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Isa Soares Tonight
U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Deadline Looms; U.S. Officials Visit Cuba For Talks As The Trump Administration Ramps Up Efforts To Push Havana Into A Deal; Fed Chair Nominee Kevin Warsh Vows Not To Be President Trump's Sock- Puppet In Confirmation Hearing; Iran Says It Hasn't Decided If It's Attending Talks In Pakistan; Iran: U.S. Blockade Is Act Of War And Violates Truce; U.S.-Iran Talks Uncertain As Ceasefire Deadline Looms; Iran's Viral Lego Videos; Eight Arrested Over Arson Attack On London's Jewish Community. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired April 21, 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]
ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, big uncertainty surrounding the fate of
U.S.-Iran talks with Vice President Vance currently in Washington instead of Islamabad, and no sign of Iranian participation.
We'll have the very latest from the region for you. Then, for the first time in years, U.S. officials visit Cuba for talks as the Trump
administration ramps up efforts to push Havana into a deal. Plus, Fed Chair nominee Kevin Warsh vows not to be President Trump's sock-puppet in today's
confirmation hearing.
We'll have that and much more ahead for you. We do begin this hour, though, with uneasiness as well as uncertainty over what comes next in the U.S. war
with Iran. About 24 hours before a ceasefire expires, it still remains unclear at this hour whether American and Iranian negotiation --
negotiators -- pardon me, will actually meet.
At the moment, Vice President J.D. Vance, who is set to lead a U.S. delegation to Pakistan, remains in Washington. Meantime, Pakistani official
says Iran has yet to commit to attending a new round of talks. That's left precious little time, of course, to reach a deal.
President Trump tells "CNBC", the U.S. military is raring to go if the ceasefire is not extended. There remains three clear sticking points as
we've been telling you in the negotiations. The fate of Iran's enriched uranium or what the President refers to as their nuclear dust.
There's also the issue of whether the Iranians can continue to enrich uranium moving forward. Then, of course, there's control over the Strait of
Hormuz, where a fifth, of course, of the world's oil passes through. A head-spinning back-and-forth from President Trump makes it difficult,
really, to get an accurate read on the situation.
One moment, the President is painting a rosy picture of an imminent end to the war, and the next, he's issuing threats to destroy Iran's
infrastructure. So, let's see where we are at this hour. Alayna Treene joins me now at the White House.
And Alayna, I'm seeing there in the last few minutes that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, of course, the two top U.S. negotiators are en route from
Miami to Washington over this uncertainty, of course, of what happens next with J.D. Vance still in Washington, I believe. What is the very latest?
Where are we in the state of these negotiations?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, let me break you down what we were expecting, I'll start there. This morning --
SOARES: Yes --
TREENE: Isa, the Vice President was expected to leave this morning, we were told for Islamabad, for the sit-down meeting with Iranian officials.
Of course, the Iranians had yet to agree or confirm that they were going to be sending their top people as part of this delegation.
And so, what we were told, we broke the news that the Vice President was not leaving as expected this morning, and that for now, he remains in
Washington. He's actually here currently at the White House right now, meeting with different officials here to really go through what the next
steps are.
So, really are pushing to see whether or not a deal could still be had. And as you mentioned, of course, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were also
expected to travel with Vance to Pakistan as well.
They are now on their way to Washington, really, as it remains a question of whether or not they can get a second meeting together, and whether or
not, a deal can still be had amid some of the large gaps that remain in, you know, trying to find a compromise here between Washington and Tehran.
Now, one of the things I think that is also a huge question on people's mind is, what is going to happen when the ceasefire expires. I would note
that it was initially expected to expire tonight. This evening, it was two weeks ago, almost to the day when the President announced and declared that
there would be this two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran.
The President on Monday saying that he was going to have the ceasefire, expected it to expire on Wednesday. So, there might be a little bit more
time before we really see movement here. But Trump making clear this morning that he does not want to extend it further.
And the conversations I'm having with Trump administration officials, Isa, they essentially say that part of that is because they do not want to give
the Iranians more time to try to drag this out. They want to keep this kind of Maximalist pressure on Tehran to really try and force them to
negotiating table here.
[14:05:00]
But there are a lot of questions and a lot of uncertainty around what that could actually look like. A huge reason for some of the breakdown is also,
of course, what we are seeing happening in the Strait of Hormuz. I think, you know, that U.S. missile-guided boat -- ship really, attacking the
Iranian tanker over the weekend.
That created a lot of anger on the Iranian side and raised a lot of questions as well about whether or not they felt they were in the position
to move forward for these talks. So, really, it is unclear if the second round is going to happen and when we could expect any movement there.
