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Isa Soares Tonight
Ceasefire Crumbles as the United States and Iran Trade More Strikes; A Texas Family Desperately Seeking for Answers After a Father of Three was Shot Dead by ICE Agents; Morocco Goes Head-to-Head with the Team that Last Knocked Them Out of the FIFA Men's World Cup. Iran Mourns Khamenei as Conflict with U.S. Intensifies; Egypt's Coach Wins Hearts of Palestinian People; Death Toll Rises to 3,800 Plus in Venezuela; Millions Affected by Blackout in Cuba; Singer Bonnie Tyler Dies at 75. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired July 09, 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, a ceasefire crumbles as the United
States and Iran trade more strikes. We'll go live to the White House for the very latest for you.
Then one family's desperate call for answers after a father of three is shot dead by ICE agents in Texas. Plus, unfinished business. Morocco goes
head-to-head with the team that last knocked them out of the World Cup. Former French player Mikael Silvestre joins me ahead of the match.
But first tonight, international mediators are scrambling to get a U.S.- Iranian ceasefire back on track as the conflict intensifies. But right now, at this hour, Iran has focused on saying final goodbyes to its slain
supreme leader.
We have seen huge crowds of mourners gathering in Ali Khamenei's birthplace of Mashhad, where he will be laid to rest. We are expecting a private
burial to begin soon. Iran's state railway says trains filled with mourners heading to Mashhad, and you're looking at live pictures coming to us from
Mashhad in Iran.
We've had mourners heading to Mashhad, had to be suspended earlier because of a reported U.S. strike on a railway bridge. But you're seeing the scenes
there live from Iran at this hour. Well, the U.S. military says it struck 90 targets along Iran's coastline, aiming to protect commercial shipping in
the Strait of Hormuz after Iranian attacks.
In response, Iran said it targeted U.S. military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, and a U.S. military site in Qatar. We'll go to Tehran for you in
just a moment. But first, Alayna Treene joins me now from the White House.
So, Alayna, just bring us up-to-date with the very latest, because we are both clearly seeing both sides escalating here. And the fear, of course,
that this risks into a full-blown war. What are you hearing from the White House this hour about an exit and what that may look like at this stage?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, Isa, there's a lot of uncertainty right now about what the fate of this ceasefire between
Washington and Tehran is, and also, the fate of that Memorandum of Understanding that was signed just a couple of weeks ago on the President's
last foreign trip, when he was there in Europe for the G7 Summit.
Now, I will say, from the conversations I've been having with people here at the White House and throughout Washington, is that there's no question
that President -- that President Donald Trump has really lost patience.
One specifically, of course, with how the Strait of Hormuz is operating. He believes that the Strait would have been opened at this point. He had
thought that it had stated in the text of that agreement between the U.S. and Iran that the Strait would be open to pre-war levels at this point.
Iran, of course, arguing that really, they still believe they have authority over traffic in that crucial waterway. So, that has led to a lot
of, I think, the public rhetoric, and particularly the palpable anger you have heard from the President himself in recent days.
Now, as to your question, we've not yet heard publicly from President Donald Trump today, and he has no public events scheduled for now, that
could always change. But from -- again, what I'm hearing is, it's really unclear where his mind is on how to proceed.
You did hear him say yesterday while he was in Turkey for the NATO Summit, that he believed that the ceasefire was over, that the Memorandum of
Understanding was over. But in another breath, Isa, he also argued that a lot of this is going to be up to how the negotiators in this process,
specifically people like Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and the Vice President, how they believe they need to proceed.
And so, there are a lot of conversations happening behind the scenes about what this could look like. I will say, though, that the scope of many of
the second round of attacks and the first round, we actually saw the night before as well, really targeted toward the Strait of Hormuz to send a
message about how the President is feeling regarding traffic in that waterway.
I will also say, in the conversations I'm having, that there's still a belief that there is a division among Iranian leadership. They believe that
it is the hardliners among Iranian leadership that are really the ones leaning in to some of these attacks, particularly those first attacks on
vessels in the Strait earlier this week.
[14:05:00]
They do, though, believe that some of the people who have been key negotiators throughout this process are still wanting a deal. And so,
that's really what the big question is. The latest you heard from President Trump publicly was that he's not sure he believes that the Iranians can be
trusted to honor their commitments.
That is something I know many people in the West Wing, many of the cabinet officials, people like the CIA Director, John Ratcliffe, have had a lot of
concerns about. But the end goal is still that they want some sort of deal. So, we have to see where this leaves things.
SOARES: Yes, I don't think trust was ever there, even during negotiations. But you're right. Look the Memorandum of Understanding, Alayna, which was
signed, what? Three weeks ago, does feel a bit like a mirage right now.
