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Connect the World

Dignified Transfer of U.S. Service Members Killed in Iran War; Maduro & Wife to Return to U.S. Court for Narcoterrorism Case; Protests in Italy After Moroccan Man Dies in Police Custody; Props, Costumes from Hit TV Show Go Under the Hammer August 5; Louvre Apollo Gallery Reopens After Shocking Heist. Aired 9-9:45a ET

Aired July 22, 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: The U.S. has reportedly cut a landmark nuclear deal, not with Iran but with Saudi Arabia. It is 09:00

a.m. in Washington. It is 05:00 p.m. here in Abu Dhabi. I'm Eleni Giokos. This is "Connect the World". Also coming up, a shakeup in Ukraine's

military amid the ongoing war.

President Zelenskyy sacks the country's top commander in chief following days of widespread protests. And ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro

returns to court in New York. What we expect to happen inside that court room just hours from now?

We are 30 minutes to go before the start of trade in New York. And I want to check in to see how the markets are faring in pre-trade, you've got the

NASDAQ down 1 percent S&P tenths of a percent lower, and you've got the Dow Jones Industrial Average, as you can see, flat with a negative bias.

And of course, all eyes are going to be on the earnings potential of some of these companies. They're waiting for tech earnings from Alphabet as well

as Tesla, that is coming up after the market close. And of course, a big focus on what oil prices is doing again, rising because of concerns not

only in the Strait of Hormuz but of course the Bab al-Mandab Strait as well.

We'll delve into that a little later. Now, in a few hours, U.S. President Donald Trump will attend the dignified transfer of the latest American

service members killed in the Middle East as the war with Iran drags on. He's threatening to attack Kuh-E Kolang Mountain, also known as Pickaxe

Mountain.

Israeli intelligence believes Iran moved part of its enriched uranium stockpile and advanced centrifuges there, according to a source. Now the

threat comes amid what is now 11 straight nights of U.S. strikes on Iranian military facilities, while there's still a push for diplomacy, U.S.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Iran isn't serious about negotiating.

A bit earlier, he talks about why the U.S. has stepped up its attacks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: A year from now, Iran would have had so many missiles and drones that they would have been behind a conventional

shield that would have given them immunity to do whatever they wanted. So right now, however, I can just say here's what's happening.

It's pretty straightforward. Ships are trying to go through the straits and they're getting blown up. Commercial ships are going through the straits

and they're being blown up. The United States is defending that shipping. And, in addition, is targeting the places that are launching against those

ships to continue to degrade Iran's ability to target and harm global shipping.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIOKOS: Rubio refused to give details on a U.S.-Saudi civilian nuclear deal that a U.S. official says has been approved by President Trump. We've got

Nic Robertson with us this hour from Jerusalem, and we've also got Nada Bashir standing by in London. Nic, I want to start off with you.

And importantly, this civilian nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia, where they'll be able to enrich some uranium for civilian use, that has raised

eyebrows, especially in Israel. What can you tell us?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, this is a deal that was being worked on under President Biden, and it was sort of seen as

part of the broader Saudi Arabia rapprochement with Israel. Of course, the war in Gaza pushed all that to one side, and the two countries are in

completely different positions on all of that now.

So, President Trump appears to have pushed through with this agreement with Saudi Arabia, which would put Saudi Arabia in an exceptional position,

because it would be unlike the civilian nuclear program that the United States agreed in 2009 with the UAE, in as much as it is with most countries

that are coming into the sort of nuclear civilian production, that the enriched uranium is enriched outside their countries and brought in.

That's the situation in the UAE. What would be different here for Saudi Arabia, as we understand it at the moment, according to some officials who

have knowledge of this, is that Saudi Arabia itself would, in fact, enrich some of that uranium itself. The former defense minister here has described

this as something that will ultimately lead to a weapon.

An opposition member of parliament here, a senior one member of the Knesset rather, a senior one has said that it's a dangerous reality. Prime Minister

Benjamin Netanyahu hasn't commented on it. You know, I think when we look at the big picture here, it's probably worth remembering that Saudi Arabia

has a military treaty with Pakistan, and Pakistan has nuclear weapons.

