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Isa Soares Tonight
U.S. Secretary of Defense Hegseth Offers a Full-Throated Defense of Strikes on Iran's Nuclear Facilities; War in Gaza Rages on As the Humanitarian Crisis Grows; Jeff Bezos And Fiancee Lauren Sanchez to Wed in Venice, Italy. Pentagon Say Strikes on Iran's Nuclear Facilities Went as Planned; Senators Receive Classified Briefing of Attack on Iran; U.S. Did Not Again Anything Say's Iran's Supreme Leader; Wedding of Jeff Bezos; U.S. Economy Shrank 0.5 percent in First Quarter. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired June 26, 2025 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, the U.S. Secretary of Defense offers a
full-throated defense of strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. Though, many questions remain unanswered. The war in Gaza rages on as the humanitarian
crisis grows.
Are there any signs of a breakthrough in the stalled talks with Israel? And a prime wedding met with big protests. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and
fiancee Lauren Sanchez are welcoming their wealthy and famous friends to Venice for their luxury wedding.
But first, tonight, amid questions about just how effective America's bombs are. U.S. military officials are defending their airstrikes against Iran.
This as Iran tries to claim victory against Israel. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a defiant video message and a direct message to the Iranian people.
It's his first appearance since the fragile ceasefire that followed the hits on Tehran's nuclear installations. Despite major military losses, the
Ayatollah says his country has, quote, "crushed Israel". And he had these words for U.S. President Donald Trump. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENEI, SUPREME LEADER OF IRAN (through translator): The U.S. President said that Iran should surrender. That means there is no --
there's no more enrichment. It's the question of Iran to be surrendered. To mention the word Iran is too much for a mouth of the U.S. President to even
pronounce it, to say it.
A great Iran and the word of surrender, they don't match. They don't match with each other. It's a joke, it's a ridiculous thing to say.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, as Iran's supreme leader talks, CNN was able to travel to the holy city of Qom, as near Fordo, one of Iran's most important nuclear
enrichment facilities. Our Fred Pleitgen spoke to clerics there who say the conflict has only strengthened their faith. Have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): This is the holy shrine of Masoumeh in the holy city of Qom, which is the
second holiest site in all of Iran. Now, this place is extremely important for the Islamic Republic of Iran. There's a lot of religious schools here,
a lot of religious seminaries, and of course, a lot of the thinking, the religious thinking that underpins the actions of the Islamic Republic is
developed here.
All of that, even more important now that Iran is in this massive standoff with the Trump administration and with the Israelis. So, we went out and we
asked a couple of clerics here how they feel about that standoff and what could happen next.
"If Trump ever has goodwill, do not mess with countries and let people live their lives", he says. "This promise has been made by God", he says, that
if you believe in God, he is the one who guides your arrows to the hearts of the enemy." And he says, "they think they're able to stop us from our
chosen path through bombing, killing and terror. This is why these terrors and wars will only strengthen our faith instead of weakening us."
Now, there's one other reason why this part of Iran is so important. The province of Qom is also where the Fordo nuclear enrichment plant is
located, which of course, President Trump claims to have, as he put it, "obliterated" with those U.S. bunker-buster bombs that were dropped a
couple of days ago.
The Iranians acknowledged that their nuclear program has been damaged, but they say that it is still very much alive, and they also say that they're
not going to back down from what they call their right to nuclear enrichment. And they also say that they are going to stay defiant in the
face of pressure both from the U.S. and from Israel. Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Qom, Iran.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And our thanks to Fred Pleitgen for that report. Well, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is defending the attacks on Iranian nuclear
sites. At a news conference today, Hegseth and the Joint Chiefs Chairman revealed new details of the strikes. They released video of a test showing
the bunker-buster bombs that were used as you can see there.
Hegseth says the White House claims that Iran's nuclear sites were obliterated, not just damaged, is based on the capability of those weapons.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE HEGSETH, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, UNITED STATES: No one is under there right now, no one is under there, able to assess, and everyone is using
reflections of what they see. And that's why the Israelis, the Iranians, the IAEA, the U.N., to a man and to a woman who recognize the capability of
this weapon system are acknowledging how destructive it's been.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[14:05:00]
SOARES: Well, Hegseth also pushed back on the media coverage of early Intelligence that suggested the U.S. strikes only set back the Iranian
nuclear program by months.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HEGSETH: So, I hope with all the ink spilled, all of your outlets find the time to properly recognize this historic change in continental security.
