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Isa Soares Tonight
Argentina Come Back From Behind In A Roller-Coaster Game To Beat Egypt 3-2; President Trump Says He's Thinking About Selling Fighter Jets To Turkey Despite A Ban From Congress; A French Court Paves Way For French Politician Marine Le Pen To Run For President Even After Being Found Guilty Of Misusing EU Funds; U.S.: Iran Fired On Three Commercial Vessels Near Strait Of Hormuz; Trump In Turkey For High-Stakes NATO Summit; Cuba Struggles To Restore Power After Nationwide Grid Collapse; Monaco Bombing Suspect Found Shot To Death In Ukraine. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired July 07, 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, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, a roller-coaster match between Egypt and
Argentina in the FIFA men's World Cup. We'll bring you the very latest in just a moment.
Then at a high stakes NATO Summit, President Trump says he's thinking about selling fighter jets to Turkey despite a ban from Congress. We'll bring you
the very latest on that. Plus, this hour, we expect to hear from French far-right leader Marine Le Pen after a court today paved the way for her to
run for president even after being found guilty of misusing EU funds. That and much more ahead for you.
But first, tonight, planes and peace plans. Those were two of the main topics today as the NATO Summit kicked off in Ankara in Turkey. It was no
sure thing that U.S. President Donald Trump would even come to the summit - - to the summit, pardon me.
Has been highly critical of many NATO countries for their low defense spending and for not doing more to help the U.S. in its war with Iran. Have
a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In a way, I was testing people. I was testing to see whether or not they'd be there, because I've
long said that we help them, but I'm not sure that they'd be there for us.
And Italy turned us down, and Germany turned us down and France turned us down. And it's OK. But, you know, why are we spending hundreds of billions
of dollars and they're not there for us?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, Mr. Trump has heaped praise on host country Turkey, saying it has been more loyal than others in NATO. The U.S. President is considering
whether to approve the sale of U.S. F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, and that is despite fierce objections from U.S. lawmakers as well as from Israel.
Mr. Trump today also expressed optimism that there could soon be a breakthrough in peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, though he admitted
little has changed lately in the long-running conflict. He is due to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the summit in Ankara.
Well, our senior White House reporter, Kevin Liptak, is traveling with the President, following all the angles. And Kevin, we heard a little snippet
there from the President, because even though -- before even the summit kicked off in full force, we heard -- I think he said he was very
disappointed, President Trump, lashing out again at NATO.
Talk us through what we heard and that how -- and how that is being received by U.S. allies on the ground.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Right, and I think if anyone thought the President was coming here with a more conciliatory
approach, those hopes were immediately dashed.
You know, virtually, the first words out of his mouth when he was here in Turkey was castigating some of these NATO allies for not spending more on
their own defense, for not coming to his aid, essentially, when it comes to Iran and questioning why the U.S. is spending billions of dollars for those
countries' security, when in his mind, they haven't done enough to help him.
And so, this is going to be a very tense summit. It was pretty evident that it was going to be that way heading into it, when President Trump said that
he was only coming because it was hosted by Turkey, essentially, saying that he was going to be here begrudgingly.
But that is clearly the overhang of this entire meeting. And when you talk to officials, both American and European officials, they say that their
full expectation is that President Trump will make his dissatisfaction very known when the meeting really gets underway tomorrow.
I think the question that the Europeans have is where all of this is heading? You know, the direction of travel is evident. The President is
unhappy with the NATO allies. He is going to be reducing the American footprint on the ground in Europe.
But the question is, how, you know, how many troops? What resources? And they're going to have to sort of plug those gaps. And unless the President
-- and until the President makes explicit where those reductions will come, they're sort of left in this lurch of, yes, committing to all of these new
defense spending commitments.
[14:05:00]
You know, they've all committed to spending 5 percent of their GDP on defense. And just today, here in Ankara, you heard the Defense Ministers
making all kinds of pledges on defense spending in terms of defense companies that they're going to ally with.
But until the U.S. says what's coming out of Europe, they can't necessarily say what they're going to put in. And so, they're left in something of a
conundrum. And it's not clear that the President is going to leave Turkey with any more clarity.
And so, it is a very difficult position for them, and the geopolitical backdrop really couldn't be any more tense. You know, you have what's
happening in Russia between Russia and Ukraine. You also have what's happening in China.
China just firing off a long-range ballistic missile for the first time in years, I think, reflecting some of the challenges that the U.S. wants to
pivot to once it reduces some of its footprint in Europe. So, I think a lot of unanswered questions that the leaders have at this summit, but it's
clear what the President's mindset is as this gets underway.