[09:05:00]

So, in that regard, under certain circumstances, the Saudis have always felt that they've had the ability to call on a nuclear arsenal, but the

type of deal that they may get is what's causing concern here, because it wouldn't give the International Atomic Energy Agency all the sort of normal

oversights that it would have or does have in other countries.

It wouldn't have, for example, the additional protocol which allows those International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to get all the information on

the ground and visits that they require, to make sure that nothing out of the ordinary has happened. This is a deal that's being struck.

It appears at the moment, at least, and until we get the details from the White House made public, a deal that would just be between the United

States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. And I think, obviously, the backdrop to all of this is that the Crown Prince, the defective ruler

Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia has said that if Iran got a nuclear weapon, then Saudi Arabia would.

The Iranians today commented, the spokesman for the Ministry of Interior in Iran commented that actually, in this regard, when he was asked about Saudi

Arabia getting this deal, he said Iran is a long way ahead of Saudi Arabia in this development.

GIOKOS: OK, Nic Robertson, thank you so much for that. We've got Nada Bashir standing by. Nada, it's been 11 consecutive nights of strikes

against Iran, and CENTCOM says the sites and targets included military capabilities. But Iran is continuing to retaliate against the region,

what's the latest there?

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. We have seen, as you mentioned, another night of strikes carried out across Iran, focused,

according to state media, on parts of the southern and western parts of the country. We've also heard reports that earlier this morning air raid sirens

were sounding in the capital Tehran.

Although there haven't been any clear updates on the extent of the possible attacks on the capital or any potential damage caused there. But again,

this is a continuation of days of attacks. And in response, we have seen yet again further counterattacks carried out by the Iranian Revolutionary

Guard Corps targeting U.S. assets and allies in the Gulf region, as has long been the threat from the Iranian regime with regards to U.S. attacks

on Iran.

What we've seen most recently is, according to Kuwaiti officials, their air defenses they said engaging hostile drone attacks. This, of course, is

something that we have seen in Kuwait over recent days as well. The IRGC has also claimed itself that it targeted 2 U.S. bases in Jordan, although

there has been no evidence of that to support the claim from the IRGC.

But we have been hearing from Jordanian officials over recent days reporting that their air defenses have also identified hostile attacks from

Iran. And this is likely to continue and potentially escalate, if we take a listen to any of the officials within the Iranian regime who have warned

that if there is a further escalation by the Trump Administration and the U.S. military, that this will expand into an all-out regional war, in the

words of Iranian officials.

And of course, what we have been hearing in terms of rhetoric, both from the Iranian regime and, of course, from the Trump Administration, is

worrying in terms of the prospect for potentially bringing back the negotiating table and mediation efforts. They appear to have really reached

a stumbling block at this point, and we are continuing to see that military focus right now.

The U.S. President has said and claimed that the U.S. could attack Iran's Pickaxe Mountain or Kolang Mountain. That is something, of course, that

would be a significant escalation. According to Israeli intelligence, it is believed that there is an underground nuclear facility beneath this

mountain.

But again, this would mark a significant escalation. At this point, it sounds like a threat from the Trump Administration. Whether we see any

potential military action, of course, that would remain to be seen. But again, the Iranian regime has been very clear that this, if indeed was the

case, again would trigger a regional escalation.

GIOKOS: All right, Nada Bashir, thank you so much. Well, President Trump will be shortly departing the White House and traveling to Dover Air Force

Base for the dignified transfer of U.S. service members killed in the war with Iran. It will take place at 11:00 a.m. local time, just under two

hours from now.

An official has told CNN that four service members are expected to be transferred. We've got Betsy Klein at the White House for us. Betsy, good

to see you. We're two hours away from the dignified transfer of the service members that been killed, it's a solemn moment. Tell us what we're

expecting.

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: That's right. President Trump set to pay his respects at -- excuse me, a dignified transfer moments from

now in just a couple of hours.

[09:10:00]

And this moment really underscores the human toll of this war with Iran. Since this conflict began in February, 18 U.S. troops have been killed. And

the president is going to observe as the remains of those fallen service members are transferred in transfer cases from the aircraft to a series of

four waiting vans.