SOARES: I know you'll keep across it for us, thank you very much. Alayna Treene there for us at the White House. Well, pleased to have with us, the
EU's former Foreign Policy Chief, Federica Mogherini. She played a pivotal role, really, in the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran.
She also served as Italy's Foreign Minister. Great to have you on the show, welcome to the show, Federica. Let me start really where my colleague
Alayna Treene in the White House just left off right now.
And that is where we are in the state of these negotiations. It seems we are in a holding pattern on the diplomatic front, all while, of course, the
President, President Trump says he's prepared to renew strikes on Iran. Where does this go? Just your first thoughts.
FEDERICA MOGHERINI, FORMER EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF: Well, my first thought is that ten years ago, we had an agreement in place, the so-called JCPOA,
and it was functioning, it was implemented, all the nuclear commitments Iran had, were implemented and verified.
And then the first Trump administration broke it. And so, this is a little bit of a self-inflicted problem. And this war shouldn't have started in the
first place. This is my perspective. And then on the way forward, it's difficult to tell.
I see that main major elements that should be present in this negotiation are not. First of all, clarity of the scope of negotiation. What is on the
table? What is the main objective that the U.S. administration wants to achieve? This is unclear.
It's a moving target. Second, this is a complex negotiation. The nuclear file, not only the nuclear issue is a complicated technical issue. The U.S.
have the technical knowledge and also the political wisdom about the Iranian political landscape, but apparently, it's not using it in this
negotiation.
It took us 12 years and a lot of technical and political wisdom to get to that agreement 10 years, 11 years ago now. I don't see this happening now.
And then, you need respect. You need respect because the less the parties trust each other, the more they have to trust the process. And so --
SOARES: Yes --
MOGHERINI: They need to trust that the process is transparent, predictable, and that there is respect, and there is a common objective,
and that there is a sort of common goal to reach an agreement. I don't see that.
SOARES: Let's stick with that before we even talk about the major sticking points, of course. I do want to focus on the diplomacy, because we've been
back-and-forth on this for a while. What have you learned about dealing with the Iranians?
Because like you said, you coordinated the talks with the Iranians from the 2013 to 2015, talks of course, that led to the nuclear deal. Now, we are
seeing threats and blockades from the U.S. Can this pressure alone be effective?
How do you see diplomatic -- you know, diplomacy being -- taking place really right in front of our very eyes on Truth Social?
MOGHERINI: Well, first of all, pressure is sometimes needed, both economic and potentially military. But pressure alone is never going to work in any
negotiation, and less than anything with the Iranians. Iran is a 90 million people country.
Long history, deep culture, proud. And the technical knowledge and the political dynamic is complex. So, the first thing they expect is respect.
Then anything can be on the table and anything can be discussed. They're also very skilled negotiators.
Both technically and from a diplomatic point of view. So, they don't want to be pressured. They don't like to be threatened. There was an episode
during our negotiations back in Vienna in 2015, where there was -- also leaked in the media where we had a big fight.
And at the time, the Foreign Minister of Iran was shouting actually, never threaten an Iranian. And he left the room. I'm not saying that pressure is
not needed, but pressure alone would not work. What Iran needs, I believe, is to see the end game. What is in there for them?
SOARES: Yes --
MOGHERINI: Also, to avoid that, this process strengthens the hardliners in Iran. The war has clearly strengthened the hardliners, which is a
counterproductive effect of this military intervention. Because the message that the Iranians get is, wait a minute.
[14:10:00]
We reached an agreement; we implemented it in good faith. The U.S. went out, and now we get bombed. So, being engaged with the West, with the
international community being serious is not delivering security.
So, probably better to get a nuclear weapon. I think that this might be in the minds of many Iranians. So, you need incentives, and you need to create
a roadmap, a path. You need to --
SOARES: Yes --
MOGHERINI: Show what is in there for them.
SOARES: Yes, and you need to show it to build them that goodwill, and to build on that trust, and that comes with respect. But there's also another
aspect to this. And you briefly mentioned this, and you write about this on foreign affairs.
I'm going to read part of it. "In the negotiations leading up to this conflict, this level of scientific and diplomatic wisdom was absent. The
American team was built around personal and political proximity to Trump, rather than subject-matter expertise, and the results reflected it", you
write.
What then has been the impact of the shortcut from the U.S. side? Speak to the failings here, or do you think it's just different negotiation styles
here, Federica?
MOGHERINI: I don't think it's only a different negotiating style. Of course --
SOARES: Yes --
MOGHERINI: Each team, its administration, the country has a different negotiating style. And this is fully legitimate, of course. But here, Iran
has an objective advantage because they -- their delegation has the technical knowledge and the historic memory of the file.
