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The Brief with Jim Sciutto
CNN International: Trump: Ceasefire Between Israel and Lebanon Extended; Israeli Strike Kills Journalist; Trump Orders Navy to "Shoot to Kill" Any Boats Laying Mines in Strait of Hormuz; Source: U.S. Soldier Arrested Over Maduro Polymarket Bet; WBD Shareholder Vote. Trump: Ceasefire In Lebanon Will Be Extended By Three Weeks; White House Hosts Lebanon- Israel Talks Amid Fragile Ceasefire; Israeli Defense Min.: Ready To Return Iran To "Dark Ages"; Senate Approves DHS Funding Bill Without Democratic Support; "Separated By I.C.E." Wins World Press Photo Of The Year; Union Berlin's Female Interim Coach Breaks Glass Ceiling; Annual NFL Draft Set To Kick Off In Pittsburgh. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired April 23, 2026 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:00]
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR, "THE BRIEF": Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington, and
you're watching "The Brief."
Just ahead this hour, President Trump says the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel has now been extended for three weeks. Trump rules out using a
nuclear weapon on Iran, thankfully, telling a reporter they should never be allowed to be used by anybody, nuclear weapons, that is. And I speak to the
photographer behind this award-winning photo, showing an Ecuadorian family separated as U.S. immigration agents arrest their father. It's a powerful
image.
Well, the ceasefire in Lebanon will apparently be extended three weeks. This, according to President Trump, just a short time ago. The president
says a second round of talks hosted by the U.S. between Israel and Lebanon went well today, by his description. He says he's looking forward to
hosting the Israeli prime minister and the Lebanese president in the near future. Those latest talks come amid a fragile truce. Israel's foreign
ministry says its country has no, quote, "serious disagreements" with Lebanon, that its fight is solely with Hezbollah.
But the Israeli military has vowed it will remain in southern Lebanon for the time being. Lebanon's prime minister has accused the Israelis of war
crimes over a strike on Wednesday that killed a journalist.
National security reporter Jennifer Hansler joins me now. I wonder, is the U.S. side concerned at all about a disconnect or even daylight between
Israeli negotiators and the Israeli military?
JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Well, they seem to downplay any sort of challenges to what could eventually be a
sustainable peace here, Jim. We heard from President Trump just now in the Oval Office following the second round of these direct talks, and he seemed
to say, you know, this will be easy because we are the United States. He indicated that the U.S. would be giving support to the Lebanese government
to help them to control Hezbollah, but he did not go into details about what this support would look like.
He also did not speak really to this idea that the Israeli forces would be remaining on the ground in Lebanon. He said that Israel would continue to
retain the right to defend itself, but he said that they would be doing so more carefully. He described it surgically.
But we have seen, of course, that up until now, the course of this, I think we are six days into what had been a 10-day ceasefire. This has not been a
perfect truce by any means. There have been launches by Hezbollah, as well as Israel, on southern Lebanon.
You pointed to one that happened yesterday that killed a journalist and injured another one. So, this has not been a perfect ceasefire, and it is
something that is likely to continue to not be a perfect ceasefire. Now, of course, we have Trump and his Cabinet, you know, speaking optimistically
about the prospects for ongoing negotiations towards a peace between Israel and Lebanon. He said he would be hosting the leaders in the coming weeks.
However, the key -- one of the key parties to this conflict, of course, Hezbollah, has not been involved in these talks. They have indicated that
they would continue to honor a ceasefire if Israel did the same. However, the Trump administration has been very clear that they do not want
Hezbollah to be a part of any of these discussions. They want this to be an empowered Lebanese government.
But of course, a lot of questions here, Jim, about whether the Lebanese government will be given the support to actually take on Hezbollah, to be
able to empower the Lebanese armed forces, for example, to take on Hezbollah. And of course, a lot here at stake, particularly as the Iranians
continue to tie what is happening in these talks to what is happening in potential negotiations there as well.
SCIUTTO: And let's be frank, it's difficult to describe Israeli military operations as surgical, given they're tearing down the entire southern
Lebanon, so many of those communities there. Jennifer Hansler at State, thanks so much for joining.
Well, President Trump claims that the U.S. now has, quote, "total control" over the Strait of Hormuz. Earlier, he ordered the U.S. Navy to shoot
Iranian boats laying mines in the Strait.
[18:05:00]
This comes as Iran says it has been collecting tolls from ships passing through the strategic waterway. Both sides view control of the Strait as
key to negotiations. Listen to what President Trump had to say just a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We have total control of the Strait. And the fact that it slows -- you know, they would have opened it up three days
ago. They came to us and they said, we will agree to open the Strait. And all my people are happy. Everybody was happy, except me. I said, wait a
minute, if we open the Strait, that means they're going to make $500 million a day. I don't want them to make $500 million a day until they
settle this thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: The president admits his administration does not know who the current leader of Iran is. Sources tell CNN that the U.S. military is now
developing new plans to target and attack Iran's capabilities in the Strait if the ceasefire falls apart.
Stephen Collinson is with me now. Stephen, it's false for the president to say the U.S. has total control of the Strait when Iran still clearly is
able to, well, not just charge tolls, but threaten shipping in the Strait.
