNG tanker as well.

So that certainly is something that really brings that friction back up into the spotlight. At the same time, if we look at the Gulf states and we

look at also the Iranians, it seems as though they are trying to keep this contained.

The Iranians have threatened the Gulf nation, saying that they should not side with the U.S., saying that they should not try and undermine, as they

put it, the memorandum of understanding and Iran's control of the Strait of Hormuz.

But at the same time, of course, you are seeing those calls, for instance, between the Qataris and the Iranians.

That shows that they do still have that direct line of contact to try and walk all of this back as, really, right now, it seems as though the

memorandum of understanding, the ceasefire between the United States and Iran is really very much on the ropes with the U.S. conducting those

strikes.

The most recent ones, as you stated there in the Bushehr area. But the Iranians now also acknowledging that they fired 10 ballistic missiles

toward a U.S. military base in Jordan. So certainly, it seems that right now the direction seems to be escalation rather than de-escalation. Becky.

ANDERSON: Yes. Yes, absolutely. It's good to have you on the ground there. Fred Pleitgen is in Tehran, in Iran.

Let's get you to Rene Marsh, who is in Washington.

And Rene, this MOU, a 14-point document that has been mediated on, negotiated on over the past what, month or so, was vague from the start,

never fully implemented, although there is some time still.

Can a deal be dead?

And certainly Donald Trump suggesting it was over when he spoke yesterday.

But can a deal be dead if it was never really alive in the first place?

RENE MARSH, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean, I think your question hints at the reality of where we are right now, which is

everything is in tatters.

They're not really very close to getting to a deal. It never really got off the ground, especially when you talk about the thing that the Trump

administration cares about the most, which is the technical nuclear talks that never really, truly got off the ground.

But on that vague nature of the MOU, even Republicans on Capitol Hill had concerns about it.

And the day after that MOU was signed, we know that, based on our reporting, that Witkoff and Kushner got on the phone with worried

Republicans, assuring them that the technical nuclear talks would begin, in his words, "immediately," once that MOU had been signed.

Well, obviously, we know that was three weeks ago. And as you point out, those technical nuclear talks never actually got off the ground. And you

mentioned the clock ticking.

We're talking about that 60-day window to negotiate. That is all closing in. And questions are really mounting because people are wondering about

the strategy of the Trump administration and also the people leading the strategy.

We're talking about Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, his special envoy. We spoke to several former U.S. officials, some of whom were involved in the

Trump administration's Iran strategy early on.

And they described this process that looked really nothing like previous nuclear negotiations. They say it was driven by this very tight circle of

political advisors, with only sporadic involvement of career government experts in the early decision-making and shaping of the strategy.

[10:10:05]

That, of course, stands in stark contrast to the years-long preparation that defined that Obama-era approach.

We went to the White House about this and they essentially nodded to this. They said that they did have a tight -- do have a tight circle approach.

And the intent is to pretty much prevent leaks.

But they insist that they were consulting government career experts throughout multiple state federal agencies throughout this process.

But the other piece of this that we heard from sources is just the two people at the center of the strategy. I heard a lot about Steve Witkoff. As

we know, he's a real estate developer, turned Trump's special envoy.

And one source told me that initially he approached this Iran file with this real estate mindset, viewing the nuclear program as a, quote, "bad

investment" and exploring whether financial incentives could persuade Iran to abandon it, akin to like a leveraged buyout in a financial situation.

And the source used that scenario as an example of the fundamental misreading of Iran, whose nuclear program -- not really driven by economics

but by national security.

And so as this effort continues to be stalled and essentially fall apart, we are just hearing more and more questions about the strategy and, again,

those two people leading it, Kushner and Witkoff -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Yes. It's good to have you.

And a reminder for our viewers, Rene, Marco Rubio was on a whistle stop tour, of course, of this region, very specifically to Bahrain and Kuwait,

passed through the UAE right after that MOU was signed by Donald Trump in Versailles and then worked through in Lucerne.

And he promised this region of the Gulf that the U.S. had its back. It'll be really interesting to see where we go from here, as things do seem to be

very, very unclear.

And I'll put my hand up and say, as somebody in region, you know, I can -- I can attest to that lack of clarity at the moment. Thank you.

I want to bring in Hasan Alhasan. He's a senior fellow for Middle East policy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. He is joining

us from Manama in Bahrain tonight.

