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Isa Soares Tonight
Denmark Boosts Military Presence in and Around Greenland; Some Personnel at U.S. Military Base in Qatar Urged to Leave; Witkoff Announces Phase Two of Gaza Ceasefire Plan. Danish Foreign Minister Says "Fundamental Disagreement" Remains After Frank Greenland Talks with the U.S. Aired 2:00- 3p ET
Aired January 14, 2026 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
LARS LOKKE RASMUSSEN, FOREIGN MINISTER, DENMARK: A bit of truth in what he's saying. Not about the dark space(ph). Well, we also have dark
space(ph) to our special forces. That's the way to, you know, otherwise, you couldn't -- you couldn't come around in the northern part of Greenland.
But I must say that, of course, we share to some extent his concerns. There's definitely a new security situation in the Arctic, in the high
north. All of us, Trans-Atlantic, took the peace dividend years ago, and we have the vision of keeping Arctic as a low tension region.
That's probably also why U.S. themselves have decided to have a much softer footprint in Greenland during the cold war. At some stage, they had 17
different military installations and military bases. Now, they only have one. They had like 10,000 personnel in Greenland. Now they have around 200.
That's not our decision. That's a U.S. decision. And now, the situation is entirely different. And of course, we have to -- we have to -- we have to
respond to this. The big difference is whether that must lead to a situation where U.S. acquire Greenland. And that is absolutely not
necessary.
I mean, we have the long-lasting diplomatic relation, the longest lasting diplomatic relation with U.S., that any U.S. ally has, 225 years in a row.
And we have a perfect framework which could be used. And therefore, to answer your question, even though, we -- wasn't so successful that we --
that we -- that we reached, you know, a conclusion where our American colleagues said, oh, sorry, it was totally misunderstanding.
We give up on our ambitions. There's clearly a disagreement. We agreed that it makes sense to try to sit down on a high level, to explore whether there
is possibilities to accommodate the concerns of the President. While we at the same time, respect the red lines of the Kingdom of Denmark.
So, this is the work we will start. Whether that is doable, I don't know. I hope and I would like to express that it could take, you know, down the
temperature. We have now had like 13 months with this ongoing discussions on social media.
And this is actually the very first time where we could sit down at a top political level to discuss it. And it was a great opportunity also for
Vivian and I to go up against the narrative, because it is not a true narrative that we have, you know, Chinese warships all around the place.
According to our Intelligence, we haven't had a Chinese warship in Greenland for a decade or so. So, from that perspective, it was a very
constructive meeting. As I said, frank discussion among equal partners. And now, at least, we have to give it a try. Do you want to add anything?
VIVIAN MOTZFELDT, FOREIGN MINISTER, GREENLAND: No, I think -- I think it's very important to say it again, that, how important it is from our side to
strengthen our cooperation with the United States, but that doesn't mean that we want to be owned by the United States. But the -- as allies, how we
can strengthen our cooperation is our interest.
RASMUSSEN: Yes, keep --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, thank you very much. Of course, I would like to ask this question in Danish, but let me do it in English --
RASMUSSEN: Yes --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because of our colleagues here. Do you see any compromise ahead of you? You said a little bit -- you elaborated a little
on the possible compromise that there would be between the President's wish to acquire Greenland or have control of Greenland, and the red lines that
the Kingdom of Denmark has got right now.
And if you also can tell us just a little bit about the approach that the Americans had to this meeting, what was their primary goal as you see it?
Was that to reach that end goal or was it an open discussion of how do we solve the security situation in the Arctic?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes --
RASMUSSEN: Well, first of all, I don't think this is the proper place to elaborate on what could be a compromise. The whole idea and the reason why
we asked for this meeting was to turn a public debate in a very -- you know, black and white kind of setting, into a discussion where there's room
for nuances.
[14:05:00]
And therefore, I'm pleased, even though we do not agree whether this is doable while we, at the same time, should respect any -- the kingdom's red
lines. At least, it is productive to start discussions at a -- at a high level. And then we have to see whether we will be successful or not.
I would say, and that is probably in comparison to some of the public debate, that the meeting took place in a very constructive atmosphere,
where we also had the -- as I said, the opportunity to at least, challenge the narrative presented by the American President.
And I think that is a necessity, if we want to have a proper debate. It was basically about security. I mean, and as I said, even though there's not an
instant threat from China and Russia, at least, not a threat we can't accommodate. For instance, Chinese investments, we have avoided that due to
close cooperation between Greenland and Denmark.