That other Presidents tried to do. Other Presidents talked about, President Trump accomplished it. It's a huge deal. You see, we're here this morning
because in hunting for scandals all the time, in trying to find wedges and spin stories, this press corps and the press corps miss historic moments.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, at the same news conference, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine emphasized the military operation against Iran
went as planned. He says Iran had been preparing for an attack, but the bombs exploded as designed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAN CAINE, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF, UNITED STATES: In the days preceding the attack against Fordo, the Iranians attempted to cover the
shafts with concrete to try to prevent an attack. The cap was forcibly removed by the first weapon, and the main shaft was uncovered.
Weapons two, three, four, five were tasked to enter the main shaft, move down into the complex at greater than 1,000 feet per second, and explode in
the mission space.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Let's get more then on what we heard. We saw a clear difference there between the politician and the military expert. Our CNN's national
security correspondent Natasha Bertrand joins me now from the Pentagon. Natasha, just -- we played there some clips, of course, some highlights
from that press conference.
But did we learn anything new on the extent of the damage, specifically from that press Pentagon briefing? What did you take away?
NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Isa, the short answer is no, because as the General said, the battle damage
assessment is ongoing. And that is not even the job of the military at this point. It is the job --
(CLEARS THROAT)
BERTRAND: Excuse me, of the Intelligence community. And so, a fuller picture of what the actual damage was has yet to be produced. But we did
learn some new details about how the massive ordnance penetrator, that massive bunker-buster bomb that they used, actually works. And particularly
we learned more about the planning that went into using that bomb on one specific facility, which is the Fordo nuclear facility inside Iran.
It is very deeply buried underground. It is about 250 to 300 feet underground. And so, the U.S. military along with other officials across
the U.S. government, they have been trying to figure out for over a decade what kind of operation they would have to carry out, what kind of weapon
they would have to use in order to actually penetrate the underground facilities at that nuclear site.
And according to General Caine, given all of the planning that went into this operation, given the weapon that was used, and given the fact,
according to him, that this operation was executed flawlessly, essentially it hit the right target. It hit what it was supposed to hit. It went down
the ventilation shafts. The bomb did.
So, there are indications that it did explode underground. Then he believes that things were damaged underground. But ultimately, it's an
extrapolation. And what they are saying essentially is that because of the capability of this weapon, they believe that they were able to take out a
significant portion of Fordo nuclear facility.
Now, importantly, the military operation focused on three facilities, Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan. Natanz and Isfahan were not mentioned during
this briefing. And so, it is still unclear what the damage was to those sites. It's also still unclear what the U.S. government thinks of the
highly enriched uranium that has been the topic of so much discussion over recent days, because that uranium is what Iran needs in order to move
forward with making a nuclear weapon.
And so, there were a lot of unanswered questions from this briefing, which from the political side, from Secretary Hegseth, focused a lot on, you
know, attacking the reporting around that very early Defense Intelligence Agency assessment. General Caine focused a little bit more on the
operational details. But still, the big takeaway here is that there is a lot more Intelligence that needs to be collected, including ideally from
people who are actually on the ground and able to look at the site itself. Isa.
SOARES: And two things can be -- can be right at the same time, can correct at the same time. It could have been a precision attack, but what
we don't know really is the impact of the damage. And that's really why we're questioning the facts. Natasha Bertrand, appreciate it, thank you
very much indeed.
I want to bring in CNN Politics senior reporter Stephen Collinson. He writes, there are two reasons President Trump needs the world to believe
his claims that Iran's nuclear program has been obliterated.
[14:10:00]
Stephen, why don't you tell us what those two reasons are? I don't want to read them out to people, because I think it's important that you tell us.
Talk us through why? Why do you think that he needs to re-emphasize that the program has been obliterated, as he said?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Right, the first reason is because Trump wants the credit. This whole controversy started because
the President came out even while the planes were still aloft and said that the nuclear program in Iran had been totally and completely obliterated.
So, any conclusions or preliminary reports from the Intelligence agencies that do not support that, they cut against this personality cult that Trump
has created.
So, that is unwelcome. The second reason why he wants this to be seen as a massive success, I think, is more important, especially geopolitically. If
it turns out that the job wasn't finished by those bunker-busting bombs and the cruise missile fired from a submarine at another nuclear plant.
The question is then raised what next? Should the United States go back to Iran to finish the dismantling of the Iranian nuclear program by military
means? Would it allow Israel to start attacking Iran again? Trump doesn't want this. He wants this to finish for his own reasons. He doesn't want to
get drawn into wars in the Middle East quite obviously.
But also, the possibility of a prolonged quasi conflict with Iran lasting many years. That would not go down very well with his political base, and
it would go against all Trump's instincts. So, there's a massive interest in Washington in this being definitive, whether it is or not. And the
danger, I think is that Intelligence in the coming weeks and months gets shaped to provide the conclusion that the President wants.