Good to have you, Hasan.

Also with us, our own CNN Politics senior reporter, good friend of the show, Stephen Collinson.

Stephen, let me start with you. You wrote that president Trump is now in a predicament of his own making, you say, after he launched a war that never

promised a definitive exit and crafted an MOU that failed to address the reasons for the conflict.

This is a good piece and well worth a read and I'm pushing our viewers to do that. That is @cnn.com.

How do you believe he got here?

STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I think, to begin with, there was hubris because the White House was fresh off the operation in

Venezuela that extracted president Maduro.

I think there was a feeling that the United States military was so superior that it could affect a win in Iran within a few days. Around the president,

I don't think there's a great deal of expertise on the Middle East; not much knowledge about Iran's history.

And there were false expectations of just how much damage -- and therefore, political change -- that an air war could create, even though you might

argue there's been plenty of warnings of that over the last 25 years of American history in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.

As it comes to the peace talks, I think it's, again, a case of a lack of expertise, not reading the Iranian political situation very carefully.

perhaps buying into, at least the start, the Israeli version of this.

But it always seemed to me that the Israelis were prepared for a much longer war, even perpetual conflict against Iran and the U.S. side didn't

really appreciate that.

And as Rene was saying, there's this approach, in all of the administration's negotiations, that everything is really a real estate

deal. And we saw this in Ukraine as well as in the Middle East.

Some actors simply do not behave as though the be-all and end-all is a monetary win at the end of this. And even though Iran got huge benefits

from the memorandum of understanding, it is also driven by nationalism, by politics, by ideology, by sovereignty, just like the parties in the Ukraine

war were driven.

And the White House just doesn't seem to understand that.

ANDERSON: Yes.

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Question is now, of course, what happens next?

Hasan, Iran says it targeted a U.S. military site in Qatar in these latest strikes, as well as infrastructure in Kuwait and Bahrain, where you are.

What's the mood there?

And is there a concern about the risk of a return to a full-blown war at this point?

HASAN ALHASAN, SENIOR FELLOW, MIDDLE EAST POLICY, INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES: This has become a very familiar pattern of Iranian

targeting, whereby Iran has continued to respond to the blows that it exchanges with the U.S. by targeting Bahrain, Kuwait and now Qatar again.

And clearly the message here, the implication is that no one is safe. The Saudis, the Qataris attended, for example, the funeral procession of

supreme leader ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated during the first day of the war.

But nevertheless, despite this diplomatic gesture, this clearly provided no protection for their vessels that were transiting the Strait of Hormuz

through Omani territorial waters and were very recently targeted by Iran.

Let's remember that this is a deal that is highly imperfect from the Gulf states' perspective. It doesn't address some of their core security

concerns around ballistic missiles or UAVs or Iran's networks of regional militias.

And yet these countries rallied behind the deal because it seemed less bad than the alternative, which is a return to full-scale hostilities. So this

is a concern and an anxiety that continues to loom over the region.

ANDERSON: Anwar Gargash, the UAE presidential adviser, posting today, quote, "There is no substitute for rising to the level of the challenges by

uniting our ranks in defense of our sovereignty and preservation of our achievements stemming from the unity of destiny and shared interests."

This is the UAE, very specifically, telegraphing that GCC security is in everybody's interests. And look, we know that there have been different

narratives over these past three or four months about just how hard the U.S. and Israel should go after Iran, whether or not they should have

stopped at this point.

But you know, we have seen a coming together, it seems, at least, of the Gulf nations to say, you know, our security needs to be a common -- a

common goal. Gulf leaders will not want to find themselves in a forever war where Iran can attack at will.

And it is clear that Iran still has the ability to threaten these Gulf countries. And that's the point, I guess, at the end of the day, of

ensuring that these attacks happen in retaliation to anything the U.S. does.

They want to show they still have that ability and that is a nightmare for these Gulf countries. This war was the worst-case scenario.

Just from your perspective at this point, what options do these Gulf countries have and what do you see as collective strategic calculus at this

point?

ALHASAN: GCC defense and security integration is probably one of the most obvious strategic responses that the Gulf states could collectively take to

the clear and present threat that is posed to them by Iran.

The problem is that it's politically difficult to do. If you ask almost any GCC analyst, many GCC states persons, including Anwar Gargash, including

the former Qatari prime minister, including others, have clearly stated that the strategic imperative for GCC defense and security integration is

quite obvious.