But on the negotiation side that you were pointing to, are these negotiations ongoing as this is happening with Jared Kushner, of course,
and Steve Witkoff? Where do they stand? I mean -- and can we call -- still call this a ceasefire, given what we have seen in the last 48 hours?
TREENE: I think that's a great question. Some people would argue, I mean, what is a ceasefire if we're going to continue attacks? And you're seeing
both sides trade in these strikes. But for now, I think until you've heard leaders from either the United States or from Iran say that it is over for
now, it is tenuously in a very fragile state.
President argued it was over yesterday, though, but as for today, I'm told it's very much unclear whether or not he was sincere when he said that. To
your question, specifically, Isa, about the process of negotiations, as we're speaking, I know that top U.S. negotiators, top officials here are
speaking with the mediators.
It is not yet clear if they've had any sort of talks specifically between the Iranians and the U.S. side. You know, for example, we know that Steve
Witkoff often exchanged text messages and phone calls with the Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi.
Unclear if those conversations are happening at this point, but there are discussions with the mediators, and I think there is a big question. You
know, some officials say it does depend how Iran will respond to this latest round of second attacks from the U.S., to see how the President
might respond further. So, a lot of uncertainty again, as we try to map up what exactly the future holds here.
SOARES: Alayna, thank you very much for keeping us abreast of the very latest there from the White House. Good to see you, Alayna Treene there.
Well, CNN's Fred Pleitgen is reporting as you know, from Tehran, as huge crowds mourn the slain supreme leader in the holy city of Mashhad.
We brought you those live images. He spoke to my colleague, Christiane Amanpour, just in the last hour. And a reminder, I think this is important
that CNN operates in Iran only with the permission of the government, but we do maintain full editorial control of our reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): First of all, of course, they've waited more than four months to put this
funeral ceremony on. For a long time, it was impossible because the war was still going on.
And then even as the negotiations were going on for the ceasefire, for the Memorandum of Understanding, Iranians felt that the security situation was
still so fragile that they really didn't feel that they could put this on.
And if you look at the sheer logistics of all of this, the several cities that this happened in, the size of the crowds, and certainly just planning
for all of that will have been a very big undertaking that obviously takes a while to plan.
But I do feel, you're absolutely right, Christiane, that right now, the government, those in power do feel emboldened. They feel that they've grown
stronger, that they have more support from the population.
And of course, we always have to point out, there are people who very much opposed the rule of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and still oppose the system.
Nevertheless, they do feel that their power base has been galvanized, and also that more people here are on their -- on their side as well.
And then, of course, there is that big factor of the big thing that they've discovered that they feel gives them that huge leverage, and that is the
Strait of Hormuz and their chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz.
And of course, what we've been seeing over the past couple of days with those skirmishes with those airstrikes from the United States is really the
Iranians making clear that they are not going to give up control of the Strait of Hormuz because they believe that, that is their big claim to
power here in this region.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Fred Pleitgen there for us in Tehran, in Iran. Let's get more on this. Joining me now is Bader Saif; he's a professor of history at Kuwait
University and Associate Fellow at Chatham House. Bader, welcome to the show.
Look, as you've heard from our correspondent, not just in Iran, in Tehran, but also in the White House. This is clearly a kind of perilous moment. And
the fear is that this could escalate further, making it -- turning into a regional war.
How -- give us your sense of what you are hearing on the ground in the region, how Gulf states are assessing this moment?
BADER AL-SAIF, PROFESSOR OF HISTORY, KUWAIT UNIVERSITY & ASSOCIATE FELLOW, CHATHAM HOUSE: Well, Isa, fragility was built into the Memorandum of
Understanding as it came through, or a memorandum of little understanding to be even more accurate.
[14:10:00]
And Mr. Trump's --
SOARES: Oh, yes --
AL-SAIF: Anger and jabs towards the Iranians should also be directed towards his own negotiating team for coming up with such an elusive,
unclear type of memorandum that kept a lot of interpretations on the table.
And that's why you're seeing parallel actions from the Iranians and the Americans, and the continuation of their directed attacks at one another.
But the flow of attacks and the scale of attacks does indicate that the two sides still want to continue with the semblance of a ceasefire until they
can move on to the next stage of a negotiated settlement.
But as you said, the road is paved with a lot of roadblocks, and that needs to be factored into how we move in the days and hours to come. The Gulf
states are watching with anticipation. I believe that they are best served if they take action into their own hand and open up and own their own
dialogue path with Iran, and not to count only on the U.S.-Iran talks.