SOARES: And we can speak about what we heard today with Secretary Hegseth. But the reason these details, you know, these questions were asked are
important is as to your point, Stephen, what comes next, right? The U.S. is supposed to be meeting with Iran, though we haven't heard from Iranian
officials, that's going ahead.
But, you know, we don't even know at this point, the point that Natasha was making, that whether 400 kilogram stockpile of enriched uranium is. Trump
says that Iran has not moved any of its stocks of enriched uranium before the raids. The IAEA, for its part, actually said and told CNN, Iran has
made no secret, they have protected this material. So, just emphasize for our viewers here, why the details here are so important, why we're pushing
for this here?
COLLINSON: Yes, even if there is a resumption of negotiations between the United States and Iran, it's important that they start from a basis of
truth. This question of the enriched uranium that some people think the Iranians took out of Fordo, and potentially other plants, is very important
because a prime aim of those negotiations will be to get Iran to hand that stocks -- that stockpile over to allow IAEA inspectors back into the
country to monitor that stockpile and potentially any other nuclear plants that Iran may have or facilities that, you know, aren't publicly known.
So, you can't have a genuine negotiation unless you have a truthful base. And if the President is out there insisting that the uranium wasn't taken,
and it was, then the whole thing is completely false. And he's in many ways, I think, perpetuating one of his key strategies, which he used to
great effect inside the United States with his false claims of 2020 election fraud.
If he now insists that the mission was complete success, and it wasn't, you know, no one is -- no one wants it in the United States not to be a
success.
SOARES: Yes --
COLLINSON: But this administration, you know, is so on a reflex to attack and to attack the media that it's almost created a political storm that it
didn't need to have.
SOARES: Yes, a political storm, that of their own creation by the way, which brings us to really the dramatic outburst that we saw from U.S.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. They're really the ones to blame here. If the President -- let's speak to -- let's be honest here about the
language. If the President hadn't used language so loosely, so definitively, so early on, such as completely and utterly obliterated, and
then contradicted himself, this wouldn't have started. And there have been plenty of contradictory statements, correct? And this is why we're here --
why we're here.
COLLINSON: Yes, so, the administration is hammering the press for carrying this preliminary Defense Intelligence Agency report, that said it looked
like the program was initially set back only a few months.
[14:15:00]
All the media organizations that carried that report said it was a low confidence report from the agency. It could be countermanded by subsequent
Intelligence, and it was a first look. They admit that, and that was an administration report, and the administration actually said that it was
true. But they're attacking the media for carrying it just because it goes against their preferred narrative.
You know, there's nothing unpatriotic about asking for more information. The administration suddenly changed its policy, decided that Iran was a few
weeks away from a weapon, launched an attack and still hasn't explained fully why that was done, and what the consequences were. The American
people, you know, 20 years after a war that was fought on false pretenses because of Intelligence about weapons of mass destruction, really deserve
an answer here.
SOARES: Indeed, quite the contrary. Questioning power should be seen as patriotic. Stephen, appreciate it, thank you very much indeed. Well,
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says victory over Iran now opens the door to the expansion of regional peace accords. In a statement just
released, he says there's a window of opportunity that must not be missed, calling also for the defeat of Hamas and the release of Israeli hostages.
Israel is keeping up its relentless as well as deadly strikes in Gaza. Gaza's Health Ministry says at least 103 people were killed over the last
24 hours. One strike hit a school sheltering families in Gaza city. A woman who lost her sister said Israel had, quote, "erased us". Meantime, new
violence in the West Bank as well, where the Palestinian Authority warns settler rampages could push the region to explode.
Israeli opposition politician Yair Golan says what happened last night in the town of Kafr Malik was, quote, "a violent Jewish pogrom". Settlers set
fire to homes and vehicles. Palestinian Authorities say three Palestinians were killed. Settler attacks were reported in other towns as well. A top
U.N. human rights official says there is often impunity for these attacks, accusing Israeli forces of failing to protect Palestinians.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AJITH SUNGHAY, U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE, OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY: The Israeli Defense Force and sometimes the Israeli Border Control and the
police are in fact working hand-in-glove with the settlers, and sometimes even protecting the settlers instead of protecting the Palestinian
population.
We have several cases where the Israeli Defense Force have together with the settlers, attacked Palestinian community, injured them and killed them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: We're also learning from Palestinian officials that Israeli forces shot and killed a 15-year-old boy on Wednesday near Jenin. Israel says it
fired at, quote, "terrorists hurling explosive devices". Our Jeremy Diamond is following all these developments tonight for us from Tel Aviv.