The U.S. is downsizing its military presence in the region. It's scaling back on its security commitment and it's reconfiguring itself. And this

means that the GCC states will have to continue to face a very capable and threatening adversary, which is Iran.

And so a pooling of resources, of these six Gulf states, who vary quite widely in their size and their population and military capabilities, is

really the only -- I think the only way that they can truly stand up to this threat posed by Iran.

That will require a lot of trust and confidence building, rebuilding some of those relations that have been complicated by differences over Yemen,

over Somalia, over Sudan. Really, I think they do need to figure out a way to put aside those differences.

[10:20:00]

Compartmentalize them and get back to the difficult but, I think, strategically necessary work of pulling their defense resources and

integrating to be able to present a collective response to this very serious threat.

ANDERSON: Yes. You hear a lot of talk about, you know, the deficit in trust between these nations and Iran. I hear people, you know, around the

region, saying it will take generations to rebuild that trust.

But these are pragmatic countries, who live in a neighborhood with economies that need some stability around the region in order for these

economic projects, these sovereign stories to be successful.

So that pragmatism, you know, is clear and it is key.

Stephen, when this memorandum was signed, what, four weeks ago or so now, president Trump said there were only two options, make a deal or keep

bombing Iran.

Are those still the only options on the table?

I know that sounds like a weird question but it's an important one.

COLLINSON: Yes, well, he seems to have done both at the same time. He hailed the deal as bringing peace for the -- to the Middle East, for the

first time in 3,000 years, only about two weeks ago.

And then this is the at least the second time he's gone back to a cycle of bombing Iran. I think it probably shows the trap that president Trump has

got himself into, because neither course of action seems likely to bring the closure that the United States wants in this.

Not just because of its regional policies and the pressure on its foreign policy, which, forever it's been trying to pivot toward Asia and never

quite manages, but also for political reasons for the president.

Another upsurge of fighting, possible rises in oil prices that could hike gasoline prices again, where, four months or less from a midterm election

in which Trump's Republican Party fears heavy losses.

So the political position for the president is very dicey. He already told us that he wanted to stop fighting because he didn't want to start a

replica of the Great Recession.

So what options does he have?

A big escalation would be costly in terms of U.S. casualties, civilian deaths and the blowback economically. That doesn't seem very likely. It's

hard to see how Iran will deliver a response in diplomacy that will please the United States, because it's shown that it's going to use that leverage

it got over the Strait of Hormuz.

And it's not going to give that up anytime soon. Some people are talking about perhaps bombing, not necessarily radar sites and missile sites, as

the U.S. seems to be doing now, but perhaps trying to bomb somewhere like Kharg Island, the oil hub, that Iran has and is crucial to its economy,

rather than trying to invade it and take it by force.

The problem with that is, again, you have this issue not just of the economic consequences of that globally. But Iran would target those very

Gulf states that you were talking about in a much more aggressive manner than it has done already over the last few days.

So you know, if you sit down and work through president Trump's options, there really are no good options. And I think that just underscores the

gamble and the futility of this war in many ways from the U.S. perspective.

And it seems to me that it may be something that's living with us for a long time. It may become one of those simmering Middle Eastern conflicts

that the U.S. is involved with, that might abate in the short term but never really go away.

ANDERSON: To both of you, it's really good to have you. Thank you very much indeed.

Well, one of Iran's key targets throughout the conflict has been the USS Abraham Lincoln. CNN's Pamela Brown is on board the aircraft carrier in the

Arabian Sea, where crew members say they remain as alert as ever amid an escalation in tensions. She spoke earlier to my colleague John Berman.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAMELA BROWN, CNN CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR: What I can tell you is that the stakes are raised.

They have been in this conflict and engaged in some way for 5.5 months now or been ready to jump back in to go to war.

I can tell you, today, given the fact that there were overnight strikes on Iran, just these last (INAUDIBLE) are taking on a new meaning. I asked the

admiral, who oversees the ship, as well as the destroyers, if there is a heightened threat alert. He said, look, you know, we are always looking for

threats.

[10:25:00]

And he didn't necessarily say that there was a heightened threat alert but I do think it is notable that you have the destroyer here coming close to

the ship.

in this moment of high intensity, right?

You had the ceasefire. Things had calmed down. There was a funeral in Iran where there was a pause in the negotiations. And these last few days have

really changed the calculus.