Because at the end of the day, we're being taken as collateral damage for these attacks. And the whole notion of us hosting U.S. military bases needs
to be also clarified. These are sovereign bases with a lot of troops and a lot of expertise from all over the world, not only American assets.
So, that needs to be taken into consideration. And I think the closer that you bring those views together, the quicker that we can come to some
semblance of an agreement in the days and months to come.
SOARES: Yes, you had some very good points in there. You're right. I mean, the MOU, the Memorandum of Understanding seen by many, and you're quite
right as pretty ambiguous, vague to implement even -- to even enforce.
So, perhaps not surprising, I think you're hinting at there, really bad that we are at this situation. Is that how -- is that what you mean that
you're not surprised that we're here, given the writing that of this MOU?
AL-SAIF: Not at all. I mean, look, let me give you an example. So, you have an MOU that talks about Lebanon three times. And at the same time,
there is a parallel, Lebanon, Israel tracks that the U.S. is hosting.
And that also contradicts what's happening in the MOU when it comes to Iran's role in Lebanon. So, to give that away in the MOU was quite a
question mark for many in the region. And the same goes for the Strait of Hormuz. Everyone agrees on freedom of navigation.
It's a given. But then to go into writing into the MOU that there could be special arrangements after the 60 days is something that goes against that
whole notion that we've been fighting against. We need to safeguard those waterways, and we don't want to set a new precedent in the Strait of Hormuz
that can carry itself across all other waterways.
And it goes on and on. So, I think we need to revisit the MOU, we need to have clarity done through these talks that are mediated by Qatar and the
Pakistanis. And I know that the two sides are talking to the Qataris and Pakistanis.
We heard that today as well. And I think that's where we need to focus on, because we can't undo what has been done in the previous MOU. We can
further explain it and tighten the text and move --
SOARES: Yes --
AL-SAIF: Forward into something that's more durable for all parties.
SOARES: So, Bader, I mean, is it clear then from your vantage point, what the strategy is then in escalating this? Is this to call Iran's bluff? Is
it to push them to fold on key areas of negotiation? What is the aiming here?
AL-SAIF: Look, Isa, they're speaking each other's language. So, in terms of the Iranians not wanting to let go of the Strait of Hormuz, they
discovered a beautiful leverage, if you may. It's much easier to hold --
SOARES: Yes --
AL-SAIF: The Strait hostage than to enrich uranium. So, why would they give that up right away? And this was them striking these ships in response
to the Omani route that was opened in the Strait of Hormuz, which technically the MOU doesn't exclude, by the way.
And that speaks to the vagueness. And hence, you had the U.S. response on the different targets in Iran and the story continues. It's been like that
for a few weeks, actually. So, it's not any different. But what's different to me was the scale.
We've seen further attacks across the shore of Iran, north and south. And interestingly, the waiving, the cancellation of the waiver of sanctions on
Iranian oil, how those two figures in the next days to come will be interesting to watch, to see how much of this MOU survives in the coming
period.
SOARES: Yes, interesting to see how whole Gulf states react to this. I know they've been having crisis talks. It will be interesting to see if
they do take action into their own hands that you are saying. Really great to get your analysis, Bader, thank you very much.
[14:15:00]
Bader Al-Saif there for us in Kuwait. Well, as the U.S. weighs its next steps in Iran, CNN's Pamela Brown has gained exclusive access to the USS
Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea. It is important to note, a U.S. official says the aircraft carrier is not striking Iran and its operations
are defensive in nature.
The carrier's aircraft are flying what we're told, are routine missions over and near the Strait of Hormuz.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAMELA BROWN, CNN CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The stakes are raised. They have been in this conflict and engaged in some way
for five-and-a-half months now, or been ready to jump back in to go to war.
I can tell you today, given the fact that there were overnight strikes on Iran, just these last --
(FIGHTER JET LANDING ON CARRIER)
BROWN: Are taking on a new meaning. I asked the admiral who oversees the ship as well as the destroyers, if there is a heightened threat alert, he
said, look, you know, we are always looking for threats.
And he didn't necessarily say that there was a heightened threat alert. But I do think it is notable that you have the destroyer here coming close to
the ship in this moment of high intensity, right? You had the ceasefire things calmed down.
There was a funeral in Iran where there was a pause in the negotiations. And these last few days have really changed the calculus. And so, we'll
have to wait and see if there will be more strikes. We know that the two aircraft carriers are capable of that as well as these destroyers that we
know have been used since the beginning of the war with those tomahawk missiles targeting land targets in Iran.
But also, that destroyer right there, among several others, it has intercepted ballistic missiles and drones that were directly targeting the
Abraham Lincoln. This ship I'm on right now is considered a high value target.