The current Foreign Minister of Iran was sitting at the table 10, 11 years ago, and was sitting at the table the 12 years before. Well, maybe not the
12 years altogether, but they do have a team that understands fully and deeply all the technicalities of this aspect, both the nuclear-related ones
and the sanctions-related ones.
These two elements are extremely complex and technically difficult to grasp. Again, the United States has immense knowledge, immense capabilities
in this field, and it's not using them in this negotiating. So, clearly, the Iranians have an advantage in this respect.
I can't understand why there's not this kind of engagement probably. There's a miss -- let's say a misunderstanding or another expectation on
how difficult this topic is. And how --
SOARES: And it can't be solved, I assume in --
MOGHERINI: Put Iranians are in negotiating --
SOARES: And it can't be -- it can't be resolved as you -- as you well know, in two sessions in two weeks. This takes months and it takes years.
And as you were talking, Federica, I'm seeing here the Trump administration has imposed a new round of sanctions targeting Iran.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, I'm reading part of the statement -- "the Iranian regime must be held accountable for its extortion of global
energy markets and indiscriminate targeting of civilians with missiles and drones."
As you then taking a step back, as you look at this and where we are right now, it doesn't seem like -- it doesn't bode very well. How then do you get
to an agreement? How do you build on that trust? I wonder the roles that we traditionally depended on, for example, the U.N. Security Council, the
IAEA. That's absent from all of this.
MOGHERINI: Exactly, not only its absence, the technical and political wisdom and knowledge in the U.S. negotiation. There's also the
international community that is absent, not because it's absent in itself. It's because the United States has pushed it away.
SOARES: Yes --
MOGHERINI: When we reached the agreement, 2015, that was under the mandate of the U.N. Security Council unanimously voted, and the agreement was
actually an annex to a U.N. Security Council Resolution, unanimously voted.
And the P5 were around the table, the permanent members of the Security Council were part of the negotiating effort for so many years. So, you have
to bring in not only your experts, no, that's basic, but also, you have to bring in the international community.
Not only in order to achieve the agreement, because you can have some elements of pressure on Iran or incentives, but others might have other
elements, as we see China's coming in or Russia. But also because of the implementation in the case, you reach an agreement, then you have to
implement it.
And this requires an enormous amount, again, of technical work, cooperation on the nuclear program, on a lot of other things that require, you know --
it's not -- it's not -- it's not a real state agreement. It's not that you enter the room with a price, and you get a price or you walk away.
You need -- you need a complexity that I don't see coming. So, how to move forward, I believe Iran is still interested in getting an agreement. I
believe the incentives potentially are there.
[14:15:00]
The point is that when Iran implemented the agreement, they, they did so, and then they didn't get --
SOARES: Yes --
MOGHERINI: The full economic benefit --
SOARES: Yes --
MOGHERINI: Afterwards. Because the U.S. was working out. So, I believe that this time around, if an agreement is found, the economic incentives
will have to be built in, and it --
SOARES: Yes --
MOGHERINI: And it will have to be more difficult for any party to walk away --
SOARES: Yes --
MOGHERINI: Unilaterally. And then again, you would need to have some sort of involvement of the international community, starting from the Europeans
--
SOARES: We --
MOGHERINI: By the way.
SOARES: Indeed, I know the Europeans also putting out new sanctions, fresh sanctions in the last 24 hours. Federica, really appreciate you taking the
time to speak to us. We'll see. The deadline of course, is approaching very soon. Federica Mogherini; the former European Union high representative,
the former Italian as well, Foreign Minister.
Great to see you live for us from Brussels. Thank you.
MOGHERINI: Thank you. Now, President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Federal Reserve is vowing to be his own man. Kevin Warsh made his case
before the Senate Banking Committee, which has to confirm his nomination.
During his opening remarks, he touched on the importance of political independence that you would expect, of course. Warsh also promised to
resist interference even if he were pressured -- to be pressured by the President to cut rates immediately.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEVIN WARSH, U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIR NOMINEE: I'm committed to ensuring that the conduct of monetary policy remains strictly independent, equally
committed to work with the administration and Congress on non-monetary matters that are part of the Fed's remit, and I commit myself to
accountability.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: While Warsh faced intense questioning by several senators about potential policies, Senator Elizabeth Warren got to the point asking about
his undisclosed assets and alleged ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA): You have $100 million in undisclosed assets. And what I'm asking is, are any of those with this outfit that invests in
companies affiliated with President Trump or his family, companies that have facilitated money laundering, Chinese controlled companies or
financing vehicles set up by Jeffrey Epstein? It's a yes or no question.