And Jeremy, the ceasefire with Iran may be holding, but we are seeing as we just really laid out for our viewers, increasing tensions and violence in
the West Bank, and then more deadly airstrikes in Gaza. Just bring us up to date with the very latest on that front, first.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. I mean, certainly when it comes to Gaza, you know, the violence that we are seeing
now, it has been, you know, going on all throughout this period during the Iran-Israel conflict, and of course, kind of took a backseat in terms of
public attention amid this highly volatile and highly significant conflict between Israel and Iran.
But every single day, we have seen dozens of Palestinians being killed, either those who have been trying to get to those aid sites were being
fired upon as they are on their way, or through air and drone strikes that have been carried out in Gaza. Today alone, 103 Palestinians have been
killed, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, noting that, that happened through a drone strike in Deir al-Balah in the central part of the
Strip, as well as an airstrike in Khan Younis.
In addition to that, some of the victims were killed by gunfire as they were trying to make their way to that Gaza Humanitarian Foundation site. In
addition to that, what we are seeing in the West Bank certainly is an uptick in violence that we haven't seen in at least, you know, several
days, maybe even a couple of weeks.
We know that in the town of Kafr Malik, three Palestinians were killed following attacks being carried out by settlers who rampaged through that
town, setting homes and vehicles on fire. The Israeli military then responded to the reports that Israeli settlers were attacking this
Palestinian town, but it also seems like the Israeli military opened fire on Palestinians, saying that when they deployed, they were met with gunfire
and rocks and opened fire, saying that they then confirmed hits.
It's not exactly clear whether those three Palestinians were killed by settlers or by the Israeli military, but we do know that one 15-year-old
boy was killed in a separate part of the West Bank near Jenin, just the day before the Israeli military claiming that they identified terrorists who
were armed with explosives, preparing to fire upon them, and they opened fire.
[14:20:00]
We are still gathering more --
SOARES: Right --
DIAMOND: Details about that. But of course, this marks a trend over the course of the last year and since the beginning of this war, more than 900
Palestinians have been killed by settlers or by Israeli troops. Isa.
SOARES: And Jeremy, and just briefly, staying with Gaza, I understand that Prime Minister Netanyahu was to convene a meeting today on Gaza and Israel
stratezy -- strategy, pardon me, vis-a-vis Gaza. Has that gone ahead? What has come out of it, if anything, at this point?
DIAMOND: Yes, my understanding is that meeting is set to take place tonight. And the Israeli Prime Minister convening with a -- you know, a
small group of advisors about the future of the war in Gaza, at the same time as he is telegraphing this intention to take this moment of a
ceasefire between Israel and Iran and catapult it forward to expand those Abraham Accords.
We've heard discussion of that from the United States as well. And, of course, the big question, is there enough momentum now to move towards an
end of the war in Gaza and a deal that would secure the release of the 50 hostages still held there?
SOARES: Jeremy Diamond for us there in Tel Aviv this hour, thank you, Jeremy. And still to come right here on the show, Ecuador's notorious gang
leader, Fito had a cushy life in prison, even filming this music video from jail. Then he escaped. Now, he's back behind bars. Details just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Officials in Ecuador have recaptured notorious gang leader Adolfo Macias, also known as Fito. Macias is the leader of the feared criminal
gang Los Choneros. He was serving hard time, but apparently living the good life when he escaped prison at the start of last year. Now back in custody,
he's facing more charges in Ecuador and potential drug and gun charges in the U.S., according to one report.
Our Patrick Oppmann joins me now live from Havana in Cuba. So, Patrick, give us a sense of what is going to be like, life is going to be like for
Fito in the next few years.
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was certainly not easy finding him a year and a half on the run. And Ecuadorian officials today
giving us an update saying that it took about ten hours to extricate him using heavy machinery from a bunker where he was buried and outside a house
where apparently, they say some of his family members were living.
[14:25:00]
So, you know, difficult to catch him up until the very end. He's now back in a maximum security prison in Ecuador. You know, he was essentially
Ecuador's Al Capone, the most wanted man, and he is at this moment back behind bars.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OPPMANN (voice-over): Once known as an oasis of peace, Ecuador, the small Andean nation of around 17 million people, has been convulsed by record
levels of gang-driven violence in the past few years. Spearheading the violence, this man, Jose Adolfo Macias, also known simply as Fito,
Ecuador's most wanted man, leader of Los Choneros, a gang believed to be allied with Mexican drug cartels.
In a war for dominance over Ecuador's drug trade, the gang, along with Fito and rival gang Los Lobos, were hit with sanctions by the U.S. Department of
Treasury for drug trafficking activity and violence. Fito, the leader of the Los Choneros gang since 2020, escaped from a medium security prison
while serving a 34-year sentence for drug trafficking and homicide.