When you saw like ten years ago, the belt and road initiative and the idea of Chinese investments in infrastructure in Greenland, we avoided that. So,
there's no, you know, Chinese presence in Greenland. But there is a concern with that, be the case in like a 10 or 20 years from now, it will not
because our Greenlandic friends have introduced investments screening schemes, et cetera.
And Denmark, you know, is by all means on the right side of history. And therefore we will also continue to do what we already have done. We have
been stepping up, we have allocated almost $15 billion U.S. within just the last couple of years to capabilities in the high north.
We have been pushing among the Arctic NATO states for bigger NATO engagement. Honestly speaking, and now, I can only point fingers at the
former American administration. U.S. has historically been a bit reluctant. Hopefully, that will change now. There's a dialogue within the NATO
framework, and we want to step up, and hopefully, that could also accommodate some of the President's concerns.
But it's not that I'm now, you know, saying everything is solved. It's not solved. We didn't manage, but honestly speaking, I didn't believe that,
that was doable. We didn't manage to change the American position. It's clear that the President has this wish of conquering over Greenland.
We made it very clear that this is not in the interest of the kingdom. There's a government in Greenland with support from three quarters of the
Greenlandic population. The premier made it very clear yesterday that Greenland, for the time being, and for certain future, will remain within
the Kingdom of Denmark.
And therefore, this is a common position that we want to work with our American friends and allies, but it must be a respectful cooperation, and
it must respect the red lines. Should we take a very final question and then, yes, come on, there's a fight going on now about -- yes, OK, yes? We
can do that afterwards. Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, both of you, so you say you have had a constructive meeting. You said in Greenlandic, I could hear the
translation, it was a good meeting. But how do you feel about going out of that room without the threat being off the table?
So, we still have the American administration that wants to have Greenland be part of United States. And you say Lars over in the last meeting, that,
well, we hope that we can find a way. But how do you actually feel? It can't be very sort of secure, isn't it?
RASMUSSEN: Vivian?
MOTZFELDT: I think that it's never been so important to initiate that we are allies. We are friends. We have been cooperating in many years. We have
history together. So, it's all our interest to find the right balances. So, I don't think I can say it longer than that.
Of course, we have work to do in the future. And for us, the most important is that you find the normalize relationship we used to have. And it's very
important.
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And I think that we have initiated so many times where we stand, and our geopolitical and location and everything that is very important. And we do
it as an ally, and we do it of course, it's also our interest that Greenland's positions and how we do it at -- that you do it on behalf of
the allies, and yes.
RASMUSSEN: That will be the final question. That will be the final question.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Circumstance. Can I just ask you about the emotion of this moment? What did the administration -- what did the Trump team say to
you when you presumably told them that you can't just take over a people, you can't just take over and acquire a nation. Was there any discussion
about -- do they -- do they appreciate that perspective or for them, is this simply about security?
MOTZFELDT: I think that what we have been saying that the meeting is been on a respect way, and we have shown where our -- where our limits are. And
from there, I think that it will be very good to look for, and this high level group that is going to work together.
As I'm always saying that it's all our interest to find the right path. It's all according to the security in northern hemisphere. So, I don't want
to say more than what we discussed in a closed meeting room. But I would like to have this -- how do you say it in English? Hope for a more mutual
understanding and trying to find the right balances is equally from all countries.
(CROSSTALK)
RASMUSSEN: It is, of course, very emotional for all of us. And of course, particularly for people living up in Greenland. But also for people in
Denmark. We have 17,000 Greenlandic people living in Denmark. It sums up to like one third of the Greenlandic population.
We have a lot of Danes living in Greenland. More than one out of ten, which just emphasized that Denmark and Greenland are, you know, integrated, and
it has been that for centuries. And we look at ourselves as U.S. closest allies. You know, I've had this discussion with the President previously,
you know, in Afghanistan, we had exactly as many casualties as U.S.
And I know very well that, you know, the future is not necessarily about the past, but I think it is important also to have the past in mind. And we
are eager to fulfill our promises. And even though our view on the situation right now around Greenland differs from public statements in
U.S., we share the concerns in the long-term perspective, and we want to work closely with the U.S.
But it must, of course, be a respectful kind of cooperation. And we both took the opportunity, of course, also to express that it is not easy to
think immensely(ph) about solutions when you wake up every morning to different threats.
Whether that will have an impact, I can't say for sure, but I can only say that it is in everybody's interest, even though we disagree that we agree
to try to explore whether it is doable to accommodate some of the concerns, while at the same time respecting the integrity of the Danish kingdom's
territory and the self-determination of Greenlandic people. Thank you.