WARSH: Senator, I have worked tirelessly with the ethics officials at the Office of Government Ethics --
WARREN: Yes, and you have not --
WARSH: I'm doing ethics agreement --
WARREN: You've built a $100 million in assets --
WARSH: With them, and have agreed, senator, to sell all of my financial assets --
WARREN: That's not my question, Mr. Warsh, are you refusing to --
WARSH: Including the UCANE(ph) assets --
WARREN: Tell us if you have investments, for example, in vehicle set up to advance Jeffrey Epstein's. Is that what you're telling us? That you just
won't tell us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, let's get more on that -- was here today, you can expect. Richard Quest joins me now. You expected it to be heated any way where --
RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS EDITOR-AT-LARGE: Yes --
SOARES: It was something like this --
QUEST: I think the starting point with Warsh is that, he is extremely well qualified --
SOARES: Yes --
QUEST: To do the job. So, we're not arguing here about whether this is a political appointment for the purposes of. And he said all the right things
on this question about interest rates that the President hasn't asked him - -
SOARES: From independence question --
QUEST: The independence question.
SOARES: The fact --
QUEST: He said all the right things.
SOARES: Yes.
QUEST: I think you have to go deeper, though, with this candidate, because he has very defined views on monetary policy as you'd expect, and he wants
to do massive reform of the Fed on highly technical things like the balance sheet. No more forward guidance, all the sort of things we've become used
to. And for geeks like me --
(LAUGHTER)
QUEST: That is --
SOARES: The people that --
QUEST: Well, that's the more interesting part, because I don't for one second believe that Warsh has said yes, Mr. President, don't worry, I'll
lower rates --
SOARES: At the same time as he was talking, we heard the President, I think he was speaking to "CNBC" --
QUEST: He was --
SOARES: Saying that he would be disappointed if Warsh doesn't cut rates. So --
QUEST: Yes --
SOARES: How does he -- how then --
QUEST: Well --
SOARES: We know from Warsh; how does he manage this? Because it's the problem that we have seen for the last year --
QUEST: Because Warsh had said today, he said, I've never met a President yet who doesn't want lower interest rates. The --
SOARES: Right --
QUEST: Unspoken is, is there a quid pro quo? I'll appoint you if you --
SOARES: Yes --
QUEST: Do that, Warsh says there isn't.
SOARES: Of course, he would say that, otherwise he wouldn't get nominated.
QUEST: Well, exactly. But what are you going to do? You know, you've got to look up more else. And Warsh is too experienced just to fall down this
trap. Warsh has been around a long time. He's been -- he's been a governor. He knows where the pitfalls are.
He knows how to run the Fed. Now, there will be some serious disagreements on policy. This forward guidance business, where the Fed tells you what
they believe -- he doesn't believe they should have forward guidance.
SOARES: He doesn't?
QUEST: No. Forward guidance has been the backbone for most --
SOARES: Oh, was --
QUEST: Central banks. He says you do your policy and you get on with it, but you don't need to tell the market where you're going. Those are the
sort of things where I can see --
SOARES: That's interesting --
QUEST: Those are the sort of things where I can see there will be difficulties in the future.
SOARES: How then does the market, as we look at Wall Street, how does Wall Street rate him? I mean, I know you said he's very well respected, but how
do they -- how does it rate him?
[14:20:00]
QUEST: They are. Wall Street is giving him the benefit of the doubt at the moment, because they still believe. Remember, Wall Street wants lower
interest rates. So, at the moment, Wall Street is thinking, well, even if we don't really like all of it, and even if we're not sure about him, with
him, we will get lower interest rates sooner rather than later.
SOARES: Richard, thank you very much. Richard will be back in less than an hour-and-a-half or so.
QUEST: We will --
SOARES: Thank you, Richard. Now, still to come right here, the U.S. turns up the pressure on Cuba, sending a high-level delegation to Havana amid a
crippling, of course, fuel blockade. We'll get some insight into what was said behind closed doors. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Well, the U.S. government is using the carrot and stick approach, of course, with Cuba pursuing diplomacy even while pushing the Cuban
economy to the brink of collapse. With the near-total fuel blockade, a senior U.S. delegation recently visited government officials in Havana, the
highest level such -- of such in years.
A State Department official told CNN, time is running out for Cuba to meet U.S. demands, including economic and governance reforms and the release of
political prisoners. Before the show, I spoke with Nora Gamez Torres; a reporter for the "Miami Herald" and "El Nuevo Herald". She gave us more
details about what was said behind closed doors at those high-level talks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NORA GAMEZ TORRES, REPORTER, MIAMI HERALD & EL NUEVO HERALD: Well, it is really -- a really, you know, high level meeting that hadn't occurred since
the Obama era. We are told that deputy assistant Secretaries of the State Department led the delegation, the U.S. delegation.