This wasn't the first time. In 2013, Fito escaped prison, but was recaptured a little over three months later. Fresh into the presidency,
Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency. A day later in a show of force, gangs unleashed an unprecedented wave of violence. Gangs set off bombs in
several cities, attacked police stations and took prison guards hostage. A TV studio was raided by gunmen while on air for millions to see.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Moments of panic, of terror.
OPPMANN: President Noboa declared an internal armed conflict, ordering security forces to neutralize members of what his government calls narco
terrorist groups. As Ecuador reeled from the violence, Fito remained on the loose. Little is known about the 44-year-old gang leader's life, other than
his criminal exploits. Fito lived large while in prison, his cell, equipped with a four piece bathroom set, a queen sized bed and a mini fridge.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Look at Fito's cell, four outlets. It looks like a Marriott. He has more outlets than a room at the Marriott.
OPPMANN: While in prison, Fito even managed to shoot a music video. Ecuador's security forces are zeroing in on Fito's inner circle. Argentina
detained and deported the gang leader's wife and children, and returned them to Ecuador. Fito is Daniel Noboa's main target, but the President has
said eliminating the country's gang violence is the ultimate goal.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
OPPMANN: And Fito is behind bars again, in prison in Ecuador. But he may not be staying there very long, Daniel Noboa, the country's President, said
that if he gets his way, that Fito will be extradited to the United States to face seven federal charges in the state of New York. So, certainly, he
would be facing very different prison conditions if he is sent to the U.S. to face trial than he has previously in Ecuador, Isa.
SOARES: No doubt, there will be no music videos there. Patrick Oppmann, appreciate it, thank you very much indeed. And still to come tonight, U.S.
senators finally get their classified briefing on Iran's strikes that they've been waiting for. We'll go live to Capitol Hill after this short
break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: The Trump administration is touting what it says is the resounding success of its strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. But in less than 48
hours, we've heard conflicting messages from the White House on just how much has been destroyed. Have a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE HEGSETH, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: There's been a lot of discussion about what happened and what didn't happen. Step back for a second. Because
of decisive military action, President Trump created the conditions to end the war decimating, choose your word, obliterating, destroying Iran's
nuclear capabilities.
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: He said it could be limited or it could be very severe. They really didn't know other than to say it could be limited
or it could be very, very severe. The report said what it said, and it was fine. It was severe, they think, but they had no idea. The site is
obliterated.
HESGETH: Because Iran's nuclear program is obliterated.
TRUMP: They're obliterated.
HESGETH: Devastated and obliterated.
TRUMP: It's been obliterated. Totally obliterated. But no, the site was obliterated, just like I said it was.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: So, obliterated. You get the message. Senators are finally getting the classified briefing they have been waiting for the first time. They're
hearing from the CIA director and the Joint Chief's chairman on what led up to the president's decision to launch the assault on Iran's nuclear sites.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubia, also there we understand. Some Democrats have been critical of Trump's decision
to attack Iran without seeking congressional approval first.
Our Manu Raju joins me now from Capitol Hill. And, Manu, from what I understand, the briefing has already started. Just walk us through some of
the reservations, perhaps frustrations being felt by some Democratic senators here.
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, there is a fair amount of frustration. The Democrats wanted this briefing from its
originally scheduled time, which was supposed to happen on Tuesday. That was initially delayed. The White House said that is because of ongoing
developments as well as the -- their desire that Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, and Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, would also he be here to
brief members.
But there's also been concerns from some of the members on the Democratic side who serve on what's known as the Gang of Eight. Those are the eight
most -- foremost leaders in the House and the Senate on both sides of the aisle, plus on intelligence issues who typically get briefed before such
military action would take place.
One of the top Democrats on the Gang of Eight, Mark Warner, who's the ranking member on the Senate Intelligence Committee, has been concerned
about the lack of information he has gotten so far. I caught up with him and I asked him about what he wants to hear and his concerns about what
he's heard so far from the administration.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MARK WARNER (D-VA): If you start trying to cook intelligence or try to manipulate it in political fashions, that we don't have a good history
with that. That's how we got into Iraq in the first place. This is how you destroy trust with your friends and also with your foes. If people are
misrepresenting or lying about the effects of this attack, who's going to trust us going forward?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RAJU: And the question is going to be how much information ultimately is provided to the members of the United States Senate in this closed-door
briefing? There's some indication that the White House wants to limit the amount of information coming to Capitol Hill because of what the White
House says is concerns about leaks that are coming out from the Hill.
[14:35:00]
But members say they have the right to understand the military action that actually occurred, the aftermath of it, whether or not the intelligence
matches up with what Donald Trump is claiming that the nuclear capabilities of Iran, the nuclear sites, the enrichment program, have been completely
and totally obliterated. They'll want to hear the details of that. Will they get those details? That remains to be seen.