(CROSSTALK)
ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: Hello, and a very warm welcome, I'm Isa Soares. You have been listening there to the Foreign Ministers of
Greenland and Denmark, have been speaking in Washington D.C. right now, following their meetings at the White House today with Vice President Vance
as well as Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Give you a couple of lines from what we heard -- they had a frank and constructive discussion. They challenged the narrative that was presented
by the President, but they said their perspectives continue to differ. Listening in to that conversation to that press conference is our
Christiane Amanpour. It seems to me that they didn't remove -- that conversation hasn't really moved.
[14:15:00]
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: No, let's look at the big picture. You've got intervention threatened in Greenland, you've had it
in Venezuela, and there's a possibility of it happening in Iran. On the Greenland-Denmark side, that was a master-class in diplomacy.
Those two foreign ministers came out of what must have been a very difficult conversation, and they talked in such amazing diplomatic language
--
SOARES: Yes --
AMANPOUR: About understanding the American issues, about really feeling that they can work on them and discuss them, pointing out that it was all
about security. They couldn't see any other issues, that it was about security from the U.S'. perspective, saying why they were up to -- and you
know, up to fulfilling America's security needs, saying that obviously that, you know, acquiring Denmark by hook or by crook was off the table.
They didn't use, I don't think the word red lines, but they said they made their limits very clear. And they kept talking about how they understood
that they had to work with the United States, and indeed all their NATO allies, to make sure that this -- but if you heard the Danish Foreign
Minister, he talked about this Chinese threat that the U.S. --
SOARES: Yes --
AMANPOUR: Is talking about, as something potentially in the future, some 20 --
SOARES: Yes --
AMANPOUR: Years, because they don't right now physically, actively threaten Greenland or the United States from there. So, I think that part
was very interesting that they're going to set up a committee, they're going to keep talking.
SOARES: OK, to stay -- maybe empanelled --
AMANPOUR: Yes, do all that. And you've heard from the NATO Secretary- General Mark Rutte this week, gathering a number of NATO allies, maybe all of them, and also considering whether they would as a gesture of intent,
send a deployment to Greenland to show the United States that, in fact, we are capable of managing this security concern. And the United States, as we
know, has total, you know, treaties and agreements --
SOARES: Yes, the 1951 defense agreement, exactly --
AMANPOUR: And it has its base, it has people there, it has everything there. They talked about the emotional nature of this --
SOARES: I thought that was very interesting --
AMANPOUR: About how difficult it was for Greenland and Denmark to wake up every morning with this threat hanging over their head, what it meant to
Greenlanders who didn't want to be part of the United States, what it meant to Denmark, who is sovereign over the autonomous nation of Greenland.
So, I thought it was really very interesting, and I know you're going to move on to get some more analysis.
SOARES: I am, but before you go, I want to get your perspective on another story that we have been following. And that is the pressure, of course,
that we're seeing from the United States vis-a-vis --
AMANPOUR: Yes --
SOARES: Iran, as the regime keeps amplifying the pressure and the tactics on the ground --
AMANPOUR: Yes --
SOARES: With the thousands. What are you hearing --
AMANPOUR: Yes, so --
SOARES: About that, Christiane --
AMANPOUR: So, members of the regime, the Foreign Ministry, have been insisting that over the last 48 hours, they have the situation under
control. We don't know that. All we see are the bits and bobs of testimonies that come out, the horrendous killings of protesters, the blood
on the streets, the blood in the hospitals, thousands, according to human rights -- human rights organizations monitoring this.
Obviously, the regime is really probably its weakest point in 46 to 47 years of the republic, the Islamic Republic. But I was speaking to Elliott
Abrams, who, as you know, is a fairly conservative, some might call hardline hawk on Iran, has, you know, worked in many administrations,
including in Trump 1.0 on Iran and Venezuela.
And he said that President Trump has said all these things about coming to the aid of the protesters. And he has, quote, "painted himself into a --
into a --
SOARES: Corner --
AMANPOUR: Corner or wall or whatever --
SOARES: Yes --
AMANPOUR: He said. But he said, he has to act. And not only that, he has to act within the next few days. So, I would say that is potentially now
more of -- if somebody like Elliott Abrams is --
SOARES: Yes --
AMANPOUR: Saying that, potentially something that's going to happen. And as you know, some personnel are being told to be moved from Qatar --
SOARES: To be moved, yes, from Qatar. We are watching --
(CROSSTALK)
SOARES: Very closely, Christiane, thank you very much for staying with us with all these breaking news headlines. We appreciate it. I want to go back
to focus on Greenland following, of course, that press conference we heard in Washington D.C. from the Foreign Minister from Greenland and Denmark.