And so, John, we'll have to wait and see if there will be more strikes. We know that the two aircraft carriers are capable of that, as well as these

destroyers that we know have been used since the beginning of the war, with those Tomahawk missiles targeting land targets in Iran.

But also that destroyer right there, among several others, it has intercepted ballistic missiles and drones that were directly targeting the

Abraham Lincoln.

This ship I'm on right now is considered a high value target. And that destroyer right there (INAUDIBLE) very loud.

That destroyer right there has intercepted multiple threats from Iran, with Iran trying to hit this ship.

Now also, John, it's worth noting that part of Iran's military strategy has been this cost imbalance with these cheap drones and the military using

more expensive ballistic missiles and other ways of taking it down. I'm told that they're trying to evolve and use cheaper weapons. But it's a very

active, dynamic environment out here.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Pam Brown on board the USS Abraham Lincoln.

Well, coming up on CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson, we're going to get you to Crimea, where Ukraine is ramping up drone strikes. More on

why and why it has been successful. Up next

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ANDERSON: Well, U.S. president Donald Trump has promised to give Ukraine permission to make its own Patriot missile defense systems. Now these

interceptors are considered Ukraine's best defense against Russian ballistic missiles.

The move comes as Kyiv has escalated ferocious drone attacks specifically targeting supply lines and Russian-controlled Crimea, which has been under

a state of emergency for weeks now. Nick Paton Walsh explains why Ukraine has been so successful.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Ukraine is hitting Russia hard where it all began: occupied Crimea.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (from captions): It's going to be (INAUDIBLE).

WALSH (voice-over): Taken first in 2014, it is a peninsula and that makes it very vulnerable to being cut off.

There are two ways, in or out. First is the Kerch Bridge, which Ukraine has been hitting for years and it's now beset by queues of thousands of anxious

Russians, trying to get out.

Second is the land bridge through occupied Ukraine. Many saw this as a big strategic gain.

[10:30:00]

From Russia's invasion in 2022, a way to cheaply and permanently connect Russia to this tourist mecca, the jewel of the Soviet past.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Coast of the Crimean peninsula, a national resort.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (from captions): Crimea, sacral importance for Russia, like the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

WALSH (voice-over): Ukraine's 2023 counteroffensive tried to break through here but failed, hitting huge Russian defenses.

Now they're flying over them.

New mid-range Ukrainian drone capability striking the road along the land bridge and Crimea's air defenses, leaving it vulnerable.

And then the actual bridges to Crimea and the Russian trains and the roads. Now they're hitting ordinary infrastructure: refineries, power stations,

meaning power cuts in the cities.

Queues at gas stations, thick Black smoke on the skyline. So yet more Russians are leaving.

Zelenskyy recently claimed that Russia has had to prioritize air defenses in Crimea and around Moscow, as well. Putin has recently accepted economic

challenges and indeed gas shortages, as Ukraine's drone strikes increasingly cause chaos in ordinary Russian life.

WALSH: So what's the goal here?

Make Crimea hard to live in: a place without tourists, gas, power, affordable food and the land bridge to it, already itself a tough place to

live in, seems less worth the cost.

WALSH (voice-over): And this is the wider point for Kyiv. Seize on the growing questions inside Russia --

WALSH: -- as to what the war is even for. If Crimea is effectively uninhabitable --

WALSH (voice-over): -- and the only gains they can claim, a tiny bit of land, usually rubble, in Donbas --

WALSH: -- turn Crimea from a jewel in Putin's crown to leverage for Ukraine, perhaps, in any future peace talks or even into a damaging thorn

in Putin's side as he tries to navigate growing dissent about his war of choice.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, that's Nick Paton Walsh for you.

Music fans mourning the loss of Bonnie Tyler.

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ANDERSON: The Welsh singer, best known for the '80s hit, "Total Eclipse of the Heart," has died at the age of 75. A statement posted to her website

says she passed away in hospital in Portugal following an illness. It comes just months after emergency surgery that reportedly left her in an induced

coma.

Tyler was planning to return to the stage with a number of dates scheduled later this year.

Well, up next, president Trump left this week's NATO summit in a more upbeat mood than when he arrived. We're going to take a look at what

changed -- after this.

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ANDERSON (voice-over): Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. The headlines for you.