There are four service members that died over the past few days. They are 25-year-old First Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan, 19-year-old Private

Isabella Gonzales, 28-year-old Sergeant Angel Rampersad. All three of them killed during Iranian strikes in Jordan, as well as 30-year-old Sergeant

Michael Emmanuel Swinton.

He was killed during a controlled detonation of a downed drone in Iraq. And this is the third time since this conflict began that President Trump has

attended one of these events. The president noted yesterday that he planned to go to Dover Air Force Base and claimed that the slain service members

were in alignment with his goals for this conflict.

He said yesterday, quote, these are people that wanted, and they feel like I do that Iran can't have a nuclear weapon. Of course, he provided no

evidence for that, and we should note that U.S. service members are supposed to fight even if they don't believe in the cause.

But this comes as this conflict, since that ceasefire broke down just a few weeks ago has really escalated and become extremely violent in recent

weeks. The president now weighing next steps after 11 consecutive days of U.S. strikes on Iran. He's considering the possibility of targeting bridges

and other critical infrastructure.

And we just heard from him a few moments ago in a post to social media, he says, from this point forward, any time the Islamic Republic of Iran shoots

at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether it be by missile, rocket, drone, or any other device or weapon, the United States will bomb and destroy one

bridge or power plant, including those located next to or in the Capital City of Tehran.

A very striking threat from President Trump right there as he prepares to attend this solemn, dignified transfer. Also, as we are learning, according

to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, that this conflict so far has cost 37.5 billion dollars. The Trump Administration now seeking more funding for this

war, Eleni.

GIOKOS: All right, Betsy Klein. Thank you so much for that update. Former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife are back in a U.S. federal

court today for a pre-trial hearing in their narcoterrorism and drug trafficking case. Federal prosecutors and defense lawyers seeking a June

2027 trial date, according to a court filing.

They've pleaded not guilty to charges for allegedly conspiracy to send thousands of tons of cocaine into the United States. Now, back in January,

the Maduros were arrested in Caracas during a U.S. military raid at their home. They're being held in a federal prison in New York while they await

trial.

CNN's Maria Santana is following the story for us. Maria, what more can you tell us about what we're expecting in court today?

MARIA SANTANA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. Hi. Good morning, Eleni. Well, today's hearing is largely expected to be procedural, where the defense and

the federal prosecutors will try to set a pre-trial schedule. Now, according to a joint motion filed with the court, both prosecutors and

defense attorneys are expected to ask the judge to set the beginning of the trial for June 2027.

They will also try to set deadlines for any pre-trial motions and for discovery. Now, this includes an immunity challenge to be presented later

on by the defense. The defense argues that as Venezuela's legitimate head of state, Maduro cannot be prosecuted in U.S. courts.

That he has immunity from those prosecutions. Of course, the U.S. government says that he was not the legitimate President of Venezuela at

the time of his capture, the judge has to decide on that. If he accepts the arguments of the defense, those charges, the charges against Maduro, could

be discarded.

Now, if he does not accept that, this process will move to trial as it seems to be going. Now, the decision by the judge will largely depend on

whether the U.S. courts recognize Maduro as legitimate head of state at the time of his capture. So that's coming down the line. We'll see what happens

in those arguments.

But today is just setting the calendar. We don't know exactly what the evidence is that the U.S. government has against Maduro in his

narcoterrorism case, but we are also looking to see if the accusations by the U.S. President that Venezuela meddled in U.S. elections also comes up

during this trial.

[09:15:00]

And the U.S. thinks that they have a witness who can say that yes, Venezuela did at some point hack into election software here in the United

States, Hugo El Pollo Carvajal is an ex-military intelligence officer who has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking here in the United States.

Sent a letter to President Donald Trump in December saying that he knows that this has happened, that Venezuela has rigged U.S. elections. So, we'll

see if that comes up later on in this case as well. Of course, this is a case that attracts large members of the public.

We have several protests going on out front, in front of the court. One by pro Nicolas Maduro protesters, and later on by the opposition, Eleni.