Kristen Holmes joins us now from the White House. Kristen, you were listening in, frank and constructive discussion, but it doesn't -- it
doesn't seem to me that the U.S. has moved its position when it comes to Greenland.
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It doesn't. But I do want to pay attention and note who exactly was there from the United
States. You had the Vice President, J.D. Vance, as well as Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Now, one thing we know is that here in the United States, this idea of invading Greenland is something that has deeply concerned a number of
lawmakers, including Republicans. And it was Secretary of State Marco Rubio who had these conversations with these lawmakers, essentially telling them
that President Trump didn't want to invade Greenland.
Instead, he wanted to buy Greenland. This is notable because you have these two people, Vance and Rubio, who are generally used by this administration
as negotiators. You have Vance, is always stepping in when there is drama among various MAGA allies.
You have Rubio, who has really been a voice of reason on all of the foreign policy when it comes to those lawmakers on Capitol Hill. And I'm talking
about the references we've heard from those lawmakers when they get out of briefings with the Secretary of State.
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So, they clearly wanted to go into this in a non-aggressive posture, as in what we saw, for example, when President Trump confronted Ukrainian
President Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, in front of all those cameras, that was not this scenario.
This scenario instead was taking their top two negotiators behind closed doors to have a conversation. Now, that being said, you also heard the
leaders of Denmark and Greenland saying that the perspectives still radically differ. They did seem to find some common ground, which is that
the security in the north region, where Greenland is and in the Arctic has changed.
That was clearly something that was discussed during this meeting. But they did say they had a constructive atmosphere, and that they were going to
move forward to continue having conversations with this high level working group that both countries are going to put together to try and ease some of
what President Trump wants without giving up Greenland to the United States, what they've said is a nonstarter.
SOARES: Yes, cautious optimism is the word that -- the words of Danish official use, also said we are definitely ready to do more. Kristen, thank
you very much indeed. Let me go to Nic Robertson, who is in Nuuk in Greenland right now listening to this.
Nic, I'm sure you were listening to that press conference. Cautious optimism, but clearly perspectives continue to differ between both sides.
What do you take away?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, I think my takeaway at the moment is that the ground hasn't changed in between the two
sides here, between Denmark, Greenland and the United States, that gulf of difference is articulated by the Danish Foreign Minister.
We've heard from President Trump today saying that they -- it would be unacceptable not to have control of Greenland and the position that -- the
Danish position that that's not their -- that's not their position that Greenland will remain part of Denmark.
That's what they want. That's not going to change. I think in that context, nothing has changed. What Lars Lokke Rasmussen; the Danish Foreign
Minister, who is a very highly respected diplomat, a tough negotiator, somebody who can well sit in a room with J.D. Vance and Secretary of State
Marco Rubio and have a tough conversation.
He is known and respected in diplomatic circles for that. By his own definition, it was frank, and that they've agreed to set up this talking
group, a high level talking group, to talk through some of the issues. He had said going into the meeting that he wanted to take down the tone of the
rhetoric, that he wanted to be able to look the other side in the eye, and have this conversation.
But the reality is the conversation has been had. The gaps remain. Yes, it's a diplomatic track. Yes, there's some opportunities here. But I think
for the residents of Nuuk and across the rest of Greenland, tonight, they know this issue hasn't gone away.
I think they'll be -- they will be looking to see what President Donald Trump has to say next about this on Truth Social or wherever --
SOARES: Right --
ROBERTSON: He says it. That will also be a guiding light for them because they are incredibly concerned that the narrative that's coming from the
White House that we haven't heard changed at all until this moment, is one that leaves them with a great deal of anxiety and living under a threat.
And I think that part of the equation hasn't changed. I think what has been set here is this opportunity for diplomacy. But it was very clear that from
the Danish side there, that they weren't able to move the U.S. on their position at all. And I think that also speaks volumes for where the
situation remains.
SOARES: Yes, he said it would challenge with -- challenging the narrative presented by the President, but that he spoke about the -- how emotional
this has been, not just for them both, of course, the Foreign Ministers, but also the people of Greenland and Denmark.
Nic, thank you very much, live from Nuuk for us in Greenland. Joining me now for more is Jeppe Kofod; Denmark's former Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Jeppe, great to have you on the show. We are expected to at some point to see and to hear from President Trump. So, apologies if I have to interrupt.
Let me get a sense, I'm --
JEPPE KOFOD, FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER OF DENMARK: Yes --
SOARES: Hoping that you heard the press conference from both Foreign Ministers. Cautious optimism following that meeting with J.D. Vance, the
Vice President and Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. But clearly, there are still differences, our perspectives continue to differ. What did you take
away from that?