And that destroyer right there -- wow, that destroyer right there has intercepted multiple threats from Iran -- with Iran trying to hit the ship.
Now, also, it's worth noting that part of Iran's military strategy has been this sort of cost imbalance with these cheap drones and the military using
more expensive ballistic missiles and other ways of taking it down.
I'm told that they're trying to evolve and use cheaper weapons, but it's a very active dynamic environment out here.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Pamela Brown reporting there. Whiles the global energy market braces for more disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, there's another
pressure point for oil. Russia is banning all exports of diesel fuel.
This follows Ukrainian drone strikes on its refineries that have triggered, as you've seen, widespread shortages. At the same time, Russia's President
appears to be losing some support on the home front.
Former Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov tells me Vladimir Putin isn't the man he thought he was.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKHAIL KASYANOV, FORMER RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER: No, he's a real KGB guy. Before that, my time, demonstrating to President Yeltsin, demonstrated to
me and my collaborators in parliament when we all supported him, just as a person devoted to democratic changes.
But on a later stage, he lost this -- he pretended to be democratic person, and appeared to be -- now he is a real guy with this -- I would say wrong
vision --
SOARES: Right --
KASYANOV: Worldview.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And I'll bring you more of my interview with former Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov in tomorrow's show. It is also worth noting
Russia is feeling economic strain from Ukraine's strikes on vessels in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.
Kyiv says the ships were trying to deliver fuel to Crimea, a critical hub for Moscow's war effort. And Crimea is under a state of emergency with fuel
in short supply. Power outages have become part of daily life.
Ukraine's ramped-up strikes are being described by President Zelenskyy as a carefully-calculated operation. Nick Paton Walsh explains what Kyiv hopes
to accomplish.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Ukraine is hitting Russia hard where it all began, occupied Crimea.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
WALSH: Taken first in 2014, it is a peninsula and that makes it very vulnerable to being cut off. There are two ways in or out. First is the
Kerch Bridge, which Ukraine has been hitting for years, and it's now beset by queues of thousands of anxious Russians trying to get out.
Second is the land bridge through occupied Ukraine. Many saw this as a big strategic gain from Russia's invasion in 2022, a way to cheaply and
permanently connect Russia to this tourist Mecca, the jewel of the Soviet past.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When it comes to the Crimean Peninsula, a national resort --
VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT, RUSSIA: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
[14:20:00]
(ARTILLERY FIRE)
WALSH: Ukraine's 2023 counteroffensive tried to break through here, but failed, hitting huge Russian defenses. Now, they're flying over them. New
mid-range Ukrainian drone capability striking the road along the land bridge and Crimea's air defenses, leaving it vulnerable.
And then the actual bridges to Crimea and the Russian trains and the roads, now, they're hitting ordinary infrastructure refineries, power stations,
meaning power cuts in the cities. Queues at gas stations, thick black smoke on the skyline, so yet more Russians are leaving.
Zelenskyy recently claimed that Russia has had to prioritize air defenses in Crimea and around Moscow as well. Putin has recently accepted economic
challenges and indeed gas shortages, as Ukraine's drone strikes increasingly cause chaos in ordinary Russian life.
So, what's the goal here? Make Crimea hard to live in a place without tourists, gas, power, affordable food and the land bridge to it already
itself, a tough place to live in seems less worth the cost. And this is the wider point for Kyiv.
Seize on the growing questions inside Russia as to what the war is even for if Crimea is effectively uninhabitable and the only gains, they can claim
are tiny bits of land, usually rubble in the Donbas.
Turn Crimea from a jewel in Putin's crown to leverage for Ukraine, perhaps in any future peace talks or even into a damaging thorn in Putin's side as
he tries to navigate growing dissent about his war of choice.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Nick Paton Walsh reporting there. And still to come tonight, a family in mourning, and a community outraged. What we're learning about the
fatal shooting of a Mexican living in Texas by immigration agents. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Well, in Texas, outrage and a demand for answers after a father of three was fatally shot by U.S. immigration agents. The family of 52-year-
ol' -- year-old, pardon me, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo said he was killed during a traffic stop involving unmarked vehicles while on his way to work
on Tuesday.
A warning that our next video is disturbing. It shows the moments after Araujo was shot. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says he tried to evade
arrest, rammed into a law enforcement vehicle and an agent fired in self- defense.
His family disputes that account. The Department of Homeland Security, the parent agency of ICE, says it's investigating.
[14:25:00]
Ed Lavandera has more, and a warning, his report contains more of the disturbing video showing the moments after Araujo was shot.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): More than 48 hours after the shooting death of 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, Immigration
and Customs Enforcement officials have not released any more details beyond their initial statement, which said that it was the 52-year-old Mexican
national who had been living in the U.S. illegally for about 35 years.