And a senior -- the State Department official told us that they discussed a range of issues. First, they offered Cuba free internet using Starlink
technology. They also urged the Cuban government to make reforms, economic reforms and support the private sector on the island.
They also, you know, asked for the release of political prisoners. There's an estimated over a thousand political prisoners, most of them, people who
joined island-wide demonstrations in 2021. And also, they encouraged -- they urged the Cuban government to allow Cubans to like exercise political
freedoms.
They also discussed some -- and finally, they also discussed, of course, you know, compensation for, you know, people who hold claims to confiscated
--
[14:25:00]
SOARES: Yes, properties, yes --
TORRES: Property in Cuba in the early years of the -- of the revolution as well.
SOARES: And so, I mean, that's a lot right there. How -- do we have a sense, Nora, how was that -- that was received from the -- from the Cuban
side, from the delegation inside Havana?
TORRES: Yes, Havana kept quiet for a few days, and it was not after, you know, U.S. media reported on the meeting that they reacted, and they said a
senior Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said that the conversations were respectful, they were professional.
But they kind of pushed back against the portrayal of the conversation as the U.S. delegation had been giving a deadline to meet some of these
demands. They denied that. But we were told by State Department officials that the Cubans were warned that they had a small window to do -- to agree
to a deal --
SOARES: Yes --
TORRES: With the Trump administration.
SOARES: I wonder, then, Nora, how you see this, because you've got negotiations with Iran, of course, and you have President Trump attacking
Iran with some very -- you know, severe threats, of course. We've also heard threats from this U.S. President vis-a-vis Havana, whilst, of course,
these negotiations, these talks continue.
How -- I mean, how are these threats being received? Because I remember seeing an interview with the Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who was
very upfront and said very clearly that he's prepared to fight -- that Cuba is prepared to fight the United States and its threats continue.
How then do you see these talks and the future of these talks and frame that within, of course, the mood in Miami with the Cuban-American
population. What do they want to see? Do they want to see like a Delcy Rodrguez, or do they want to see something completely different?
TORRES: Well, as you said, you know, the Cuban government has been putting out this message that they will resist any kind of military attack. Of
course, you know, it's very important that these talks are happening under a military threat.
And that's -- you know, like there's a lot of pressure on the Cuban government. They have come up with this message. We don't know yet if it's
a message kind of directed more to the -- to the -- you know, domestic -- for domestic politics purposes or, it's kind of, you know, surprising that
they are so -- you know, insisting that they can resist a military attack.
On the other hand, in Miami, the mood has soured, you know, towards the Cuban government and the Cuban leadership. They have had years to make
economic reforms and political reforms that they have not made, and the country is going through a terrible humanitarian crisis right now.
SOARES: Yes --
TORRES: So, people don't want to see Delcy Rodrguez-type of solution like it's happening in Venezuela, where you take out, you know, the dictator,
but leave the dictatorship in place or the regime in place.
SOARES: Yes --
TORRES: And we recently -- "The Miami Herald" recently conducted a poll last week. And the results were really -- you know, surprising. Like it was
over 70 percent, 78 percent, 79 percent of the people we asked in the survey that were in favor of some sort of military action --
SOARES: Wow --
TORRES: Going on in Cuba, either to topple the government, or you know, to topple the government and address the humanitarian crisis. But in total,
like it was like a very strong majority of the Cuban-American community in South Florida calling in favor of military intervention in Cuba right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: That's Nora Gamez Torres speaking to me earlier. Well, we are learning new chilling details about a fatal shooting on one of Mexico's
most famous archeological sites. Authorities say a gunman opened fire on crowds, the pyramids there on Monday outside of Mexico City.
A Canadian tourist was killed, more than a dozen other people from at least, six countries were wounded. Witnesses say they heard pops of
gunfire, then people ran for their lives. Authorities say the gunman was a Mexican citizen who killed himself at the scene. They believe he acted
alone.
And still to come tonight, it is unclear when Vice President J.D. Vance will leave for Pakistan, where new talks between the U.S. and Iran may or
may not happen. The ceasefire deadline is inching closer. We'll have a report for you live from Islamabad.
And then, the viral videos taking on President Donald Trump. CNN speaks to the creators behind Iran's propaganda Lego videos, when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:33:07]
SOARES: Back to our top story, the ceasefire deadline between the U.S. and Iran. Vice President J.D. Vance was at the White House today for meetings.
It remains unclear whether he'll travel to Pakistan for peace talks with Iran. Tehran, on the other hand, says it's not sure if it's attending the
talks. The foreign ministry blames contradictory messages from the White House and the U.S. military targeting Iranian ships.