KOFOD: That's true. The differences remains, but it was not expected that the problems will be solved at this meeting. I think three things happened.
This was, let's say more positive than negative for Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland-Denmark.
First, of course, that it was clear also in the press conference that Kingdom of Denmark recognizes very much the security concerns of United
States, of President Trump in the Arctic, and wanting to work together to step up the military footprint to ensure that this concern is being
addressed.
[14:25:00]
I think that's very important because that is the argument that was used by President Trump over and over again. And secondly, there was this working
group established, high level working group. So, there's a process ahead, which is good, of course, but thirdly, I have to say that, yes, I mean, the
differences remains.
There's no change in the White House approach. They want to take over Greenland. Also the -- some of the communication coming out of the White
House and the President doing that -- during that meeting was clear. So, I think, yes, it's a good result in a sense, but it hasn't resolved the big
issue. It's still on the table. And it will make Greenlandic --
SOARES: Yes --
KOFOD: People and Danish people still very anxious.
SOARES: Yes, I imagine so. As you heard from our correspondent in Nuuk just talking about that. And we heard that from the Danish Foreign
Minister, how emotional this would be, or hearing those threats from the President have been of the last few days, in fact, just was it yesterday?
He saying, Greenland, they would accept anything less than U.S. control, saying that's unacceptable. He was also asked -- the Foreign Ministers were
both asked whether, you know, the U.S. position had changed, whether there was any compromise. And from what I heard, it didn't seem like it.
So, from the Danish side, from the side of Denmark and also from the side of Greenland, then what do you present? You have a -- you know, working
group. What can you present that will help to de-escalate this tension going forward so, we don't see this daily threat from the U.S. President?
KOFOD: Well, I think absolutely that Denmark and NATO need to scale up its military presence in --
SOARES: Yes --
KOFOD: The Arctic, as it's already doing. And Denmark has also done for recent years. It's up to the U.S., but they also want to put more soldiers,
more military equipment in Greenland. They can do that. They have the defense agreement from 1951. So, no problem.
They have a historical low number of military troops in Greenland at the moment. From U.S. side, they can have much more if they want. But I think
the key here is that now there is this high level working group, and that means that at least, there is a reference point.
You can say, OK, there's a process, and that will hopefully lead to less -- let's say conflict. And the highest level as the Foreign Minister said,
maybe calm down the temperature, that will be very good for all parties in this situation.
SOARES: And both Foreign Ministers, in particular, the Danish Foreign Minister said they are committed to Arctic security. I think he also said,
you know, we're ready to do more. I think the words he used. But -- and he said the U.S. can increase its military presence, but it's not easy to
think of solutions.
And I'm quoting, "when you wake up every morning to threats". Can you speak first of all to the 1951 defense agreement, how much the U.S., you know, in
terms of bases has, and where the potential is, because so much of this is centered around U.S. national security, right?
KOFOD: Right, yes, and it's key. I mean, Greenland is key for defending North America, from ballistic missile attacks and so on. Intercontinental
missile attacks. So, it's clear and it's been that for decades. And that's also why U.S. today has Pituffik Space Base.
So, the remaining military base in Greenland, I think around 150, 200 military people there. But in the high days during the cold war, there was
10,000 military people, troops in Greenland from the U.S. side. There was maybe 15 to 17 military bases and installations in the island.
So, if U.S. wanted to, it could also scale up its military footprint. And in any case, I think the important part here was that the Kingdom of
Denmark communicated very clearly that, of course, we want to ensure that we will bring security to the Arctic, and we do it with our NATO allies.
And as we speak, there are several European NATO allies, in not only Denmark, but also others who will have, you know, exercises and troops
occasionally in around Greenland or in Greenland. And that will hopefully be more in the future. And that way, it can take away the concern from
President Trump that this area is filled with Russian and Chinese Naval ships, which --
SOARES: Yes --
KOFOD: Which he has stated at some point.
SOARES: Yes, and, just today, in fact, we saw Denmark and Greenland announcing, I think it was increased, Danish military presence in and
around Greenland --
KOFOD: Right --
SOARES: But it's important to point out not just what we heard from the Foreign Ministers, but also what we heard yesterday from Greenland's
leader. I'm just going to reiterate what he said. "Greenland does not want to be owned by the United States. Greenland does not want to be governed by
the United States.
Greenland does not want to be part of the United States." The narrative --
KOFOD: Right --
SOARES: From the U.S. doesn't seem to have changed, but at least, they are talking. And there is a walking, a working group. Jeppe, I'm sure we'll
stay in touch. Thank you very much for coming on the show once more. Jeppe Kofod there.