They say that, that man weaponized his vehicle, in the words of ICE officials, and went after ICE agents there in the field as they were
conducting a targeted operation. They say that the ICE agent fired at Salgado Araujo in self-defense, but family members of the man, as well as
Latino civil rights activists, say they simply do not believe ISIS versions of -- version of events here.
They say this sounds very similar to the playbook description, in their words, of what happened and transpired earlier this year in two deadly
shootings involving ICE agents in Minnesota -- Minneapolis, Minnesota.
So, because of that, they have a lot of questions. The only video that has emerged of this shooting came in the aftermath. People who were driving by
in that video, you can see Salgado Araujo on the ground surrounded by agents bleeding from his midsection.
There has not been a video as far as we know, that has emerged that shows the entire scope of what happened. But one of his sons, Salgado Araujo's
son spoke yesterday with the news media, talking about how emotional -- the emotional toll that this has taken on his family and the emotional way that
they found out that their father had been killed.
RONALDO SALGADO, SON OF LORENZO SALGADO ARAUJO: I saw my dad's van, but no sign of him. I frantically called family, friends, loved ones to see if
they can find any information. I saw a video posted on Facebook that he had been shot.
I recognized him immediately, not from his appearance, but from his voice crying for help as he lay on the street, bleeding out.
LAVANDERA: Salgado Araujo's family says that the man had been in the country in the U.S. for 35 years, had no criminal history, worked in
construction. He had picked up these three other men as they were on their way to a job.
They feel that they were being followed by unmarked cars, and perhaps felt that they were being targeted for robbery. The family and Latino civil
rights activists are calling for an independent investigation, but local officials there in Houston say that is going to be very difficult, if not
unlikely, because federal investigators at this point hold all of the evidence. Ed Lavandera, CNN, Dallas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Well, turning to the U.S. Senate race in the state of Maine where the Democratic nominee, Graham Platner, has officially dropped out of the
race.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRAHAM PLATNER, FORMER U.S. DEMOCRATIC SENATE CANDIDATE: The things that have been claimed did not happen. It's not real. We live in a political
system that is not built for normal people. It is a system that is built structurally to make sure that movements like ours cannot flourish. We
believe that for the movement to continue, it can't be made.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, if you remember, on Monday, a woman told CNN, Platner raped her five years ago while they were dating. Several other women have also
brought accusations against Platner. Platner denies the allegations and blames the Democratic Party establishment for forcing him to drop out.
Democrats will have to choose a new candidate for the Midterms. And still to come tonight, and then, there were eight. The World Cup quarterfinals
kicks off with Morocco looking for revenge as they go head-to-head against tournament giant, France. We'll have a preview for you.
Plus, I'll speak with former member of the French national team, Les Bleus, about whether this year's powerhouse squad can indeed recapture the gold
trophy.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:00]
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. Let me just recap our top story.
If you're just joining us, huge crowds for the final day of Iran's late leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, even as the U.S. intensifies its attacks on
Iran. These are live pictures that we've been bringing you from the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad. These are Khamenei's birthplace. We
know a private burial is expected any time now.
Earlier in the day, we have seen a funeral procession of the supreme leader as, of course, he made its way, Khamenei made its way through the crowds of
mourners. And you see there just how large these crowds are, what, two minutes past ten in the evening. We're going to keep an eye on the story
and bring you the very latest, of course, from Iran.
I'm going to switch gears and turn our attention to the World Cup because it's back to business, it seems. In just 90 minutes from now, a tantalizing
grudge match really kicks off. Morocco are not only looking for revenge against France, but are carrying the hopes of an entire continent on its
shoulders. It's a rematch between two unbeatens as the already legendary Kylian Mbappe leads Le Bleu against Achraf Hakimi's Atlas Lions.
The French side is one of the tournament favorites, but the Moroccans have certainly earned their spot in the quarterfinals. France eliminated Morocco
2-nil in Qatar, if you remember, at 2022 World Cup.
CNN's Matias Grez, joins us now from the fan zone in Paris, where the anticipation is building towards kickoff. Matias, great to see you. Just
give me a sense of the mood. Look, this is one match I do not want to miss. What are you hearing from fans?
MATIAS GREZ, CNN CREATOR: Yes, well, Isa, as I'm sure you can imagine, the excitement is really building here. Now, like you said, just beside the fan
zone here on the River Seine and about 90 minutes away from kickoff, there's a queue, I would say, maybe 100 meters, going all the way around
the corner there, almost all the way back up to the main road.