GIOKOS: All right, Maria Santana. Thank you so much for that update. Well, head on "Connect the World". We'll be unpacking the recent shakeups

affecting Ukraine's military leadership and explain all the new changes. I'll be back right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GIOKOS: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sacked his country's Commander in Chief General Oleksandr Syrskyi. It comes after days of

widespread protests resulting from another dismissal. Popular Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov was removed last week after clashing with

Syrskyi. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): A generational shift. The younger Ukrainians doing the fighting now run by a general nearer their age, 43-year-old Mykhailo Drapatyi, out

Oleksandr Syrskyi, aged 60, who for years met the Soviet brutality of Russia with similar resolve and ruthlessness, nicknamed the Butcher.

He became the face of the relentless, ugly toll of the war on front-line troops, sending people to die is something a wartime general has to do,

along with always be winning to stay popular. And while Syrskyi had notched up enough small victories, they did not save him from modernity.

His wartime resume begins with the defense of Kyiv, where thousands of locals bolstered the city's rout of the Russians. The Kharkiv

counteroffensive in late 2022 saw Russia collapse, a startling reversal exposing poor command and supply lines, for which Syrskyi is credited.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need to end the enemy units in front of you. You've proved you can do it.

WALSH (voice-over): But his rivalry with his boss, then Commander Valerii Zaluzhnyi, many analysts have said, led Syrskyi to push a focus on the City

of Bakhmut during the next summer, and leave the main push of the counteroffensive. Ukraine's main chance to break Russia's road to Crimea

with a flood of new Western equipment, to falter.

Zaluzhnyi lost his job months later to Syrskyi, who swiftly needed a win after so many slow losses, including Bakhmut. The response was daring and

stunning, if not strategically sound in the long run. The first invasion of Russia since the Nazis, Kursk.

[09:20:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Over the past 24 hours, our military has moved forward 1 to 3 km in specific directions.

WALSH (voice-over): A major embarrassment for Putin and a turn in the narrative until Ukraine slowly left the next year. Ultimately, the war

changed around Ukraine and Syrskyi, as a younger generation found tech could compensate for a lack of brute force and people.

Mykhailo Fedorov, the disruptor in chief and new minister of defense, leading the use of drones early to hit deep inside Russia. IT data open

tenders for equipment transparency, questioning everything, and robots and more robots. Nothing could be further from the Syrskyi way of war, but it

began to work and gained popularity, the major metric in Zelenskyy's decision making.

Fedorov too popular it seemed when he openly clashed with Syrskyi, leaving the older general, whose feelings and frailty had been the talk of Kyiv for

months, suddenly the victor when Zelenskyy edged out a rising star. That was until rare Kyiv protests switched to focus on Syrskyi, leaving

Zelenskyy with another popularity crisis, his own, and in need of a new military commander, a bizarrely open and fickle back and forth.

Democracy in war time, some say, or the president ditching losers, or out with the old and in with the new. Whatever just happened, they too have to

keep winning.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GIOKOS: Well, that was Nick Paton Walsh, and he joins me now live from London with more. Nick, really good to have you with us, and really

brilliant analysis. I mean, I wonder what this says about the rifts that have been emerging within wartime leadership in Ukraine, and what kind of

consequences will these changes have for the country going forward?

WALSH: Yeah, I mean, it's important to remind people that obviously during war you're going to have competing ideas and tension in the high command.

The issue here has been, though, that this spilled out into the open, and until last night's effective resolution of the problem by removing

Oleksandr Syrskyi as the top military commander and putting in a man 17 years his younger, Mykhailo Drapati.

We had this public tension between the former defense minister, another Mykhailo, Mykhailo Fedorov and Syrskyi, the military commander. Zelenskyy,

the Ukrainian President, was clear that that you know was boiling up to the public. There were clear instruments of the two men clashing, and obviously

in private there was even more of a deadlock.

And Zelenskyy said he was the man who had to be the arbiter. That's no way to run a war. The question is, though, exactly what Zelenskyy did as his

first solution to that problem. Now Mykhailo Fedorov, the Former Defense Minister, age 35, a big disruptor, hugely popular amongst many Ukrainians

and rank and file in the military.