JEPPE KOFOD, FORMER DANISH FOREIGN MINISTER: Thank you.
SOARES: You're very welcome. Still to come right here tonight, the fate of tens of thousands of Iranian protesters is in jeopardy as the regime
accuses them of waging an internal war. We'll have more on the international response to this brutal crackdown, of course, following that
discussion I had with Christiane. This is after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Well, we're focusing on Greenland. We want to take you now to the rapidly moving developments in Iran now. The United States is withdrawing
some forces from a key post in the Middle East as the Iranian regime vows to punish anti-government protesters. A U.S. official says some personnel
and an air base in Qatar, the largest American military base, we can say, in the region, have been urged to leave as, quote, "a precaution."
At least 2,400 protesters have been killed since this wave of demonstrations began, and that is according to an American-based human
rights group. The U.S. State Department, meanwhile, says Iranian authorities plan to execute protester Efran Soltani today. His family says
the government rushed his trial. President Trump is warning Iran the U.S. would take a very strong action if protesters are executed.
And there are countless images, really, of the horror the regime is trying to hide behind an Internet blackout. CNN has verified one video that's been
posted online. Before we show you it, we do want to warn you, it is graphic. And this video is from Tehran province. It shows at least 100
bodies, including one of a teenager lined up at a makeshift morgue. As you can see, a makeshift morgue right there. The video is a few days old. Of
course, because of the internet blackout, things are taking a while to come to us.
[14:35:00]
Let's get more now on the regime's crackdown and the international reaction. Sir Richard Dalton was British ambassador to Iran between 2002
and 2006. Has held multiple diplomatic postings in the region. He joins me now from Yorkshire.
Sir Richard Dalton, great to have you back on the show. Let me get first your sense from what you're hearing. As you heard me say there, we are
hearing from a U.S. official that some American personnel are being told to evacuate from a military base in Qatar. Does this suggest to you some sort
of attack, whether kinetic or not? What are you hearing on that front?
RICHARD DALTON, FORMER BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO IRAN: I'm not hearing anything other than what you're hearing. And it does confirm my assumption
of the last 24 hours that the United States will attack Iran.
SOARES: Right. And we -- it's -- attack Iran. And President Trump said that if they did execute Erfan Soltani, the 26-year-old, there would --
they would -- you know, there would be action. What would that look like from the United States then?
DALTON: I mean, without wishing to advocate in any sense for the Iranian authorities whose behavior is unconscionable and should be condemned, it
would help if the international media told us what it is that Erfan Soltani is accused of, because the level of casualties on the security force side
has been very high. And there are suggestions in the Israeli media that Mossad has armed revolutionaries in Iran to confront the security forces.
But to answer your question, the targets that Trump will choose depends on his and his military's perception of what happens afterwards. They are, I'm
sure, under no illusion that they can remove the Islamic Republic's government. They are under no illusion that if they bomb some bases, they
are going to change the capacity of the security forces to confront protesters across this vast country.
So, what they are doing is punishing Iran in living up to President Trump's word that if certain red lines were crossed, namely the killing of
protesters, that the United States would act. But my assessment is that this does not amount to helping the protesters. First, the brutal crackdown
has achieved its purpose and the streets are, we believe, much quieter. The moment for helping the protesters, therefore, may have passed for now. And
second, the regime itself is still cohesive and its capacity to retaliate is still intact.
And it's clear that the Gulf countries are warning against military adventurism in Iran by the United States because they don't want a regional
war. How this will pan out depends entirely on what President Trump authorizes.
SOARES: Yes, which we do not know, of course, at this stage. But on just what you were mentioning there on Erfan Soltani, there's a lot we do not
know regarding Erfan Soltani, of course, because of the internet blackout. I will just say in the last few minutes I've received a press release from
Amnesty International. They said verified videos, incredible information from eyewitnesses in Iran reveal mass unlawful killings committed on an
unprecedented scale. This is a spiral bloodshed and immunity must end.
But they also say I'm going to read this out. Amnesty International has analyzed dozens of videos and photographs pertaining to the protest
crackdown. They have seen security forces, Islamic Revolutionary Guards attacking people. I mean, some of the wording here is pretty shocking. I
don't want to read all of it.
But according to evidence gathered by Amnesty International, security forces positioned on the streets and rooftops, including of residential
buildings, mosques and police stations, have repeatedly fired rifles and shotguns loaded with metal pellets targeting unarmed protesters frequently
in their heads and their torsos. This is from a statement just sent to me from Amnesty International.