But I can tell you, Isa, from covering so many of these briefings, typically, members of Congress come out not happy about what they have
heard because they believe they need to be told more information. And oftentimes, they don't get as much as they want.
SOARES: Manu Raju, I know you'll keep your ear out. If there's any more details, more developments, do come back to us. Manu Raju there for us.
Thank you, Manu.
Let's get more on this story. Joining me now is Negar Mortazavi, the editor and host of the Iran podcast. She's also senior fellow at the Center for
International Policy. Negar, welcome to the show.
Let me first get your reaction to the news that we brought our viewers right at the top of the show 35 minutes ago with those comments that we
heard from the first time from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the first, of course, since the ceasefire. Kind of predictably, he declared victory over
Israel and the U.S., said they did not accomplish anything significant, were his words, and not surprisingly, avoided the key issues, right,
including the damage incurred to Iran's nuclear sites. Speak to the importance of the message and who he was addressing there.
NEGAR MORTAZAVI, EDITOR AND HOST, IRAN PODCAST AND SENIOR FELLOW, CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL POLICY: Obviously, it was as expected to not just a
domestic base, but also a regional base, sort of the resistance -- the, quote/unquote, "resistance." Iran's allies who've been watching this
conflict very closely.
But I think one other important point that was kind of missing from the messaging was not saying that they won't negotiate with the United States.
I think that's also very important moving forward that Iranian president had explicitly said that they're open to negotiation of diplomacy. And now,
with this messaging from the top leader, which doesn't really contradict that, even though it doesn't explicitly say it, I think the signals are
that Iran is ready for diplomacy as the Trump administration has also said they want to pursue it and potentially come back to the negotiating table.
I don't know if their position has softened or potentially that these attacks would've hardened their position. But we know that the last round
of the -- or the most recent round of talks were scheduled for that Sunday, just two days after the Israeli attacks on Iran started.
SOARES: Yes. Especially because we heard from President Trump, I think it was yesterday, saying that he -- a meeting was supposed to be had with Iran
and he said, obviously, we haven't heard so far anything from the Iranians. But the president also said -- President Trump also said he, he couldn't
care if there's a deal or not. I'm guessing. What is the end game then?
MORTAZAVI: Honestly, I don't know. I don't know if there's a strategy on the U.S. side, like a long-term strategy. It kind of feels like things are
happening by the week, if not by the day. One day, on the day of the Israeli attack, the White House stated was that they had not -- the U.S.
had nothing to do with these attacks. And then, the next day, the president's position started to change. He called it an excellent attack, a
military achievement. And then, within a week, the U.S. joined essentially the war between Israel and Iran.
So, I'm not sure if there's a long-term strategy, especially of the conflict. But at least I would say President Trump was fairly consistent on
the campaign trail in the first few months of his administration on wanting a deal with Iran, wanting to try negotiations, which he did. I just don't
think he gave it enough time. 60 days is not enough for getting a nuclear deal, which under the Obama team took two years of painstaking talks.
SOARES: Yes. And that deadline was somewhat arbitrary, right? As we've seen so many of these deadlines. Can I speak to -- can I get a sense from
you to -- of the tone and the mood in the country right now? Because it seems that Iranian authorities are kind of pivoting from a ceasefire with
Israel to kind of an internal security crackdown as well as repression. I'm seeing media reports of mass arrest and executions.
What are you hearing from your contacts? And if this is in fact underway, what does it tell you about the regime and the direction it's wanting to
take here?
MORTAZAVI: Well, the domestic situation, the domestic atmosphere had been repressive even before the war began. But now, the wartime atmosphere has
added to that. Obviously, the Israelis achieved a lot of their successes on the ground because they had been really infiltrate Iranian various systems,
infrastructure, and a lot of those attacks were launched from inside the country with the help of their agents on the ground.
And so, the state is on a hunt against these agents, it's just past president has shown that not everyone who's hunted is going to actually be
an Israeli agent or had been involved, the level of involvement and the kind of punishment that would comfort is just something that human rights
organizations had warned before and they're warning now this sort of securitized atmosphere and that us versus them or the very red line of
who's an enemy and who's an insider is just going to have very serious repercussions. And I'm not surprised to see that starting.
[14:40:00]
SOARES: Yes. Negar Mortazavi, really appreciate it. Thank you very much for coming in. Appreciate your insight.
MORTAZAVI: Thank you.
SOARES: And still to come tonight, celebrities continue to arrive in Venice for the wedding of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez. But
not everyone is happy with the multimillion-dollar event. We are live in Venice with the latest.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Celebrity guests are pouring into Venice for the wedding of Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos and his fiance Lauren Sanchez. Oprah Winfey -- Winfrey,
pardon me and journalist Gayle King arrived early on Thursday. Gayle King was one of the passengers alongside Lauren Sanchez on the all-female Blue
Origin space Rocket, of course.