He was the one at first to go, dismissed by Zelenskyy -- the protests you saw there, and then he switches tack and dismisses Syrskyi, putting in not

Fedorov back in his place yet. We don't know where Fedorov is going to go. It's suggested he's going to get a prominent role in government.

He may not accept it, but instead creating a week's worth of protest, crisis, and debate within government as to exactly what should be done. And

then landing on a solution, which I think many potentially thought was the wisest one a week ago, removing Syrskyi, a commander whose role had been

questioned in the months previous to this particular crisis.

Finally, it happens, a younger generation in control now. It seems the big question, though, Eleni, is to exactly whether or not the new solutions

they have a permanent role in reversing Russia's fortune in this conflict, Eleni.

GIOKOS: All right, Nick Paton Walsh, thank you so much for that update. Good to have you with us. I want to get you up to speed now on some of the

stories that are on our radar right now. Multiple videos verified by CNN show huge plumes of smoke and flames coming from Russian warehouses after

night of Ukrainian strikes.

Major Russian online retailer Wildberries says that logistics warehouses were struck with Russia's Ministry of Defense confirming that it

intercepted over 200 Ukrainian drones overnight. Hollywood's rebel Wilson has beaten a defamation suit in Australia.

The pitch perfect star was accused of making false claims on Instagram involving the lead actress in a film Wilson was directing and one of its

producers. The judge in the case ruled the statements were not defamatory. U.S. imposed tariffs on Brazil are set to take effect today.

The 25 percent tax will impact some Brazilian imports after the U.S. said it launched an investigation finding Brazil engaged in quote, unfair trade

practices. Brazil's President says he would seek countermeasures, calling the levy quote, illegal.

[09:25:00]

The death of a Moroccan man in police custody in Italy is sparking outraged across the country. Video of the incident circulating on social media is

drawing comparisons to the 2020 police killing of George Floyd in the United States of Minnesota, in the State of Minnesota.

Our Barbie Latza Nadeau has more and a warning, some viewers may find the video disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): This video shows the final moments before a Moroccan man died after police restrained him in Bologna,

Italy. Two police officers and four first responders are now under investigation for involuntary manslaughter, according to prosecutors.

Police told national broadcaster RAI, they received multiple emergency calls from residents reporting, quote, a person running behind the garages,

screaming and kicking all the garage doors, screaming for help, and that they wanted to kill him. The man was identified by his family as 42-year-

old Abderrahim Fakir, who say he was a legal resident in Italy.

It's unclear from the video what transpired earlier and how police initially engaged with Fakir. The coroner tells CNN an autopsy has been

ordered into his death. Footage from the incident has drawn comparisons to the 2020 death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis, and

has circulated widely online, sparking protests across Bologna.

Some of which escalated into clashes with riot police.

YOSSRA FAKIR, NIECE OF ABDERRAHIM FAKIR: I am his eldest niece, and for me, being here today is a duty. It is my way of standing beside my family and

giving a voice to someone who can no longer speak.

NADEAU (voice-over): Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the incident, quote, unacceptable, adding that the truth must be sought

thoroughly without prejudice and without any concessions. Meloni also called for calm among protestors, saying some used Fakir's death as a

pretext for violence.

Protests are expected to continue in Bologna.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GIOKOS: Welcome back. I'm Eleni Giokos, live in Abu Dhabi, and you're watching "Connect the World". These are your headlines. U.S. Central

Command says U.S. forces conducted an 11th straight night of strikes against Iran. A statement says the strikes are focused on freeing up

shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran is responding with attacks against its Gulf neighbors. In about 90 minutes, a dignified transfer will be held at Dover Air Force Base for the

U.S. service members killed in the war with Iran.

[09:30:00]

President Donald Trump is expected to attend his vowed retribution against Iran for their deaths. We are seconds away from the start of trade in New

York. All eyes are going to be on tech earnings. Those are expected at the close of trade today. And there you have it.

New York Stock Exchange up and running. Let's quickly check in to see how the DOW is performing in the first few seconds of trade. Still battling to

find its feet, but generally there's major concern around earnings and, of course, what's happening on the oil price front.