You said that the regime is still cohesive. What then can the United States do? What kind of action that will not -- that one will not impact the
protests, inflict damage on the protesters? And two, do you think that the regime can sustain itself depending on whatever action it has kinetic or
not? Because Friedrich Merz yesterday, the regime is facing its last days and weeks.
DALTON: Well, he's got no evidence for that whatsoever. That is his wish. And it's the wish of a great many people.
[14:40:00]
My wish is that the Islamic Republic dismantles itself through a proper political process in negotiation with proper representatives of the 85
million Iranian people through some form of constituent assembly. What is happening is clearly intolerable and must be brought to an end. It is, of
course, only one of the very many utterly intolerable situations.
SOARES: But you don't think this is an end, Sir Richard Dalton?
DALTON: -- some which have been exacerbated by United States action. So, this is the big question. What will President Trump do? And I don't see
that he is capable of getting a quick, clean win, which is his preferred modus operandi in and out quickly, like he did when he bombed the nuclear
facilities. That was clearly a win for his way of thinking. But I'm not sure that that is available to him.
SOARES: Yes. Well, he certainly boxed himself into a corner, some would have said. So, Richard Dalton, really appreciate you coming on the show.
Thank you very much indeed. We can continue following, of course, all the developments out of Iran, given, of course, the internet blackout. We'll be
right back after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Well, the Trump administration has announced phase two of its 20- point plan for Gaza. On X, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff writes they're moving from ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance and
reconstruction. Adding that the U.S. expects Hamas to comply fully with its obligations, including the immediate return of the final deceased hostage.
Failure to do so will bring serious consequences.
The United Nations, though, warns that the situation on the ground is worsening. At least 100 children have been killed in the enclave since the
ceasefire began. And close to 100,000 children are suffering from malnutrition as they battle those harsh winter conditions that we've been
telling you about on the show.
Jeremy Diamond joins me now for more. So, Jeremy, let's talk about this phase two, because you and I spoke at great length many months ago about
when that next transition will be to phase two. And as part of that transition as that phase two would be the disarmament of Hamas, but also
the withdrawal of Israeli troops. Where are we? Did we give us any more details on those two fundamental points?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, let's start off with the fact that it is notable that the United States has
announced this transition to phase two of this plan. And that is because over the course of the last several weeks, including, as we have seen,
bouts of violence with the Israeli military killing more than 400 people in Gaza over the course of this ceasefire so far.
[14:45:00]
There have been real questions about whether or not this ceasefire would actually hold up, at least in terms of the political process and in terms
of getting to this phase two. And so, to have the phase two now announced is notable in and of itself. And what we saw today was not only the
announcement of phase two by the U.S. special envoy, Steve Witkoff, but also the announcement that this Palestinian Technocratic Committee has been
set up now with 15 members to run the Gaza Strip.
Hamas just a few days ago signaled its willingness to hand over governance capabilities to that Palestinian Technocratic Committee. We know that there
is the former U.N. special envoy, Nickolay Mladenov, who has now begun to have meetings with Israeli officials, Palestinian officials. He will serve
as the kind of director of this board of peace that has yet to be fully announced by President Trump. But everything is kind of in motion here.
Now, as it relates to what phase two actually entails, Steve Witkoff focused on a couple items in particular. He talked about establishing this
transitional Palestinian Technocratic Authority. He also talked about that phase two will begin the, quote, "full demilitarization and reconstruction
of Gaza." He also made clear that he expects that Hamas will fully comply with its obligations, including the return of the last deceased hostage
still inside of Gaza, who has yet to be returned to his family for burial. And Witkoff said failure to do so will bring serious consequences.
Now, what didn't Steve Witkoff mentioned, though, in this tweet? There was no mention of Israel's responsibilities under phase two, such as, for
example, the eventual withdrawal of Israeli troops from the half of the Gaza Strip that they currently control. Remember that 20-point plan that
President Trump had put out for this Gaza ceasefire plan? It talked about Israeli withdrawal happening kind of in conjunction with the
demilitarization of Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas, based on certain kind of checkmarks that that would have been made over the course of time.
There's also no mention of this international security force, which we have yet to see any country kind of publicly make clear that they will, in fact,
send troops to this effort. And that force has yet to actually be established or announced.
So, still clear that a lot remains to be done here. And a lot of onus, it seems, from the United States standpoint is being put on Hamas, on this new
Palestinian technocratic government. No mention in Witkoff's tweet at all, in fact, of Israel at all. Isa.
SOARES: Yes. The U.S. expects Hamas to comply fully with its obligations. Failure to do so will bring serious consequences. Jeremy, thank you very
much indeed.