But look, the France fans that we've been speaking to this week and today especially have understandably been feeling very confident about the result
of tonight's match. But look, not overly confident. They're not taking the result for granted. They know that they're going to have to be at their
best to beat this brilliant Morocco team in advance to the semifinals.
But regardless, this is going to be a very special occasion, not only because Morocco, for the second World Cup in a row, are cementing
themselves as one of the best teams in the world, but also because there's a huge Moroccan community here in Paris.
And like you mentioned, this is a rematch of that 2022 semifinal, which France, of course, came out on top in. But just to give you a bit more of a
sense of how the fans are feeling here in Paris, I went out and about around the city today and spoke to a few of them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GREZ: What do you expect from the match against Morocco tonight?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For me, 2-0 for France.
[14:35:00]
GREZ: You don't think Morocco has a chance of winning?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think they have a chance, but I believe in Mbappe, Dembele, (INAUDIBLE).
GREZ: And who do you think will score for France tonight?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mbappe and Dembele.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think Morocco is going to win, but I'm Moroccan.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the first half will be pretty close because the players know each other very well. So, yes, first half 0-0 and then second
half 1-0 for France.
GREZ: Who do you think will win, France or Morocco?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: France, of course, because the French is the best.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GREZ: You know, as a pretty pessimistic England fan, I find the incredible confidence that France have in their national team something to be quite
alien. You know, on our first night here, it was France's last knockout match against Paraguay. And we, of course, went out to a bar to watch that
with French fans, purely for research purposes, of course.
And after that match, you know, it wasn't France's best match. Paraguay made it difficult. With my pessimistic England mindset, I asked them, are
you not worried about the rest of this tournament after that performance? And they said, of course not. We've just got through one of the hardest
matches of the tournament. And they were confident not only of reaching the final, but winning the tournament again.
And look, it's much easier to have that level of confidence in your national team, right, when they reached the World Cup final last time out,
one at four years ago. And realistically, it's hard to argue that their team isn't even better this time around.
So, you know, of course, as a pessimistic England fan that's gone through 60 years of heartbreak, I can only wish to have the level of confidence
that the French fans seem to have in their national team.
SOARES: Matias, one tip. We need to manifest. You need to manifest. You need to visualize the England win. That's my tip to you this evening. Good
to see you, my friend.
GREZ: Fingers crossed.
SOARES: Thank you very much.
GREZ: Thank you.
SOARES: Thank you. Well, let's stick with this conversation. I'm glad to be joined by Mikael Silvestre, a member of the French team that made it to
the final of the 2006 World Cup. He also won multiple English Premier League titles as a defender for Manchester United and later played for
Arsenal. Mikael, great to have you on the show.
Look, you saw the confidence, you heard the confidence there on the ground in Paris. We know that France are one of the clear favorites to win this
World Cup and who can blame them, right? They have won -- they've played and won five games. They've only conceded two goals. How confident are you?
Are you as confident as those Parisians?
MIKAEL SILVESTRE, FORMER FRANCE DEFENDER AND FORMER MANCHESTER UNITED AND ARSENAL DEFENDER: We are. I am confident as much as the fans and the
French fans. But, you know, Morocco has shown that they can upset a lot of people. They've done extremely well against Brazil. And on the back of, you
know, reaching the final of the AFCON, they went from strength to strength. So, I think it's a big opposition.
And, yes, we are slightly favorite, but not over favorite because they've got so much capabilities of causing issues. And we've been conceding goals.
So, yes, confidence, but not 100 percent.
SOARES: Yes. And look, Morocco, I imagine, will be a test for the team, for the Charles team. And, you know, worth bearing in mind that everyone
does love an underdog, right? And let's not forget the Morocco won the World Cup semi-finalist. How much, though, of a headache do you think that
they could be, Makael, realistically?
SILVESTRE: Look, I think they've got a lot of experience and qualities. I think they are going to be missing the main striker. I know replacement is
good value as well, but not as good as Saibari, for example. And I think, for me, if I have to identify their weaknesses, it would be the center-
back.
So, look, they've got weapons. Hakimi knows a lot of Mbappe and Desire Doue and maybe Barcola. So, players know each other really well. So, I think
they're going to be a lot of match-ups in this 11 v 11. But I think, at the end, we should be the team that goes through. But, you know, in 90 minutes,
maybe more extra time, penalties. It's just 11 v 11 at the end of the day.
SOARES: Do you think it's going to go to extra time?
SILVESTRE: It could be. I think they've got enough qualities. You know, they've been able to outpower, they've been able to press teams, to
counter-press, a lot of energy, a lot of technical ability in that team. They can maneuver the ball. They can play direct, vertical. So, I think
they are a threat.