SOARES: Meantime, Kevin, he did shower plenty of praise on Turkey. It's even saying he's considering selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey. Just --
can you just add some context to this and what you are hearing from the White House on this, because this is -- this is raising many eyebrows in
the United States, from what I understand.
LIPTAK: Yes, and the deal, you know, when you listen to President Trump and to the President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, it sounds as if it's finalized, but
there are going to be some hurdles. And just to sort of walk back a little bit, the President himself, during his first term, actually put this ban on
the F-35 sales to Turkey because Turkey had purchased the Russian air defense system, the S-400.
The problem with that is that there were fears that they could use the system to essentially provide Russia inadvertently with access to some of
the U.S.' most sensitive military equipment details. And that just was a nonstarter for President Trump at the time, although he was reluctant to do
it.
But also, for members of Congress, which essentially codified that ban into law. Now, how the President plans to get around that law is something of an
open question. And he really didn't illuminate that at all in the meeting with Erdogan earlier.
But it was clear that this is what he plans to do. And he also said that he plans to lift sanctions that are in -- placed on Turkey for its purchase of
that Russian air defense system. And so, it all, I think reflects really the warm attitude that the President feels towards President Erdogan.
He said that that's the only reason he's here in Turkey, is because Erdogan is hosting that summit. But it is going to cause outcry. We already heard
from Benjamin Netanyahu in that interview with Dana Bash.
He certainly opposes the sale of those F-35s to Turkey in part because he fears it would alter the balance of military equipment in the region. But
you're also going to hear opposition from Republican members of Congress who are skeptical that Turkey will be a responsible owner of these planes.
You know, it's the most advanced fighter jet that the U.S. has. And so, this is not a done-deal by any means, but certainly for President Trump, it
seems as if his mind is very much made up.
SOARES: Yes, Kevin Liptak there for us in Ankara in Turkey. Thank you very much. And as Kevin was mentioning there, the Israeli Prime Minister,
Benjamin Netanyahu, who says he's made it clear to the White House that any military jet sales to Turkey would upset the balance of power in the Middle
East.
You heard him mentioning there an interview he did with my colleague, Dana Bash. Have a listen to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER, ISRAEL: It's a regime that's infected with the Muslim brotherhood which hates the United States. He harbors
Hamas, the Hamas terrorists. He supports them. He finances them. He's thrown his opponents in jail. All of them.
He throws more journalists in jail than anyone can understand. So, he's not exactly a model ally of the United States. But even worse than that, he
threatens Greece, a NATO ally. He occupies half of Cyprus, another NATO country.
And the most important thing, and I put it right on the table -- he threatens to destroy my country; the one and only Jewish state.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, you heard there from Benjamin Netanyahu speaking to my colleague, Dana Bash, on extensive interview with CNN. We'll have more on
that right here on CNN. Now, in a World Cup brimming with incredible instances of both underdogs and superstars stepping into the spotlight,
another dramatic chapter.
It was really dramatic. Defending champion Argentina came off the mat making a remarkable comeback to beat Egypt led by Mohamed Salah, 3-2 in a
match that ended, in fact, just moments ago. I mean, the stadium still in major celebrations, a game for the ages.
[14:10:00]
And of course, Lionel Messi had a hand in the victory, scoring a critical goal. Don Riddell is at the fan zone in Atlantic -- in Atlanta for us. And
Don, my goodness, it was very much a roller-coaster of emotions.
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Absolutely. First of all, Isa, I apologize if I'm not presenting that well. I decided to go and watch the game down there
in the mosh pit with the fans, and it was incredible to be up close and personal with the fans.
I spent the latter part of the game with the Egypt fans, who were sure, they were absolutely sure they were going to pull off one of the great
upsets. Remember, Egypt hadn't even won a World Cup game, never mind, played in a knockout game or won that.
And here they were within 11 minutes of knocking out the great Argentina and the defending champions. But then all of a sudden, the momentum shift
and Argentina somehow managed to score three goals in the last 11 minutes to get this done, advancing to the next round where they'll play either
Colombia or Switzerland.
But this has just been an absolutely extraordinary occasion. First of all, Lionel Messi missed a penalty in this game. It was the second penalty he's
missed in this tournament. Nobody has ever done that before.
But then later in the game, he completely redeemed himself by scoring yet another goal, putting him back in the lead in the race for the golden boot,
meaning he's now scored in nine consecutive World Cup games. Of course, nobody else can say that they've ever done that or really come close to it.
So, where does this leave Argentina? I mean, clearly, they are in no hurry to let go of their World title, but my goodness, they are not making it
easy. Remember in the last round, they were losing to the minnows of Cabo Verde; a country of barely half a million people.