New explosions have been reported as U.S. and Iran trade fresh strikes. Iran says U.S. forces have hit several locations along its coast, although

this has not been confirmed by Washington.

And air raid sirens have been heard in Jordan as it says it intercepted Iranian missiles.

Well, the Senate race in the United States state of Maine has been upended. Democratic nominee Graham Platner has dropped out after a woman told CNN

and "Politico" that he raped her, which Platner denies. It leaves Democrats with less than three weeks to find a new candidate to challenge Republican

senator Susan Collins.

Well, a heavyweight showdown set for Boston today as France and Morocco meet in the World Cup quarterfinals. The last time these teams met on

football's biggest stage, France knocked Morocco out. It was the 2022 World Cup semifinals in Qatar. Today, the winner will move into the semifinals,

taking on either Spain or Belgium.

ANDERSON: President Trump was in an upbeat mood on Wednesday as he left the NATO gathering in Turkiye, the meeting he described sounding more like

a love-in than an international summit.

It was a sea change from the open hostility he had shown allies earlier in the week when he aired familiar grievances over Greenland, Iran and their

dependence on U.S. protection. After the talks, he repeatedly praised the alliance, made no threats to pull out of NATO and signaled new support for

Ukraine.

Well, Ishaan Tharoor is a global affairs columnist. He writes in "The New Yorker" today, quote, "In Ankara, the leaders of the alliance appeared more

concerned about Western geopolitical power than about Western democratic values."

That was one of your observations, Ishaan, joining us now. And let's start with that quote.

Can you just explain on that?

ISHAAN THAROOR, GLOBAL AFFAIRS COLUMNIST, "THE NEW YORKER": Well, my column this weekend -- great to be back with you, Becky.

My column this week was a on very worrying consolidation of Turkiye's authoritarian politics under President Erdogan and the extent to which none

of that matters when we see a gathering like this in Ankara.

You've seen comedians arrested, dissidents arrested, major political opposition figures sidelined and thrown into jail. And none of that has any

bearing on a summit on the summit this week.

ANDERSON: Fascinating.

It was -- were you surprised by the actual newslines that came out of that summit, including on Ukraine?

THAROOR: Yes. I mean, going into it, of course, as you said, Trump was quite gloomy. He's never hidden his distaste for NATO. And, his -- of

course, he's resumed his grumbling about Greenland.

But we -- basically you've seen that these Western leaders, including the NATO secretary general, Mark Rutte, they've spent months trying to mitigate

what damage could be caused by this -- by the Trump administration, trying to keep Trump on side, trying to get the messaging right.

And you saw the messaging about unity, about defense spending, about the ways in which Trump has been right all along -- that was reiterated by

Russia. And I think that all contributed to Trump feeling quite positive about the situation.

You are seeing European governments boost their defense spending. And he did some important things when it came to agreeing to certain weapons sales

to Ukraine that will help Ukraine's war effort going forward.

And he, of course, did not resume his threats to pull troops out of Europe or to fundamentally damage the alliance in any particular way.

ANDERSON: In your "The New Yorker" piece, you also mentioned Deniz Goktas, the Turkish comedian, who was detained days before the summit kicked off

for making fun of the Turkish president.

What is the latest with that?

THAROOR: Well, last we saw on the reports, he's under -- he's appeared in court last week. This is a comedian who had a very popular comedy show

appear on YouTube earlier last month. More than 12 million people have watched it.

[10:40:03]

And he made some satirical jokes about the president. He made a joke about the Quran. And the nature of Turkiye's political environment right now

means that this performance immediately falls under threat of censure and arrest.

And you've seen that happen. Now other dissidents have been arrested on other fronts. And, of course, most importantly, the main opposition party,

the CHP, is facing all sorts of lawfare. It's -- one of its major candidates is in jail in Istanbul.

You have another leader who's been thrown out as leader of the party by a Turkish court order. So we've talked about Turkiye all these years as a

kind of competitive autocracy, where you have elections, even though they're somewhat unfair. But now we're seeing a situation where the

competition is not even being allowed.

ANDERSON: You've also been talking and writing about the World Cup. Turkiye, obviously, had a miserable time and out in the qualifying round.

No shortage of politics in this tournament. which is no real surprise at the end of the day.

But I really want to talk about the latest controversy, a veritable international incident, it seems, over decisions made by the ref in the

Egypt-Argentina game, decisions that have left not just the Pharaohs and their fans incandescent, that fury also echoed, I have to say, by much of

the football punditry around the world.