And because we haven't been defensively so compact, you know, it's difficult to get a clean sheet for the French national team these days. I
wouldn't be surprised if we go to extra time.
[14:40:00]
And you see a lot of games with the tension, with what is at stake. It goes for a longer period of time.
SOARES: And, Mikael, look, I think, and you heard some clips that we were playing before we came to you from some Parisians. Mbappe keeps popping up,
as does the golden boot. But, you know, he has been grabbing the headlines. But I know that many see Michael Olise as a real star player.
How much of a challenge will it be for him today, after failing to have a yellow card overturned from their win against Paraguay? Of course, we don't
all have Trump calling in and getting things cancelled for us at an old. Just your thoughts.
SILVESTRE: I believe that his performance against Paraguay was his worst with Les Bleus. He didn't have the impact and he got dispossessed many,
many times. Physically, he got also a bit bullied. So, I think he has a point to prove today. And I'm sure he's releasing the challenge to do that.
And because he's an offensive player, I think he can be smart enough not to pick up another yellow card that would make him, if France qualified, to be
suspended for the semi-final. But I believe he's smart enough. He's got maturity to manage the game without being cautious.
SOARES: Right. What about -- finally, before I let you go, what about Golden Boot? Who do you think, in your eyes, should be considered? I
imagine Mbappe can do it, Messi, Kane, Haaland. Who do you think should get at this stage, from what you've seen here?
SILVESTRE: It's amazing. These games coming, the quarter-finals are huge games. I believe Mbappe -- it's difficult, really. You put me in a
difficult position. I hope Mbappe will do it.
SOARES: Sorry, I put you in the spot.
SILVESTRE: That means France -- yes. That means France is going forward and he does well, you know, But, you know, he scored three goals in the
final in Qatar, but still we lost that game. So, who knows. But I wish he does the business and go and win that trophy.
SOARES: Mikael, really appreciate you coming on the show. Mikael Silvestre there for us from Portland in Oregon.
SILVESTRE: Thank you.
SOARES: Thank you. Best of luck for Le Bleu. Thank you.
SILVESTRE: Thank you.
SOARES: Now, Egypt may have lost a heartbreaker -- you're very welcome -- to Argentina this week, but they gained the hearts of the Palestinian
people, showing football is much more than what happens on the pitch.
Egypt's coach repeatedly used his World Cup platform to appeal for Palestinian human rights. Hossam Hassan said football is the world's soft
power and he wanted to use it to send a fundamental message of humanity. Quote, "Please let the Palestinian people live."
While people in Gaza cheered on Egypt's team as their own during their World Cup run, as you see there, even sitting on rubble to watch matches on
giant screens in Gaza City.
Today, Palestinians sent a message of their own, thanking Egypt's coach for bringing them joy and hope and reminding the world of their suffering. They
created sand art on this beach reading Hossam Hassan, conscience of humanity.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): When Captain Hossam Hassan raised this flag, the Palestinian flag, he brought back glory to the Palestinian
cause. On his chest, it was a badge of honor. He revived the spirits of two million Gazans, two million Palestinians here on the Gazan Strip. Today, we
must send a message to Captain Hossam Hassan. We will never forget you, and we stand with you wholeheartedly. We have inscribed your name on the soil
of Palestine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And still to come tonight, protests erupt in Cuba as a nationwide blackout leaves millions in the dark. I'll be speaking to a humanitarian
worker on the ground in Havana for you next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:45:00]
SOARES: Well, it's been two weeks since Venezuela was hit by deadly back- to-back earthquakes. The death toll continues to rise, with officials reporting more than 3,800 fatalities. International teams are still helping
Venezuelan crews with the humanitarian crisis that is unfolding.
Japanese medics seen here are helping treat patients in a temporary camp, officials say nearly 18,000 people are now homeless. But some are doing all
they can to help. One Venezuelan fashion designer has switched from making gowns to making body bags. He says it's his way of contributing after the
disaster.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EFRAIN MOGOLLON, VENEZUELAN FASHION DESIGNER (through translator): Emotionally, it's very hard because we truly see that this is suffering
that all Venezuelans are going through and experiencing. Of course, we do not want to have to do this, but we do it out of kindness and from the
heart, as a way of helping, and that is what comforts us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: We are also hearing stories of hope from families either reunited or waiting to be reunited after the earthquakes. CNN's Carolina Peguero
spoke with a woman whose father was deported from the U.S. back to Venezuela and narrowly avoided death.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALBANIS PARRA, DAUGHTER OF EARTHQUAKE SURVIVOR (through translator): I found out my dad was in Venezuela on Tuesday, thanks to a woman who was
helping me find him. On Wednesday, the earthquake happened, and I hadn't talked to him yet. I knew nothing of him since then. I didn't know if he
was OK or not.