They managed to turn that around and win that game. And here they were once again on the brink of elimination. I speak as an England fan. The team I
support never make it easy. This team really puts their fans through the emotional wringer, but those supporters are among the most loyal in world
football.
And they are here in numbers, both in the fan festival and also in the Atlanta stadium, just half a mile up the road. They will be partying all
night. They will be looking forward to the next round. Argentina, keep it going. But my goodness, spare a thought for Egypt.
They really thought they were going to do something so special today and because they were so close, that just makes it absolutely heartbreaking.
SOARES: No doubt. And there were so many moments there, Don, of pure, absolute, pure magic from Egypt, of course, from much of the game. Like you
said, 3 goals in 11 minutes. Quite something. We did have live image -- do we still have live images from Buenos Aires?
Because, you know, I have been in Buenos Aires when they competed in one of the World Cups. And I know like, you know, they live and breathe football,
Don. They live for this. But, you know, looking ahead, if we can for just one moment, Don, talk us through the game playing later on, Colombia-
Switzerland, because they will have to go up against Argentina next.
RIDDELL: Yes, I'll be honest with you, Isa, I didn't hear a word you just said. I was trying really hard --
SOARES: Don't worry --
RIDDELL: It was a very nuanced question. So, I'm not even going to try to answer it. All I can tell you is; this place is a party. Atlanta will be a
party. You know, I said how sorry I feel for Egypt and their supporters. They thought they were going to pull off something special.
I'm kind of feeling sorry for some of the Argentina fans, because I ran into some of them earlier in the day, and they were all outside with their
drums and their shirts and their scarves and the flags, and they couldn't get into the stadium, and they basically said the blessing that this team
and Lionel Messi has been for them has become a curse because they want to travel all over the world and follow and support their team, but they now
can't afford it.
I spoke to a guy and he looked around me and he said, look, there's people there from India and people from Sweden and people from all these other
countries, they now want to come and see me -- Argentina and Messi play.
They earn more money than us. The peso is not worth as much in Argentina. So, the loyal fans feel as though they've been getting -- they're being
squeezed out of supporting the team that they love and they're loyal to because they're so popular, and Messi, of course, is the G.O.A.T.
Everybody wants to see him play. But these Argentina fans, they will do what they can even if they can't be in the stadium. They'll be in the fan
park, they'll be in the town, they'll be partying on for as long as this journey lasts. And they've got at least, one more game to go.
SOARES: Well, Don, thank you very much indeed. Congratulations to Argentina, absolutely heartbreaking for Egypt. I saw the match. What a
performance they put on. Absolutely incredible. And in a couple of hours, you will see Colombia versus Switzerland.
[14:15:00]
Whoever wins that match will then play Argentina. Don, thank you very much, I know, you can't hear me. Great nodding. Thank you. Now, turning to an
elite FIFA World Cup and turn to here in the U.K. because the anti- immigrant, hard-right British politician, best known as the face of Brexit, has resigned from parliament.
But Nigel Farage isn't leaving politics. The Reform U.K. leader says he's doing it to trigger a special election, and then plans to run for his own
empty seat. Prime Minister Keir Starmer calls it a desperate stunt. Farage, a staunch ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, is facing mounting scrutiny
over his finances. Our Clare Sebastian explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Just weeks before the U.K. gets a new Prime Minister, the man who polls suggest poses the biggest
threat to them in a future general election, making a clear bid to strengthen his own political power.
Nigel Farage resigning his parliament seat and saying that he will fight in a special election to win it back.
NIGEL FARAGE, LEADER, REFORM UK: This will be a people versus the establishment by-election. It's a chance to stick two fingers up to the
entire establishment to frankly tell them where to go, and that is why I will be putting my name forward to stand in this by-election. I will fight
to win. I will fight to continue the political revolution that Reform has started.
SEBASTIAN: Well, the backdrop here, Farage, whose party, Reform UK is leading in national opinion polls, is facing several inquiries over whether
he broke parliamentary rules by failing to disclose donations, including a 5 million pound or $6.7 million gift from a British billionaire.
Well, if it's found that he did, that could in itself trigger a by- election. Farage denies any wrongdoing, and he's even had the support of U.S. President Trump, who posted an article on Monday with the title,
"they're running the 2024 anti-Trump playbook on Nigel Farage."
And it's clear the pressure on Farage has been mounting. This was an exchange on Monday with a reporter on the U.K.'s "Sky News" channel.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Was it a mistake not to declare the gifts from George Cottrell, sir?
FARAGE: You tell your bosses; you harass my family anymore and I'll take you to serious consequences. That's what your organization has done this
morning. Go away.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Was it a mistake not to declare the gift, sir?