And there are these accusations that FIFA and its refs, effectively, are not impartial. You know, they're taking a position for teams; on this

occasion, the Argentinians.

What do you make of all of this?

THAROOR: I mean, look, this is a highly emotive and charged subject. We saw on that Egypt-Argentina game definitely some very shoddy refereeing and

a goal that Egypt scored that should never have been ruled out by the video assistant referee.

There is all sorts of innuendo and suspicion and speculation about the ways in which FIFA and FIFA president Gianni Infantino want someone like Lionel

Messi and Argentina to be in the final.

Now I don't want to go around and invoke a conspiracy theory but you can see why the Egyptians are agreed. But I think you should also recognize

that football has always been about injustice. And there's always been -- there's always been controversy. And I can't imagine a scenario where you

don't feel that injustice.

But you know, I think, at the end of the day, this is a World Cup where you're never going to have anyone, everyone very happy. But we've seen an

incredible tournament, incredible games, incredible drama and a lot of high-stakes clashes.

ANDERSON: We have. I think you're an Arsenal fan, aren't you?

THAROOR: Indeed I am.

ANDERSON: A number of Arsenal players playing in -- key roles in this, not least for England and helping recover us out of a shoddy match against the

DRC the other night. So that was good news.

New York mayor Zohran Mamdani, on the Egypt-Argentinian controversy, he's clearly taking Egypt's side. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI (D-NY), NYC: With my extra six minutes, I would probably just watch the replays of Egypt getting robbed again and again

yesterday. You know, just got to got to throw up the VARNEY: .

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: You've said you don't want to get involved but, come on. I'm going to ask you.

Was Egypt robbed of its World Cup?

THAROOR: Look, they had -- they still had a two-goal lead that they squandered. You know, they still lost a game but Argentina's goals were

fair goals. And, you know, I understand what the mayor is doing. Another noted Arsenal fan as well.

He has a huge constituency in Astoria of Egyptian friends and fans. And I think he's speaking on their behalf. Yes,

ANDERSON: Yes. Good to have you. Well, look, I mean, we've been -- we've been ensuring that we provide a platform for the teams from this region and

the wider region. Of course, we've got Morocco-France tonight. So lots of support for -- around this region, certainly for Morocco in that game.

It's good to have you, sir. Thank you very much indeed. It's good to have you back.

Well, ahead on CONNECT THE WORLD, a chance to think about something other than mere survival. The football World Cup offering a temporary escape for

fans in Gaza. But harsh reality came crashing in again this week. That story is in just a minute.

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[10:45:00]

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ANDERSON: All over the globe for the past few weeks, the football World Cup has briefly taken people's minds off everyday concerns.

Even in Gaza, where Palestinians have been following the action, many of them getting behind the team from Egypt that we've just been talking about.

Now the man who has been organizing one of these watch parties in Gaza has been killed by an Israeli strike. CNN's Christina Macfarlane with the story

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: For a few hours, hundreds of people in Gaza gathered to do something ordinary, watch Egypt

play against Argentina in the World Cup.

But the man who made it possible was killed in an Israeli airstrike before kickoff. Mohamed al-Wahidi helped organize giant screens where families in

Gaza could gather to watch Egypt's World Cup matches together.

He was the director of the Egyptian committee in Gaza, which provides food, shelter and other humanitarian assistance to Palestinians. But just before

Egypt kicked off against Argentina, a strike hit a car in Gaza City's Sabra neighborhood.

Al-Wahidi, a driver and two brothers, aged 8 and 10, were killed, according to the director of Shifa Hospital. The Israeli military says al-Wahidi was

not the target of the strike and that it was aiming for a Hamas militant.

For many Palestinians in Gaza, Egypt's World Cup run has become about more than just soccer. Egypt shares a border with Gaza and the team's head

coach, Hossam Hasan, has repeatedly spoken out in support of Palestinians.

After Egypt beat Australia, Hasan waved a Palestinian flag on the pitch. And before the Argentina match, he had this message.

"I ask all athletes and all media professionals of their different religions, from their different countries, maybe during the World Cup to

send a message. Please, let the Palestinian people live. Live. They do not want anything, just to live."

The gathering Mohamed al-Wahidi helped put together still went ahead. He just never made it there to see it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, you're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. There is a lot more news ahead.