You've got the DOW now sitting firmly in the green. Oh, going into negative, as I said, trying to find its feet. NASDAQ up 1.3 percent. S&P

down a quarter of a percent. OK, these numbers are a little bit more realistic. As you can see, red across the board. We are waiting for

earnings.

Those are going to be very telling about the direction of the markets going forward. I want to check in on oil prices because they're climbing again

after the U.S. struck Iran for the 11th straight night, and hopes for a de- escalation continue to fade. As you can see, Brent crude, which is the international benchmark, is sitting at over $93 a barrel.

That's up 2.6 percent WTI crude sitting up 2.4 percent at $86 a barrel. And importantly, we've actually seen major concerns around what's happening

around the ships in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as Bab al-Mandab. We know that any vessels linked to the U.S., Israel, and Saudi Arabia were warned

today to avoid the Red Sea after Houthi rebels threatened a blockade of Saudi shipping, raising fears of a new front in the war.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is lowering expectations for a diplomatic breakthrough, saying Iran is not serious about talks. I want

to discuss this further. We've got Amena Bakr, Head of Middle East Energy and OPEC+ Insights at Kpler. Amena, always good to see you.

I mean, seeing oil prices ticking up once again. In fact, Brent crude at one point, hit $95 a barrel, and you've got sort of this new potential

front that is looming, and that's the Bab al-Mandab Strait. How are you at Kpler weighing up scenarios?

AMENA BAKR, HEAD OF MIDDLE EAST ENERGY AND OPEC+ INSIGHTS AT KPLER: Well, I'm seeing a very modest increase given the risks, Eleni. We're still

talking about major disruptions happening at Hormuz, and now with the new threat that the Houthis pose in in Bab al-Mandab.

We have roughly around 6 million barrels a day goes through Bab al-Mandab. So, given all the risks, I'm still surprised, to be honest, by the just

small uptick in oil prices, which tells you that the market is either weighing up a possible sustainable peace deal from happening soon, or they

still, you know, believe in I think the over exaggerated scenario that this market is still sitting on a lot of supply, which isn't true.

GIOKOS: OK, so let's talk about that. Is that the truth? Is there still a lot of supply available in terms of, you know, reserves available? Because

the International Energy Agency has warned that there's been a massive drawdown since the start of the war.

BAKR: There has been, Eleni, and where we sit right now, we're in a very different place from when the war started. When the war started, there were

still some levels of reserves, but we've been drawing down on that at a rate of around maybe 1.5 million barrels a day.

So, there are thinner levels of stocks. These stocks haven't been refilled, and if you just look at production globally, we don't have enough spare

capacity in the system to make up potentially for 25 percent of the world's demand. So, we're in a very critical situation, and I still see that

disconnect between reality versus how the markets are moving.

GIOKOS: Yeah. OK. So, I know there's always been a discrepancy between markets and reality has been interesting to witness over the last few

months. But I want to talk about the Bab al-Mandab Strait because the Houthis have been warning in terms of any vessels that have Israeli, U.S.,

and Saudi links.

You know, and they've put out warnings on VHF to shippers directly. They've sent out an email. I mean, you've got Aspides, which is an EU-based

maritime or coalition of governments working to patrol the area, also saying it's very risky. Stay away from the Gulf of Aden.

How are you assessing the risks specifically there? Given that the risks, I mean, it's just about words right now, but we know words sometimes turn

into, you know, major disruptions.

BAKR: Of course, and at Kpler, we are just known for monitoring the traffic. And what we saw yesterday are two vessels that actually made a U-

turn.

[09:35:00]

And we are sensing that kind of sense of hesitation from vessel owners to enter the waterway. And in fact, we have around 12 Yanbu loaded crude

vessels that are still in the Red Sea. Two have gone dark near Bab al- Mandab, and we're potentially going to be seeing maybe less vessels go into -- to the waterway.

And this is not because the Houthis closed it, but it's a strategy of deterrence, which we've seen has you know become quite effective in these

situations, and it's exactly what the same situation we have in Hormuz.

GIOKOS: Well, on our screen right now, we're showing the Strait of Hormuz, and frankly, there's been major disruption there as well. Just seeing how

very few vessels are opting to take the route right now as escalation is sort of you know, the name of the game for the past 11 days. What are you

seeing on that front?