And just in the last, what, minute or so, we have had this post on X from Iran's foreign minister, saying, quote, as you can see there, "Blockading
Iranian ports is an act of war and thus a violation of the ceasefire. Striking a commercial vessel and taking its crew hostage is an even greater
violation. Iran knows how to neutralize restrictions, how to defend its interests, and how to resist bullying."
Let's get more on this. Nic Robertson is in Islamabad. And, Nic, from that tweet from Araghchi, does not sound like things are going well when it
comes to diplomatic track. What are you hearing? What are you hearing is, of course, that we creep, of course, on that deadline comes closer?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, the deadline, as Pakistan's information minister outlined it a few hours ago, it's now five
hours away and is urging Iran to make their commitment or otherwise to come to the talks before that ceasefire expires. He says Pakistan is doing
everything as a mediator, earnestly trying as hard as it can to get diplomacy to work, to get the two sides to the table.
We heard as well from the foreign minister who met earlier today with the U.S. charged affair, Natalie Baker. Part of the foreign ministry's readout
on that was the calling for a ceasefire extension because they say that perhaps can be the thing that gets the U.S. and Iran around the table
together. As we know, President Trump has said it's not going to have a ceasefire, but it is very clear, publicly, diplomatically, Pakistan is
really leaning forward into its role here.
[14:35:00]
Normally, over the past couple of weeks, it really stayed on the margins, really stayed quiet, really let the two protagonists have their voices
heard. But the press for that to get Iran around the table is on in full. But as you referred to, that tweet from the foreign minister who was the
number two in the Iranian negotiating team last go-round doesn't seem to auger particularly well.
It is recycling what has been said quite a bit over the past few days, but more typically, we've heard it from hardliners. You know, and I think one
of the things we heard from the foreign ministry spokesman, you know, you try to look for if there's anything positive in what's being said. The
foreign ministry spokesman didn't say we're not coming. He just said, we haven't made a decision yet, although it did sound pretty negative the way
it was framed. And he said, we would come if there were results-oriented talks.
The idea that Iran doesn't trust the United States, that's really something they've been putting out a lot over recent days. And of course, that's what
the mediators, Pakistan are trying to overcome. It really isn't clear at the moment. I think that hope still exists. There is still really a genuine
hope of the negotiators here that they can still get both sides around the table. But what we're witnessing is diplomacy playing in public and a
visual, really visual, even visceral representation of what a lack of trust looks like.
SOARES: Yes. And as I was speaking to Federica Mogherini at the top of the show, that is the most important thing you need right now is trust and
respect, which is not happening, of course, as this plays out in public and on social media. Both sides, though, Nic, very keen to avoid conflict that
is certain. But I mean, in short, how does the president then kind of extricate himself from this conflict? I mean, they can't even agree on
deadlines, Nic. I mean, Pakistan says one thing, the U.S. says another thing.
ROBERTSON: Well, I'll tell you a sentiment here, and this is something that's been more broadly expressed, and it's not a secret, is if President
Trump kept some of his sort of, if you will, triumphalism or messaging or however you want to read it, the triumphalism is how the Iranians are
reading it. If he kept some of that to himself and didn't, in the eyes of the Iranians, up the ante on the military front, you know, a second vessel
boarded in the Indian Ocean today carrying sanctioned Iranian oil, that's one method.
But this is not a street where the United States has to give way and let Iran come through. There are things that Iran must do, and Iran hates being
under pressure like this. And let's face it, they're at a time when they don't know who really has the leadership, they don't know who's got the
real power.
When he came here last week, the speaker of parliament, by all accounts, was empowered, was the voice of authority in the room with the Iranian
delegation. Would he be the same if and when he comes this time? These are the complexities that dogged the situation. Iran also needs, and this is
what diplomats are saying, to understand that they need to moderate their position. It's not just what the U.S. would have to do, it's what Iran has
to do as well.
SOARES: And we are grateful that you are there in Islamabad for us, Nic, with the very latest. Nic Robertson on the ground there in Pakistan.
We are going to take a short break. Stay right here with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:40:00]
SOARES: Well, a remarkable story now about how some viral video creators are trying to impact the war in Iran. The group has flooded the internet
with Lego-style videos that mock as well as criticize President Trump and the U.S. war effort. Our producer, Leila Gharagozlou, spoke with the
creators about what they are hoping to accomplish.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEILA GHARAGOZLOU, CNN PRODUCER (voice-over): If you're on the internet, you've likely seen these highly popular Iranian Lego-style videos.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
GHARAGOZLOU (voice-over): Published almost daily, these detailed videos with American and Western cultural references have taken the world by
storm, the group that makes these publishers across social media platforms, but recently had their YouTube account shut down for showing violent
content.