Also arriving in Venice was Kim Kardashian, along with her sister Chloe and Mother Kris Jenner. Other notables who have been spotted include Ivanka
Trump, Bill Gates, and former NFL football player, Tom Brady.
With a threat of disruptive protests ever present, the venues and plans are being kept fluid. One local official says the wedding in total will cost
between $46 and $55 million.
Joining us now from Venice is our very own Melissa Bell. And Melissa, really, one question to you. How did you bag this assignment?
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's been hot, Isa, In a single word. I can't begin to describe to you the humidity of Venice
at the best of times, today, on a day when it was 90 degrees, actually unbearable. The sun was scorching. And these were the conditions that these
celebrity guests have been braving. In a word, that's how the assignment has been so far.
What's been remarkable to us as a team, as we've crisscrossed Venice over the course of the day, apart from the presence of the paparazzi, and there
are a lot of them, you really wouldn't know there was much going on. The ordinary goings on about Venice, the tourists going about on their water
taxis, water boats, really much as they ever would apart, as I say, from the heat and all of them trying to stay as cool as they can.
In fact, what Venetian authorities are telling us, Isa, is that the only disruption to the city over the course of the weekend is likely to come
from protests.
[14:45:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BELL (voice-over): Italy's floating city of love, flooded with A-list celebrities, from Ivanka Trump to Oprah Winfrey and Kim Kardashian. They're
all descending on a sweltering Venice for the multimillion-dollar wedding of Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos and former news anchor Lauren Sanchez. Other
big names include Tom Brady, Orlando Bloom, and Mick Jagger.
Details of the nuptials are shrouded in secrecy, but we believe that 30 of the city's elite water taxis have been booked for the occasion, which is
unfolding from Friday through Saturday, as well as every yacht port. Several accommodation venues have also been reserved for the 200 or so
guests, including five Venetian luxury hotels and the Madonna dell'Orto Church where Reuters reports the first night's open-air festivities are
taking place on Thursday.
Bezos' $500 million superyacht Koru was expected to be one of the main wedding locations, but it's just too big to be allowed anywhere near the
city's most scenic waterways and will be anchored in the Venice Lagoon instead. Some local officials in Venice are taking it all in their stride.
LUIGI BRUGNARO, MAYOR OF VENICE (through translator): We're used to having weddings and celebrations. We had the G7 last year. The Holy Father came.
This is a city that was born to do diplomacy and trade. This is the history of Venice. The meeting of people and cultures.
BELL (voice-over): But not everyone is celebrating. Activists from Greenpeace Rolled out a massive banner in St. Marcos Square on Monday,
criticizing the lavish extravaganza. Tommaso Cacciari leads the No Space for Bezos protest group.
TOMMASO CACCIARI, "NO SPACE FOR BEZOS" ORGANIZER: When you see Venice, not as a city anymore, but as a big theme park, a big kind of private dance
hall, you know, where you can just hire parts of it or in like, in this case, all of it is exactly the problem. The message of this wedding party
is that I am super rich and I can buy all Venice.
BELL (voice-over): Altogether, the festivities are expected to cost somewhere between $46 and $55 million, that's according to the president of
Venice's local government.
BELL: In the last few days, the couple have reportedly donated to several charitable foundations here in Venice, devoted to architectural and
cultural preservation. And according to a portion of the wedding invitation that was broadcast by ABC's Good Morning America, they've suggested that
guests not bring gifts, saying rather that donations will be made to these causes on their behalf.
BELL (voice-over): For now, all eyes are on the tech billionaire and his bride, and whether or not they'll be able to tie the knot in relative
peace.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BELL (on camera): Now, more of those protests are due to kick off tonight, Isa, around San Marco Square. And they're claiming victory, these
protestors, they say already the main events of Saturday have had to be moved outside of the city towards the Asen alley, where is it easier for
organizers to keep protestors at bay. For that, them that is something a victory.
And what you just heard there, the guy who leads that group, No Space for Bezos, was telling us earlier, he said it was actually they're thankful for
this spotlight that's being brought on their causes. The overcrowding of Venice, the fact that housing is too expensive, the ecological concerns,
they're glad that the paparazzi and the world's media are here to shine a light on that as well. Isa.
SOARES: Beautiful backdrop. Thank you very much. Melissa Bell there for us. Now, to the end of an era in the fashion industry. Anna Wintour, the
longtime editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine has announced she is stepping down.