BAKR: Yeah, for sure, Eleni. I mean, after the MOU was signed, we saw an uptick in traffic. It's basically a lot of the stranded vessels that were

in the straits, starting moving out. But post that, and when Iran started attacking vessels in Hormuz again, now we're back to the single digits.

Past couple of days, we're looking at four or five vessels at most transiting. That's really, really a big drop from, you know, post MOU,

where we saw 16 vessels and 40 vessels, and these were just the stranded numbers. But the second wave of the recovery really will come when we see

empty vessels coming back in to load, and we haven't seen that yet.

Plus, you have the third phase of the recovery, and hopefully, you know, we get an end to this conflict soon. And we get Gulf states actually looking

at the damage being done to infrastructure, as you know, Eleni. I mean, the attacks are continuing, and we saw that Kuwait's infrastructure is still

being heavily targeted.

GIOKOS: Yeah, and that's a very sort of scary reality that's playing out right now. I want to quickly talk about sort of Saudi Arabia's release

valve, and that's Yanbu. And very quickly, other Saudis looking at contingency plans to get oil out.

BAKR: You know, for sure. I mean, you have the Suez Canal and you have the Sumed Pipeline. So, of course, these are -- there are ways for Saudi Arabia

to continue supplying the market, and they will continue doing that. As you know, the pipeline has been working at full capacity of 7 million barrels a

day.

And we've been seeing loadings from Yanbu exceed that 4 million barrels a day. So, I don't see Saudi Arabia stopping their supply to the market.

GIOKOS: All right, Amena Bakr, great to have you with us. Thank you so much. And still to come, after more than a decade, Outlander fans are

saying goodbye to the hit TV show and its time-traveling stories. Details on how you can buy a piece of the auction when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:40:00]

GIOKOS: For eight seasons, the hit TV show Outlander followed characters around the globe and through hundreds of years of time travel, and soon

fans will have the chance to own their own piece of the show's history. And some of Outlander's most recognizable props and costumes hit the auction

block in London next month. Our Lynda Kinkade has those details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know all of this because I'm from the future.

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The time-traveling TV series Outlander has come to a close, but fans still have a chance to own a piece

of the hit show. Props, costumes, and set pieces from Outlander are set to go on auction at the London auction house Bonhams.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's me.

KINKADE (voice-over): The show ran for eight seasons after its premiere in 2014. And took fans around the world, from the Scottish Highlands to

America. Many iconic costumes from major scenes in the show will go under the hammer, with estimates that some items will go for several $1,000.

MADELEINE CATER, HEAD OF SALES, BONHAMS: There's such a big range from all of the tartan from the early Scottish Highlander episodes through to Paris,

which was amazing sort of sumptuous, luxurious costumes through into America. I think the red dress that Clare wears in season two is going to

be a fan favorite.

I think a lot of Jamie's costumes, particularly the tartan costume and the kilt that he wears in the Battle of Culloden against his arch nemesis Black

Jack. I think that's really going to see some competitive bidding. And I think people are just really excited to own a part of this show.

KINKADE (voice-over): The auction has some experience when it comes to auctioning UK production memorabilia. Bonham's previously auctioned off

props and costumes from "The Crown and Downton Abbey".

CATER: We're really seeing that these long shows build such an audience, and it makes people really invested in it. And I think for a lot of people,

they have a real connection and an emotional connection to it now, and that history and that story. So, we think maybe some private museums, some

individual collectors.

It's going to be really interesting to see where it all ends up.

KINKADE (voice-over): The live auction takes place on August 5th. Lynda Kinkade, CNN.

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GIOKOS: Paris gallery at the Louvre Museum has reopened nine months after France's crown jewels were stolen in a shocking heist. The thieves were

disguised as construction workers, there were some arrests, but the jewels have not been recovered. Security at the museun, museum rather, has been

boosted with the addition of new surveillance cameras.

Right, we are going to a very short break. When we come back, Coy Wire joins you with an update on the "World Sports". And I'll be back at the top

of the hour. Stick with CNN.

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