FARAGE: Did you not hear me? You have broken all the rules, Leveson and everything else. Cut!
SEBASTIAN: Now that he's stepping down as an MP, the investigation will be suspended. But the risk for Farage is that if he's re-elected, it would
likely come back. But one thing is clear, he intends to fight on and may well remain a threat to mainstream British politics. Clare Sebastian, CNN,
London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Well, a French appeals court has upheld Marine Le Pen's conviction for misusing European Union funds, but it shortened the amount of time
she's barred from running for office. Now, the ruling effectively opens the door for the far-right leader to stand in the 2027 presidential election.
However, Le Pen's sentence includes wearing an electronic ankle monitor. Le Pen is doing an interview on French television as we speak about whether
she would run. I know that our Melissa Bell has been listening in. So, Melissa, what did she have to say in this news interview she did just now?
MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, really, the country has been on tenterhooks now for the last 16 months waiting for this
verdict. And now, that suspense -- a few extra hours until she got into that television studio.
And what she's announced, he says, that she will stand in 2027 with a very strong sense of defiance. She has, of course, legally here in France, the
possibility to appeal the appeal decision. She just confirmed that that's what she would be doing, and she believes that she will get justice.
As she describes it, and that she can go ahead and campaign. She believes that the appeal to the appeal will exonerate her and mean that she can
stand in 2027 without that bracelet. To be clear, until now, the question of whether she would stand with an electronic bracelet had been put to her.
She'd been very clear that she would not, that it would be too complicated to negotiate with a magistrate each time she wanted to leave her house and
go out and campaign, I think the point of today's verdict, the fact that it opened that window clearly was one she was going to seize.
This is, after all, a woman, Isa, who has had three unsuccessful bids for the French presidency. You'll remember that she took over her father's
party at one point, expelled him, has really been going through this detoxification process, as they describe it here in France.
In the 2022 election, she got 41 percent of the vote, of course, beaten by Emmanuel Macron. But this has been her life. And the idea that given the
possibility that ban being set aside, she might decide, as it had been suggested these last 16 months, that Jordan Bardella would stand in her
place seemed implausible.
She's just confirmed that she will be standing in this sort of configuration where he will be her sidekick. If she wins, he would become
Prime Minister.
[14:20:00]
She would, of course, become president. And what we've seen over the course of the last few months is really the 2027 campaign on hold as not just the
country, but the candidates who might choose to stand or that we expect will throw their hat into the ring, waited to find out who would be leading
the national rally into this poll.
What the polls had suggested, by the way, so far, is that whether it was Jordan Bardella or Marine Le Pen, the party leads in the polls. So, this
was a really important decision.
Now, her announcement that she will indeed stand really a very important one in terms of how the other candidates position themselves with this new
level of uncertainty as we await the appeal to the appeal to find out whether she will indeed be wearing a bracelet or not as she heads into the
campaign.
And it's important to note, Isa, that when you look at the details of how these things, how Sylvester(ph) negotiated with the magistrate, she could
very well negotiate, leaving her house at certain moments.
It's a little bit more flexible than you might imagine. So, the fact that she's confirmed her candidacy, she will fight this appeal, we should hear
in the next couple of weeks about the bracelet or not. But either way, Marine Le Pen will be a candidate now in 2027. Isa.
SOARES: Fighting on, I'm guessing we do not know at this stage, Melissa, how long an appeal process would take. And if she fails, then with this
appeal, I mean, she would then be potentially wearing an ankle tag, right?
And that would show her to be running as a convicted felon. How would that potentially sit with the French people? And how is she -- how has she
framed this when she addressed this with the country earlier on in the last few moments? How does she frame this moment politically?
BELL: Well, for now, she is excluding the possibility that the appeal will not work in her favor. She believes -- she said just now --
SOARES: Right --
BELL: That she thinks the appeals court will find in her favor and overturn the entire thing. Given that two courts have not done that so far, it does
seem unlikely. But certainly, the idea that she would not stand because the electronic bracelet has been set aside, she will fight this appeal.
She will be the candidate, I think in many ways, the presidential race starts now. And whether or not then the appeals court overturns it, she
will then negotiate some kind of means of campaigning. And I wonder whether, ultimately, she wouldn't wear her bracelet as a sort of badge of
honor.
She certainly, as so many far-right populists have not, at least, the American President framed this entire process as one led by partisan
judges, trying to prevent the people from having their choice. Somehow, in terms of populist rhetoric, standing against the system and in favor of the
people, I'm not sure it does her that much harm. Isa.