But who is behind these videos? Is it Iranian government propaganda? Are they in Iran or are they outside Iran? I spoke to the creators behind the
viral Iranian Lego-style videos. I reached out to the team on X, introduced myself and requested an interview. They promptly responded back and asked
where I was from. As an Iranian journalist, I did expect this. And from there, the conversation switched to Persian.
Before agreeing to interview with me, they asked if I was in support of the U.S. and Israel's war with Iran. This was my response. As a professional
and impartial journalist, my duty is to report events as objectively as possible, without the interference of my personal opinions. As an Iranian,
I would never welcome the destruction of my country.
After another round of questions, these in English, we agreed to the group's first interview with an Iranian journalist and agreed to do the
interview in Persian.
It turns out, Explosive Media is a small team of Gen Z creators; 18 to 25 years old. They say they all reside in Iran, and most have never left the
country.
GHARAGOZLOU: Their spokesperson, who requested anonymity, said the initial goal of these videos was to show the outside world what Iranians are like,
educated, culturally relevant, and funny.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We know that the West has a bad perception of us. They don't know us at all. We wanted to break down this
wall of censorship. We wanted to say that we're funny, funnier than you even. We understand culture and the arts, and we are incredibly educated.
We know and understand your American culture well. You don't, unfortunately, know as much about our culture. We hope that you learn more
about ours.
GHARAGOZLOU: While the Explosive Media team is clear that they support the government, they told me that their videos reflect their own independent
political views.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We are committed to the Islamic Republic. That's our belief, our point of view. No one has to tell us that.
Before the war, we made critical videos of the government just like other media companies that criticized their governments. But once there is a war,
internal fights no longer matter.
GHARAGOZLOU: There has been some question as to whether they work for the Iranian government or have them as a client.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We did not say we work with the IRGC. We're like any other media company in the world. When they create
something, the rights for distribution can be bought. The rights for distribution of some of our videos in Iran have sometimes been bought by
state media.
GHARAGOZLOU (voice-over): Since the very first Lego-style videos came out, there's been a lot of discussion as to whether these videos constitute as
disinformation or propaganda. Mark Owen Jones, an expert in social media and disinformation, says the answer is a bit more complicated.
MARK OWEN JONES, SOCIAL MEDIA EXPERT: If I was to simplify it, I would say this is political satire, created political satire, and a form of creative
resistance against U.S. imperialism. The fact that it's leveraged by the Iranian regime, of course, that's just what they're going to do if it's
effective and successful.
[14:45:00]
And I think to try and frame it as either pro-anti-government or government propaganda is a bit complicated.
GHARAGOZLOU: Whether satire or propaganda, these videos speak to a moment in social media and geopolitics, one that the Iranian government has
adapted to.
JONES: And I think the regime has become very savvy about the importance of social media. Certainly domestically. I think internationally, they've
been savvy about that.
GHARAGOZLOU: And it's not just social media trends that have led pro- government Iranians to making these videos, the two and a half year Gaza
war has fundamentally changed the landscape in media and people's perceptions of the U.S. and Israel.
JONES: But I really do think that the Gaza war has unleashed or has created a level of criticism in Israel and U.S. politics and European
politics that we have not seen before. And I think the creators of these videos and the Iranian regime in general know that. And they are using that
to kind of emphasize that this war is not in the interest of Americans, but the interest of Israel.
I think these are themes that resonates very profoundly amongst not just the left, but also the right with some aspects of the right.
GHARAGOZLOU (voice-over): The rise of Explosive Media and Iran's new social media strategy has coincided with an internet and communications
blackout in Iran. A blackout that has left millions of Iranians cut off from the rest of the world. So, how do these videos manage to make it out?
GHARAGOZLOU: Iran has set up an internal internet system for local companies and banks. And for people who can afford it, they buy VPNs and
even Starlink, but Explosive Media doesn't use any of those.
GHARAGOZLOU (voice-over): The group applied for an internet license as a news media company. The license allows news outlets to connect to the
global internet. The process is long and the criteria, unclear.
GHARAGOZLOU: As we wait for a possible deal to end this war, Explosive Media says, they too hope for peace. And in the meantime, they say they'll
keep making these videos.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Our thanks Leila for that report. Well, police here in London have made a series of arrests that they look into arson attacks that seem to be
targeting London's Jewish community. At least eight people have been arrested just in recent days. Counterterrorism police say several of those
arrested were part of a conspiracy to target Jewish organizations. Officials say they are looking into whether someone is paying people to
carry out these attacks. We will stay across that story for you.
And still to come tonight, the latest edition of my book club, Juhea Kim discusses a book, "A Love Story from the End of the World," exploring
connection in the middle of a climate crisis. That is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:50:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Joining our book club today is Juhea Kim with "A Love Story from the End of the World." Welcome to the show.