CAROLINA PEGUERO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Two weeks after the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela, Albanis Parra still hasn't processed
the uncertainty she experienced, not knowing about her father, who had been on the last deportation flight on June 24. Today, he's alive by a miracle.
PARRA (through translator): My father survived by a miracle because he had a complaint filed against him by his sister from 15 years ago after an
argument, and he was taken to a separate detention facility.
PEGUERO (voice-over): Her father, Alberto Parra Villalobos, shares by FaceTime call from Venezuela and explains how this miraculous detour saved
his life, but not from the trauma he now lives with after witnessing the aftershocks and the destruction.
ALBERTO JOSE PARRA VILLALOBOS, EARTHQUAKE SURVIVOR (through translator): They told us, get ready, we're leaving. On the day of the earthquake, they
took us to a courthouse, which was across the hotel where the other deportees were staying at. The ground below was roaring loudly, like the
devil was coming out of it and the seawaters were coming up through the toilets. I thought a tsunami was coming, and I felt like I was being shaken
in a hammock.
PEGUERO (voice-over): Parra Villalobos who had been living in the United States under a political asylum status, was detained on Christmas Day in
2025 for driving without a valid license, and after more than six months being held in several ICE detention centers, he was deported under the
Trump administration. He says the images he has seen will never leave his mind.
VILLALOBOS (through translator): It was a white cloud. You could see all the dust all the way from Caracas to La Guaira. I saw staircases collapsing
and suddenly more than 1,000 vultures were flying all over the hotel. The guards were crying, and some because they found out their families had
died.
PEGUERO (voice-over): He shares that he saw many who were on the same flight also lose their lives that day.
[14:50:00]
VILLALOBOS (through translator): I feel very bad about everything and what I've lived through. I will never forget this, the children and the pregnant
woman who died. I stay outdoors all the time because I can't go into my house. I'm afraid, and I can't live like this.
PEGUERO (voice-over): His daughter has been using her flower shop as a donation center to help families in Venezuela. She hopes that one day her
and her son will be able to reunite with her father.
PARRA (through translator): I love him very much. I'm grateful to him, even though we may argue. I love him. God gave him a second chance at life,
and I know this is very painful for all those families who have lost loved ones. All we can do is trust in God.
PEGUERO (voice-over): Carolina Peguero, CNN, Orlando.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And still to come tonight, singer Bonnie Tyler has passed away, what her family is saying, and the song that made her an iconic pop star
right around the world. We'll have that when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Well, nominations have opened for the Labour Party's next leader and Prime Minister. Andy Burnham, who was the only declared candidate when
Labour MPs began voting today, says he nominated himself. Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigned, if you remember, last month under increasing
pressure from his party. If Burnham gets 322 nominations, he will face no other challenges.
Well, to another U.K. election, Nigel Farage, leader of the right-wing populist party Reform U.K., triggered an election for his own parliamentary
seat this week when he resigned as a lawmaker. It was an attempt to address allegations of undeclared financial donations. But rival parties have
dubbed his actions a stunt and pulled out of the race. As for voters, well, they are divided.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, he'll walk it. Doesn't matter. He'll walk it. Yes, this time I might actually vote for him because if he's not broken any
rules, if he's just people trying to dig up dirt on him, then, yes, he's got a right to complain.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't stand it either. I can't understand how he's ever got into politics whatsoever anyway. He does nothing for this town at
all. You cannot even go and see him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, the way Nigel Farage has resigned, which I just can't understand at all, and he's put in another by-election to get him
back in again. So, this is what I can't understand. And there's no one opposing him sort of thing, you know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[14:55:00]
SOARES: Well, one person will be opposing him. In fact, Farage's main opponent is this man right there. Yes, he's wearing a bit in his head,
that's Count Binface, a comedian who wears a trash can. We'll continue following this story for you.
Well, fans of Bonnie Tyler are mourning the loss of the Welsh singer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Tyler, best known for a hit in the '80s, that one there, playing "Total Eclipse of the Heart," died at the age of 75. Her family and team
posted on her website and social media saying she passed away in a hospital in Portugal while being treated for an illness. And this comes just months
after Tyler underwent emergency surgery and was put into an induced coma.
The singer, also known for the song, "Holding Out for a Hero," who can forget, was planning a return to the stage later this year. And we're all
going to be singing both those songs all day, and quite rightly so, as a tribute to her.
That does it for me. Thanks very much for your company. Do stay right here. "What We Know" with Christina Macfarlane is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