SOARES: Yes, very well framed, thank you very much. Melissa Bell there with the very latest on Marine Le Pen from Paris. And still to come tonight,
evacuations in New York City after workers find buckled columns and cracks on the 21st floor of a high-rise that's under construction. We'll bring you
the very latest, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:25:00]
SOARES: Well, we are following news happening right now in New York City. Multiple blocks are being evacuated after structural columns buckled in a
33-story building under construction in Manhattan. Those columns are on the building's 21st floor.
That's where inspectors also found multiple cracks and sagging floors. New York City's Fire chief explained the gravity of the situation. Just have a
listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN ESPOSITO, FIRE CHIEF, NEW YORK CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT: It's a very serious situation. The box beams, the steel beams have started to bend and
deflect from the weight. We evacuated the building and started evacuations of surrounding buildings, and the building has continued to move since
we've been on the scene.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Gloria Pazmino is in New York. And Gloria, this is very concerning indeed. The building moving -- give us a sense of what is happening, how
far they are evacuating given the severity of this.
GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Isa, you know, that's one very important point in all of this, because there are several buildings in the
surrounding area that have been evacuated as a result of this risk of partial collapse.
As you said, the building itself has continued to move since the activity was first reported early this morning local time, around 8:30 in the
morning. And I want to just give you an idea of where we are in Manhattan.
We're on 42nd Street, which is a very busy thoroughfare here in Manhattan. We're on the East Side, not far from the U.N., and not far from Grand
Central Station. So, this is a very busy area where a lot of people live and a lot of people work.
We're right near a school. All of these buildings have been evacuated as a safety precaution. Now, let's talk about the building where just a few
blocks away from it, and since we've been here this morning, the building has continued to move.
We have images now released by the Fire Department where you can clearly see one of those bent beams that was reported this morning. It all started
when people said that there was debris, bricks falling from the building.
That's what prompted the Fire Department and the Department of Building Activity here earlier this morning. And that is when they were able to find
those beams bent. You know, those are steel beams that you're looking at.
And for them to be bent in that fashion is really just quite a picture. Now, I do want to tell you a little bit about the building. This is the
Pfizer building. The former headquarters for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals here in Manhattan.
And it was under construction. It was being converted from offices to apartments. And as part of that project, the building was being -- they
were building additional floors on the top of that building.
Now, it's not yet clear whether that construction is part of what led to those beams being bent and giving out in the way that, that picture shows.
But that is exactly what officials here are now investigating.
The priority right now is making sure that the building is safe, and that the surrounding area is also safe. The chief, as you said, saying that
there is a risk for a partial collapse. And what that means is that there could still be a collapse within a specific area of the building, which
could still be very dangerous.
Take a listen to city officials and Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaking to New Yorkers shortly after this incident.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK STATE: Every few minutes, we are looking at a new assessment of the structure and of the possibilities
and the options that we have in front of us.
When it comes to the New Yorkers who call these streets their home, we are going to be in touch with them as soon as we have any updates.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAZMINO: So, this is really going to be hour-by-hour as we get into the evening, as engineers with the city are in there trying to assess both the
building and what to do so that they can shore up the building and essentially reinforce it to prevent a partial collapse or a bigger, you
know, tragedy happening here.
Again, this is a very part -- a very busy part of the city. But so far, all of the workers that were inside that building have been accounted for.
There's been no injuries.
[14:30:00]
So, overall, the situation under control, but again, they still need to make sure that the building can be shored up. Isa.
SOARES: Absolutely. Gloria, I know you'll keep us abreast of the situation. Gloria Pazmino there for us in New York, thank you.
And still to come tonight, as tensions simmer in the Strait of Hormuz, we'll go abroad, the American aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln with our
Pamela Brown.
And we'll take a deep dive into the NATO summit, where President Donald Trump is talking about reducing the number of U.S. troops in Europe. Both
those stories after a very short break. You are watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. Tensions are escalating once again in the Strait of Hormuz, a contentious flashpoint in the Iran war. A U.S. official
says Tehran has fired on three commercial vessels in Oman's territorial waters near the Strait. The official describes the strikes as a gross
violation of the Memorandum of Understanding and says the U.S. is considering a broad range of potential responses.
And this comes after a tanker was reportedly struck Monday while sailing near the Strait. And as U.S. President Donald Trump, another NATO leaders
gather in the Turkish capital for a high-stakes summit in Ankara, as we've been talking about at the top of the show.
While our Pamela Brown has been traveling abroad, the American aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. Earlier, she gave us a closer look at what is
happening in the region. Have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAMELA BROWN, CNN CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: As you know, an aircraft carrier, a big part of it is to launch flights. It's a floating
airport, essentially, and we're here on the hangar. And you can see behind me here, there's F-18s, F-35s. These are some of the planes that have been
used in the conflict to actually drop the bombs on Iranian targets.