JUHEA KIM, AUTHOR, "A LOVE STORY FROM THE END OF THE WORLD": Thank you, Isa. Thank you for having me.
SOARES: These are 10 short stories do you hear from what I understand and what I've read set in different times, in different locations and they're
all kind of apocalyptic in some sort of way but with a central frame from what I understand and from what I've read and there's some in there that I
can see into movies, we can talk about that in just a moment. Focused on climate crisis and the climate. Why did you feel, do you hear, that this
was needed right now?
KIM: We're living in one of the worst periods of human history. We're facing the greatest crises that humanity has ever faced. Not only climate
crisis but pollution, the loss of biodiversity and loss of our humanity and I think that we have all the facts we need in order to fix the problems but
what's missing is not the facts, it's not the science. That already exists. It's the motivation to change, and what motivates people to change is
moving them emotionally. It's poignancy and reminding people of their inner humanity and the best thing to do that isn't more statistics and data. I
believe that it's art.
SOARES: You clearly feel incredibly passionate, passionate about climate change and I just wonder whether you decided one day the real stories, the
real impact of our climate crisis is not resonating for whatever reason. I'm going to write a short story set in different time zones, in different
locations with love as a central theme. Why did you decide that that was what would resonate? What point did you decide, you know, journalistic
career that numbers are not getting through, data is not getting through, images are not getting through. What -- when was that?
KIM: I first wrote -- I started this collection in 2015 and it started with the opening story, "Biodome."
SOARES: Which is fantastic, we'll talk more about that in a minute.
KIM: I really wanted to traverse the globe and talk about nature stories from points of views that we don't see as often from the global south, from
the South Pacific, for example, and a Native American reservation in Central Oregon, Oregon being where I'm from. And I think that with nature
and all these problems, there are so many dimensions that it would have taken the form of a short story collection to do it justice.
SOARES: I want to focus on your first short story, which I love, by the way. And I wanted more, I wanted to read more. Any hope of screenplay,
movies, any conversations being had on that?
KIM: Oh, yes. So, that is being developed into a feature film and it immediately got a ton of attention and was sold. And I have seen the script
and I am involved in the screenwriting process.
SOARES: Congratulations.
KIM: And what the movie was able to do beyond the short stories, really expand this world and create a deeper love story that goes on after the end
of the short story.
SOARES: And I said at the beginning that it feels the stories, some of them feel very apocalyptic, that there is also an element, another element,
which is apocalyptic, but realistic, right? It feels like it could happen if we continue treating the planet the way we are. This is pretty viable,
right?
KIM: I think that's why these stories are impactful, because so many of them, it's just our present reality stepped up one level.
SOARES: One notch, right?
KIM: Yes, just one notch. And that's why it's both frightening and also sobering. Like, we really need to make a difference now, otherwise we're
not going to have another chance.
SOARES: Yes. Juhea, really appreciate you coming on. Really fantastic discussion. Take time to read "A Love Story from the End of the World."
Can't wait to see the movie when it does come out. I'm going to get you to sign it.
KIM: I'm excited as well.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And my thanks to Juhea Kim. And today marks 10 years since the death of legendary pop star Prince. And organizers in Minnesota are
announcing plans to celebrate his life and, of course, how can we forget, his music. Paisley Park, his former home and studio, will host a series of
events in June. Those will lead up to what would have been his 68th birthday. In addition, his hometown of Minneapolis will host a community
sing-along. The all-ages event will be free and held near Prince Mural, the seven-time Grammy winner was found dead at his home from an overdose back
in 2016.
[14:55:00]
And today, Britain's royals are honoring the late Queen Elizabeth II on what would have been her 100th birthday. Announcements include a new
memorial in London and a new charity supporting community centers, as well as green spaces. Earlier today, King Charles reflected on his late mother,
who died nearly four years ago at the age of 96. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KING CHARLES: Much about the times we now live in, I suspect, may have troubled her deeply, but I take heart from her belief that goodness will
always prevail and that a brighter dawn is never far from the horizon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Of course, coronated in 1953. Have a look at that. Her reign navigated many historic events, from the aftermath of war to a once-in-a-
generation pandemic, during which she famously told the nation, we will meet again. But her majesty was no stranger to a lighter moment, of course.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PADDINGTON: Perhaps you would like a marmalade sandwich? I always eat one for emergencies.
QUEEN ELIZABETH II: So, do I. I keep mine in here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Who doesn't like a jam marmalade sandwich? The queen's former press secretary will be joining Max Foster in the next hour. That does it
for me. See you tomorrow.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