I want to leave Gaza for just a moment and turn our attention to the United States, because more than half of Americans think what ICE is doing in
American cities is making their communities less safe. That is the finding of a new CNN poll as the Trump administration surges federal forces into
the U.S., into U.S. cities.
56 percent also believe that ICE's fatal shooting last week of Renee Good in Minneapolis was an inappropriate use of force. ICE's stated mission is
to protect the U.S. from cross-border crime and illegal immigration. But new videos out of Minnesota, this is one of them, show federal officers
increasingly cracking down on protesters. And at least six U.S. prosecutors in Minnesota have quit over the probe into the Good shooting. A source says
it was due to pressure from the Trump administration to look into the actions of Good and those around her, not the agent who shot her.
Let's get more now from Minneapolis CNN's Ryan Young. Ryan, good to see you. I mean, these numbers that we're seeing, this new CNN poll, really
paints a picture of how concerned Americans are by some of the tactics we are seeing from ICE.
RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and I think you listen to the words of the people, the community. They consider this an
invasion. There's now more federal officers who work with ICE and Border Patrol here than police officers that patrol both cities, St. Paul and
Minneapolis. There are 600 in each department. So, that's only 1,200. There are more than 2,000 federal agents now in this area. And people are worried
about that surge.
Yesterday, when they went to make an arrest around the corner from where we're standing, they used more than 60 agents as they were looking for one
person. So, you see how much force they're using in this area.
I want to mention this. This is the area behind us where the shooting took place. This is where Renee Good lost her life. We continue to see dozens of
dozens of people arrive here. There's a prayer vigil here in the last half hour or so. And people really are paying their respects to this woman who
lost her life. But at the same time, as we show you that video that we shot yesterday, as we were standing right there, as this all broke out, we saw
the agents tussling with protesters, protesters being pushed to the ground, some being detained and arrested. And then at some point, they're sometimes
released without any charges.
[14:50:00]
We also saw some of the ineffective use of force on Border Patrol and ICE agents on each other as they sprayed each other with their pepper balls and
their pepper spray. So, that was something that stood out to all of us. But listen to this young woman talk to us about being injured by a flash plane
that exploded right in front of her just last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have the sway here. Clearly, if they're throwing weapons at us, they're afraid. They don't want us here because we know we
have power against them. Personally, I could be hit by flash bangs again, and I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to be out here for the coming weeks
until ICE is off of our streets and stops terrorizing our neighbors and killing our neighbors.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
YOUNG: Yes, city and state officials are not sitting idly by either. They filed a temporary restraining order in federal court. But the judge
basically said, hey, we're going to wait till Monday before making that decision. So, the ICE operations will continue.
And now, we're hearing that the Trump administration plans to send in lawyers from the army to help process everything what's going on here,
especially after the people quit yesterday. So, a lot going on here and people trying to figure out what the next steps are going to be. But as one
woman told us earlier, this doesn't feel like America with what's going on right now, especially here.
SOARES: Ryan Young there for us in Minneapolis. Thanks very much, Ryan. We're going to take a short break. We'll see you on the other side.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Now, the hidden figure of the Montgomery bus boycott, Claudette Colvin, has died at the age of 86. Colvin's activism was overshadowed for
many years, despite her significant contribution to the civil rights movement.
In 1955, just months before Rosa Parks made history, Colvin was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white woman on a segregated bus. The
15-year-old became a star witness in a landmark segregation case, but wasn't properly recognized until decades later. As recently as 2009, Colvin
told the New York Times she believed she was overlooked because she didn't fit middle-class standards of the time. Despite this struggle, Colvin
remained an advocate for many issues right up until her death.
Well, four astronauts are returning from the International Space Station today, more than a month ahead of schedule, this, after one of crew member
experienced a medical issue.
[14:55:00]
This is the first time in history NASA has brought astronauts home early from the space station due to a medical concern. While NASA has not
provided details about the health problem, the affected astronaut is said to be in a stable condition. The SpaceX capsule carrying the astronauts is
expected to undock from the ISS as soon as 5:00 pm Eastern time. And I do know that my colleague Max Foster will have much more on this in the next
hour right here of CNN.
And finally, just before I leave you with less than a minute to go, another astronaut on board the ISS captured these truly stunning images of Aurora
Borealis, also known of course as the Northern Lights. The Japanese astronaut caught the effect caused by charged particles that come from the
sun in a steady stream or a solar wind. Truly stunning.
That does it for me for tonight. A very busy hour of news. Do stay right here. "What We Know" with Max Foster is up next. We're still of course
waiting for the U.S. president, and we'll bring you that when it gets underway.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