So, what happens here, if I'll have John, my photojournalist, go over here, this is -- they can put these planes, once they become operational again
after some maintenance, on what's called an elevator, and then it'll bring up to the flight deck just above. So, it's pretty incredible, the
capabilities here.
[14:35:00]
And then once it's on the flight deck, the flight deck itself is only four and a half acres. So, they use a catapult and working with the wind and the
propulsions from the nuclear reactors to, for the flights to be able to take off. And they've been very busy. I mean, they have been able to have
the flights take off every 15 to 20 seconds during really active times. And so, where we are right here is where that maintenance takes place.
But you have to think, Wolf, we're out in the middle of the Arabian Sea, it's not so easy to just quickly do maintenance. They have to have ships
brought in to bring parts for these planes and helicopters and so forth. So, it's really a logistical complex environment, but they are still doing
their best. And they say that they are still very ready, they're at a readiness state because of the ongoing escalations and tensions here where
we are.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Pamela Brown there for us. Well, the conflict in the Gulf has been a sore spot, as you know, for President Donald Trump and his NATO allies.
Mr. Trump arrived today at the two-day NATO summit in Turkey, pressing his European allies to spend more on defense and complaining that most of them
have chosen to sit out the U.S. war with Iran, a complaint we've heard before.
He did have praise, though, for Turkey and is expected to soon decide whether to sell sophisticated F-13 fighter jets to the Turkish military
despite a congressional ban. Let's get more on all these threats.
Joining us now to talk about this is Jim Townsend. He is a former U.S. Defense Department official who worked on NATO and European policy. Jim,
good to have you back on the show.
It's been a while since you and I last spoke. Let me really pick up where my colleague, as you heard there, Pamela Brown, just left off with Iran
striking three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. We know from U.S. officials that they have a broad range of potential responses, and the
U.S. is considering them at this stage. How do you see the U.S. responding, if at all, to this?
JIM TOWNSEND, ADJUNCT SENIOR FELLOW, TRANSATLANTIC SECURITY PROGRAM AND FORMER U.S. DEPARTMENT ASSISTANT DEFENSE SECRETARY EUROPE AND NATO POLICY:
Well, I think we will respond. That seems to be the pattern with the administration is they're going to respond if the Iranians do something
along the lines that they have. So, they might very well go and bomb some of the areas where those missiles came from. They might bomb storage areas.
But there's a pause in the negotiations right now for the funeral of the Ayatollah.
So, I think this is just -- this is with Iran. They're keeping the pressure up. They're continuing to signal that they are, in fact, the ones who
control the Straits. And they want to make sure that that is always uppermost in our minds as we continue the MOU discussions once the funerals
are over.
SOARES: Yes. And, of course, we're waiting for the funeral to end before the discussions kick off again. And this comes, as we were mentioning, this
is our top story this hour, Jim, as NATO leaders meet in Ankara and Turkey. President Trump, I think it's fair to say, hasn't really hidden any of his
frustrations with NATO, you know, from defense spending to burden sharing, most recently his criticism of the allies' role during the Iran strike. So,
it's just how justified are those grievances, you think?
TOWNSEND: Well, the grievances, particularly on defense spending and burden sharing, those grievances have been shared by Democratic administrations,
too. It's been a big point of contention between both sides of the Atlantic in terms of the alliance. But I think there comes a time when you let go of
some of those -- some of that rhetoric. The allies are doing a lot more. Trump's going to hear about that here at the summit tomorrow. He heard
about it from Mark Rutte, the NATO secretary general, last week.
So, I think allies are getting tired of the repetition of the same harsh rhetoric when, in fact, a lot is being done to transfer that burden from
the United States to Europe in terms of deterring the Russians. That will be a big topic tomorrow.
SOARES: Yes. And, of course, I remember Mark Rutte putting on this presentation at the White House, right, Jim, where he showed how much of an
influence -- tried to show how much of an influence President Trump has had. And I think when I asked my producer to bring some graphics up, that
really just shows the NATO defense expenditure to hand how much it has grown.
We have heard from Mark Rutte today saying that NATO is transformed, Jim, where the U.S. has a strong partner in Europe, a message that I imagine was
directed at President Trump, right, whose fury and threats have kind of strained the alliance. What are we likely, though, to see from this
gathering? What would a successful summit look like in your view?
TOWNSEND: Well, a successful summit, first and foremost, is one that doesn't get blown to pieces by Donald Trump. So, that's a success.