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[10:50:00]

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ANDERSON: Well, the world of competitive gaming is taking center stage in Paris. More than 2,000 players from 100 countries are competing for a share

of a massive $75 million prize pool at the Esports World championship.

Now this was originally moved from Saudi Arabia because of the regional instability tied to the Iran War. So we dispatched CNN's Matias Grez to

Paris to get more on the competition.

And what is at stake, this prize pot, I remember the past couple of years it's been in Saudi, the prize pot is huge. Just tell us a little bit more

about these games and what goes into them.

MATIAS GREZ, CNN PRODUCER: I mean, that figure is incredible, isn't it. And you know, just behind me is the expo where the main event is taking

place. And I have to say, I've been absolutely stunned by the scale of it.

We've just come out of this building behind us, actually. And today was the first day of competition on the main stage. And let me tell you, there were

thousands of fans in there. And I wasn't prepared for just how passionate and loud they are.

I mean, I have to say, with the drumming, with the chants and the cheering, I mean, it was like being at a football match.

And I think that is one of the big reasons why, you know, everybody involved with the sport, be it the players, the stakeholders, the CEOs of

the teams that we've spoken to, you know.

The question that they're trying to answer or the question I've been asking them, too, is, will this sport or is this sport, you know, considered as a

mainstream sport?

Like I mentioned, alongside football?

And they've all said to me, look, what are the things that you would consider?

What are the factors that make a traditional sport?

They said the prize money, like you said, $75 million; that's there. A huge dedicated fan base, yes; inside, we've seen it. Players treated like global

superstars. I mean, even down to something like strict doping tests, there was a doping scandal in esports about 10 years ago. And they really clamped

down hard from then on.

And even to the government level. I mean, like you said, this was moved from Saudi Arabia pretty last minute. And for 2,000 players from more than

100 countries, that is no mean feat.

And French president Emmanuel Macron called it an honor for that to be here and at the government level they helped expedite all of those visa requests

for all of those players.

So they've been telling me, look, what more do you want for this to be considered a mainstream sport alongside the likes of football?

ANDERSON: Yes. And the argument is that there are hundreds and hundreds of millions of gamers around the world, of course. E-gaming is absolutely

massive.

Also going on today, big game, France versus Morocco, first of the quarterfinals in the World Cup. You're in Paris.

How are fans there preparing?

GREZ: Well, as I'm sure you can imagine, French fans that we've been speaking to here in Paris are understandably very confident going into

tonight's match. But that's not to say that they're overconfident or even taking this for granted.

They know how much of a threat Morocco pose. And this is going to be an incredible occasion, not only because Morocco are, once again, for the

second consecutive World Cup, proving that they're one of the best teams in the world, but, of course, there's a large Moroccan community here in

Paris.

And this is, of course, also a rematch of the 2022 semifinal, which France won 2-0. But just to give you a bit more of an idea of how the French fans

are feeling, I went out and about in Paris today and spoke to a few of them, so this is what they had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GREZ: What do you expect from the match against Morocco tonight?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, for me, 2-0 for France.

GREZ: You don't think Morocco has a chance of winning?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think they have a chance. But I believe in Mbappe, Dembele, Ballon d'or.

(LAUGHTER)

GREZ: And who do you think will score for France tonight?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mbappe and Dembele.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think Morocco is going to win.

[10:55:00]

But, I'm Moroccan.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the first half will be pretty, pretty close because the players know each other very well. So, yes, first half 0-0 and

then second half, 1-0 for France.

GREZ: Who do you think will win France or Morocco?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: France, of course, because the French is the best.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Right. Got it. All right. Thank you, Matias, it's good to have you there. Thank you.

Before we go tonight, parting shots for you. The upcoming World Cup quarterfinal between Norway and England sparking some serious competition

off the field.

Norwegian Air trolling British Airways, challenging the airline to a social media wager, proposing that the losing airline swap its Instagram logo for

the winners for a day.

British Airways replying in the comments, "Don't make bets that you can't win."

And those comments, I have to say, on these Insta posts are absolutely priceless, not least with other airlines and airport operators piling in on

the fun. The two teams, of course, play Saturday with a berth in the semifinals on the line.

Right. That's your fill tonight. You've been watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. From the team working with me here in Abu Dhabi,

it's a very good evening. Stay with CNN, though. "ONE WORLD" is up next for you.

END