Wintour has spent nearly four decades in the fashion world's most coveted editorial spot. Publisher of Conde Nast says Wintour will remain with the
company as its global chief content officer. Anna Wintour has been credited for reinventing Vogue into the preeminent source that could make or break
both designers as well as fashion trends.
And still to come tonight, tariffs may be to blame as the U.S. economy shrinks more than predicted. What we're learning from a new report by the
U.S. Economics Department. That is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:50:00]
SOARES: The U.S. Commerce Department released its long-awaited report on GDP showing the economy shrank by 0.5 percent in the first quarter, and
that is worse than previously thought, and it's likely due to, guess it, tariff fears. I want to have a look quick look at the markets, how they're
reacting.
Well, it seems they're taking their stride. NASDAQ up almost 1 percent. S&P up more than half a percent. Similar picture with the Dow. Meanwhile,
staying with markets really. NVIDIA stocks up again on Thursday day after the chipmaker closed at a new all-time high. It's been pretty a wild ride
for the company this year, establishing a record high in January, then dropping as much as 37 percent by April. Since then, NVIDIA has stayed a
sharp rebound.
Anna Stewart is keeping an eye on both those strands. And we'll speak about NVDIA in just a moment. Talk us through GDP, because the markets seem to
be, you know, taking on the chin.
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not just that, S&P is actually a whisker away from an all-time high, despite GDP coming in at much worse than
expected, half percent lower. So, what's going on? Well, I think some of the data skewed, if we look at GDP, for instance, in the U.S. we had
massive imports into the U.S. as a result of tariffs. People were so worried about what tariffs would mean for their purchases. They front-ended
some of their orders and that meant, of course, that that will have had some sort of impact on GDP.
Inflation hasn't been hit as much as people expected from tariffs, it may still yet, that's the big fear for the Fed chair. But the data's not maybe
as bad as people thought. However, there is still a trade war going on. You know, we still have 10 percent tariffs on pretty much everything from
everywhere. 30 percent on China, 25 percent on metals. In two weeks' time, in fact, less than two weeks' time, the Liberation Day pause also ends. And
currently, the U.S. has a trade deal with the U.S. -- sorry, with the U.K. and a truce with China. No other deals on the table. So, there's a fair
amount to be worried about, but wall Street's not buying it.
SOARES: And yet, the Fed, and correct me if I'm wrong, because I saw this and I haven't read into detail, only looking at a cut in --
STEWART: Likely to be September.
SOARES: -- September, right?
STEWART: Two cuts --
SOARES: How does that match with the image and the idea of President Trump or what he wants?
STEWART: Well, President Trump would've liked to have seen many cuts already. And sizable, maybe two and a half percent all in one. So, clearly
not very happy with the Fed chair. Already looking for replacements for the Fed chair.
SOARES: Himself included.
STEWART: Himself included. He didn't want to -- he suggested maybe he should apply it for the job. So -- but that is expected to happen. Powell
will be stepping down next year and a replacement will be in place, and perhaps it'll be someone who is happier to obey the president in terms of
what he advised.
SOARES: We shall see, even though it was the president who nominated Powell, right? Let's not forget that. We've got about a minute or so in the
show. Very quickly, NVIDIA, how it's -- I mean, it's doing remarkably well.
STEWART: Guns blazing. NVIDIA is once again the most valuable company in the U.S. in the world, in fact. Number of reasons why. Despite the issue
around export controls in China, you can see a real steady rise here. And that you can see that actually that was the dip around March, April, those
export controls taking effect.
NVIDIA is doing very well on GPUs, data centers, also now in cloud services, which is a fairly new category for it, but it's competing with
the likes of Microsoft and Google and Amazon in that space, and it's doing incredibly well. It's done a lot of sovereign deals.
[14:55:00]
You may remember the CEO has been on a whistle stop tour of the Middle East, of Europe. I think there are 19 countries they now have partnerships
and collaborations with. And everywhere, Jensen Huang goes, this is the CEO, he gets welcomed like a celebrity by governments, because they all
want in on the A.I.
SOARES: Is it the wedding?
STEWART: I have no idea. I'd love to find that out.
SOARES: That is really the marker. Anna, thank you very much indeed. Now, Bond is coming back to the big screen. Amazon has announced that Denis
Villeneuve will direct the next James Bond film. Villeneuve is one of the most acclaimed filmmakers in the world and has recently directed the two
"Dune" movies. Amazon took over the Bond franchise in February.
There is no word on who will be the next James Bond. I know that's all you want to know. Daniel Craig announced he was done playing OO7 after the last
film. You just have to wait for that one.
That does it for us for tonight. Thank you very much for your company, for myself, and Anna, Nick. Coming up next, Max Foster. I'll see you tomorrow.
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[15:00:00]
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