[14:40:00]
But honestly, the number one priority is to show unity. We've got to show Putin that the alliance is together. Putin has got to see that the alliance
is supporting Ukraine, that the allies are providing assistance to Ukraine, that that's not faltering. He's got to understand and feel the pressure to
go to the negotiating table. So, that's going to be important, too.
Another issue that's important is how this money is being spent. This money coming into defense budgets has got to go towards equipment and things that
the alliance needs to strengthen their defense and deterrence. And this summit is going to talk about the industrial aspects of that. So, that's
important there.
And then finally, Trump certainly will talk about NATO 3.0, and that is this transition from a heavy U.S. dependency to much more of Europe. What
that transition might look like and what kind of U.S. troops might be pulled from Europe and sent elsewhere.
SOARES: And before you go, I need to ask you about this, what we had from President Trump, that he would soon decide whether to sell Turkey F-13
fighter jets despite a congressional ban. Just your thoughts on this, Jim.
TOWNSEND: Well, I think this has been hanging around the Turkish-U.S. relationship for a long time. I'm glad that we're able to deal with it with
Turkey. I would like for Turkey to have the F-35s. It's important for the alliance. But we've got to deal with this problem of the S-400 Russian air
defense system that currently is in Turkey that the Turks have bought.
So, I'm hoping that they're going to work this out because Trump wants it to work out. He's lifting the sanctions on Turkey. And there's a team in
the Pentagon working on how to square the circle to allow, in fact, the Turks to have the F-35 despite objections from the Congress. They're going
to have to work around that, but they're going to work on that, too.
SOARES: Jim, always great to have you on the show. Jim Townsend live for us there from Washington, D.C. Thank you, Jim.
Now, we're going to leave the United States and turn to Cuba because power is slowly returning to Cuba following its third nationwide grid collapse in
just a matter of months. But two-thirds of the nation remain in the dark, and it's not yet clear what caused the latest blackout. Cuba has been
mired, as you know, in an energy crisis for years.
But the situation declined dramatically in January after the U.S. cut off the island's oil supplies in a move intended to force regime change. Both
Cuba and the United Nations hit out at President Trump, calling the actions a violation of human rights.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNO RODRIGUEZ, CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER: The blockade asphyxiates and kills silently. Paying attention to this ruthless crime is also a responsibility
of the United Nations. The U.S. government, and in particular its State Department, is spreading the lie that the blockade is not aimed against the
Cuban people but only against the government.
Well, ask the people of Cuba whether or not they are suffering because of the blockade. You may even want to ask diplomats, correspondents, and other
foreign citizens living in Cuba.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And still to come tonight, a hit on the hitman. There's been a major new development in the Monaco bombing involving the female suspect.
We'll have the details ahead for you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:45:00]
SOARES: There's a shocking new twist in the investigation into the Monaco bombing attack that wounded a Ukrainian businessman. We're now learning the
female suspect has been found dead in Ukraine. Two men are now in custody. And police say one of them, a former law enforcement officer, had a
basement room inside his home that resembled a torture chamber. Our Nick Paton Walsh has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: The startling, remarkable story of what seemed to be an attempted assassination
on a Ukrainian millionaire in the otherwise peaceful and luxurious territory of Monaco has taken yet another remarkable twist.
The woman sought by Interpol's Red Notice for being the prime suspect in this particular crime, Anastasia Berezovska, a 39-year-old Ukrainian, well,
she herself has now been found dead in her native Ukraine.
Ukrainian investigators say that they noticed her return to the country on July 1st, began looking at bank transfers, her general movements and
communications, saw she was talking to her family, but two other men as well. One, a serving Ukrainian intelligence officer from the main
intelligence directorate, and one former law enforcement individual.
They went to see the Ukrainian intelligence officer, and he, it appears, confessed about this involvement and indeed suggested to the involvement of
the former law enforcement officer. That man's house was then searched, and officials say they found what they thought was some kind of torture chamber
in his basement. They've released a remarkable video of that particular place.
Now, Ms. Berezovska's body was found, it says, according to Ukrainian investigators, with shell casings alongside of it, and indeed the Ukrainian
intelligence officer confessed to being party to that particular murder. They are both under arrest, but Ukrainian officials say they're still
looking for who may have instigated this particular crime and continuing to investigate.
A reminder of how we got here in the first place. Ms. Berezovska was pointed out potentially as the prime suspect here by Monaco prosecutors who
studied CCTV around the residence where Mr. Yermolayev was hit by a bomb carried in a shopping bag.
They noticed a man in the days ahead, and then just the day before the device went off, a woman. Ms. Berezovska, indeed, police say they traced
her back to Germany where she was last resident, and now it appears she fled to Ukraine.
A remarkable story here, one in which it seems that the apparent hit man was then killed by those who may well have contracted her to do the job.
Investigators still looking for who may have been on high here. I think certainly an unwelcome embarrassment for Ukraine that their intelligence
officer, one of them might be involved in something as high profile as this, and a sign still too that the murkiness, the potential criminal
underworld of a former Soviet Union still continues to exist despite the horrors being inflicted on Ukraine by the war.
Exactly why Mr. Yermolayev was indeed targeted, still unclear, but a remarkable moment still for what Monaco considers to be its luxury and
safety.
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Still to come tonight, Prince Harry has lost his privacy case against a tabloid publisher. We'll have reaction from the prince and what
it may mean for his trip to the U.K.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:50:00]
SOARES: Well, Prince Harry has lost his legal battle against the publisher of the U.K.'s Daily Mail tabloid. The Duke of Sussex, along with six
others, claimed the A&L group illegally obtained private information. Among the allegations were phone tapping, but a judge from Britain's High Court
dismissed the case. He said the allegations were serious, but proof wasn't shown.
Prince Harry called the decision a complete and obvious whitewash, but not unexpected. The ruling comes amid security concerns for the prince as he
starts a visit to the U.K., is in town to promote the upcoming Invictus Games.
We'll talk about that in just a moment, but let me get to the legal case. Anna Stewart joins me now. So, Anna, we have heard from Prince Harry. Just
talk us through a bit more what he had to say in that statement.
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. So, we have this statement from Prince Harry and one of the other claimants, Baroness Lawrence. As you say,
they are calling the verdict a complete and obvious whitewash, saying, sadly, it's not altogether unexpected.
And they go on to say that they believe there was plenty of sufficient evidence in the case for the court to see, and they don't understand why
the judge is saying, essentially, the verdict is, the case is dismissed because there wasn't enough evidence, that the claimants were unable to
prove the allegations, that information was obtained illegally by both the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday decades ago.
Now, it's interesting because he also says it feels like there is one rule for newspapers and another for the claimants. And some of the parts of this
statement do seem not just frustrated, but really quite angry. And it leads you to wonder whether they will try and appeal this case.
It would not be straightforward. We don't know where they will. You can't just disagree with the verdict. You have to find fault with the court, the
procedures, how it went about. The fact that they're calling it a whitewash does make me wonder. A court of appeal would have to agree for that to
happen if they apply. So, that's one thing to watch.
The second thing to watch, Isa, at this point is, who's going to pay the legal costs? This case has been going on for years, and it has cost about
50 million euro, we believe at this moment. That's $67 million. Now, ordinarily, claimants pick up quite a big chunk sometimes of these court
cases when they lose it. That is a lot of money for Prince Harry and the other claimants. There are six in total.
This marks the end of a trilogy of battles against the tabloids for Prince Harry. He won a case against the Mirror in 2023 -- sorry, the publisher of
the Mirror. Last year, a court case was actually settled with the Sun newspapers' publishers. He won damages and an apology. This is not how he
wanted that trilogy to end.
SOARES: And he's here not only for the ruling but, as we can see here, for Invictus Games. And there's been a lot of forfeiture. You and I were
talking about this earlier, Anna, about Prince Harry and the royal family and his lodgings. Can you explain?
STEWART: There have been some serious mixed messages between Team Sussex and the Palace, with journalists really caught in the middle trying to
understand who is saying what and how it all fits together.
[14:55:00]
Because over the last couple of weeks, we have had such mixed messages about where Prince Harry is staying, whether or not he is bringing his wife
on this trip, his children. They're not coming to London. That much we know.
Again, due to issues around security, that's one issue, which is really the Home Office's problem. And this is another legal case that Prince Harry
actually lost against the Home Office. He doesn't get Home Office taxpayer- funded protection when he's in the U.K. Now, he's not a working member of the royal family.
And the second issue really boils down to where he's going to sleep for the night. We don't know where he stayed last night. We don't know where he's
going to be staying tonight, given he's in London. It won't be a royal residence. We were told that he would be staying at Buckingham Palace, but
we then heard from the Palace that he accepted that invitation too late, or even actually refused the invitation before trying to accept it. It's a bit
of a mess. It really does speak to the heart of the issue, though.
The tensions within the royal family clearly remain, and not just the royal family, but the Palace at large, the organization around the royal family.
SOARES: Yes, the friction very, very much still there, so it seems. Anna Stewart there for us with the very latest. Thanks very much, Anna.
Appreciate it.
That does it for me for tonight. Do stay right here. "What We Know" with Christina Macfarlane is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