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Yes, completely false. The situation now is a stalemate here. The Iranians have their blockade of
the Strait of Hormuz. The Americans have their blockade of Iran's ships and ports. The obvious outcome of this is going to be determined by which side
can bear the pain the longest and not blink in this situation. That's why you saw the president come out today and say, I've got all the time in the
world.
He's angry at media narratives that suggest that he wants this over as quickly as possible. Every outward sign is he does want this over as
quickly as possible, because of the political damage is terrible. The global economic damage is now bearing on the United States as well.
I think the question here, though, is the two audiences that the president was talking to today, the Iranian leadership and the American people, are
either of them actually listening to him, or is he trying to create a political narrative for himself because he really doesn't have a plan how
to get out of this dead end?
SCIUTTO: Well, listen, sometimes those narratives are directly contradictory. It seems like we're settling into something of a not quite
war, not quite peace here, or at least a slow burning conflict.
COLLINSON: Right. And I think there are a number of scenarios here. In this period of tension, you could easily see some clashes between Iranian
small boats, for example, and U.S. naval assets. You were mentioning there the president has said that the U.S. should go after these boats. That
could escalate the situation.
Does the president, as he wants to get out of this, if he decides there's no negotiated way out, does he therefore try and do some kinetic military
action as a face-saving way to leave, or I think one potential scenario here, which has always been on the table, is that he just declares, look,
we did what we needed to do. And you heard him in the Oval Office talking about it today. We disabled their nuclear program. We disabled their
missile programs. And then he leaves.
That leaves the massive question of, what do you do with the Strait of Hormuz? The world economy is held hostage. But maybe that's the way that
the Europeans and the Asian powers get in there and talk to the Iranians and try to open it with diplomacy.
SCIUTTO: Well, it also, again, fights the facts because, you know, those hundreds of kilograms of enriched uranium remain in Iran. Before we go on
the economic pressure side, the Trump administration clearly aware of the damage from rising gas prices. They're talking about this phenomenon of
backwardation now. You heard that from Scott Bessent, the treasury. Just very briefly, can you explain what that is? And is there anything to this?
COLLINSON: Yes, this is all about the futures markets. So, what Scott Bessent argued yesterday was that the price of oil in the futures markets,
what traders think it will cost in a month's time, is much lower now than the current price of oil. So, he's arguing the market thinks that the price
of oil will come down, therefore the price of gasoline, which is very politically important in the United States, will come down.
The problem with that is, is that that might be true in theory, but there's such a lack of supply of oil that traders aren't worrying about what the
price of oil is going to be in a month's time. They're worried about getting tangible barrels of oil right now. That's what they're
concentrating on. And also, we don't know how long the war is going to last. If the war is still going on in a month's time, those currently lower
futures price for oil are going to be -- you know, they're not going to be accurate at all.
SCIUTTO: Well, one thing we can say about the markets, they've been volatile. Stephen Collinson, thanks so much.
COLLINSON: Thanks.
SCIUTTO: Well, joining me now to discuss the broader security situation in the region, prospects for peace, Aaron David Miller, little experience of
negotiations himself in the region. Aaron, good to have you.
AARON DAVID MILLER, FORMER U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT MIDDLE EAST NEGOTIATOR AND SENIOR FELLOW, CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE: You too, Jim.
Great to see you.
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SCIUTTO: What is your reaction to hearing the U.S. President say he has, quote, "all the time in the world"? I mean, does he in fact have the time?
I suppose he can if he wants to let the war go on, but also crucially, does he have the power or as much power as he claims to end this?
MILLER: Well, he does have the power to end it, that's clear, because he's got to find a way to change Iranians' calculations. There are only two ways
to do that, right? You can escalate, and we may be in store for that. You can commit to the blockade, not for three weeks, Jim, but for three months.
90 percent of Iran's seaborne trade is seaborne. 2 million barrels a day of oil cut Iran off from hard currency, which means a drastic reduction in
imports. You talk hyperinflation, that combined with striking electricity grids and water desal plants. I mean, I think you're now bordering on war
crimes if you're talking civilian infrastructure.
So, he can try to change Iranian calculations that way. I just don't think, after watching six weeks of what the U.S. and Israeli militaries have done,
that that's going to change the calculation. So, he's not on the ballot by November. This is a president whose conception of the national interest
extends in many respects as far as his own ego, his political needs, and his financial needs.
So, it may well be, as he said in the wake of the Venezuelan operation, the only constraint that exists for me is the morality that exists in my own
mind. So, maybe his clock is, maybe everything we think is true, that his clock is ticking really fast, and the Iranian clock is ticking very, very
slow. This, to me, does not sound like a man who is prepared to just walk away.
The Iranians laid mines today, Jim, which means, frankly, they know where they are. They probably laid them with fast boats, not with large mine
sweepers. It's an assertion of control. And yes, Trump can control the straits with the blockade, but the Iranians make the straits dysfunctional.
They can't be used for anything. So, I think Stephen's right, that the question is, whose pain threshold is higher?
SCIUTTO: Is there daylight between the U.S. and Israel on this? Because when I was in Israel, and by the way, Israeli officials still say this,
they considered success controlling Iran's nuclear material and program regime change and ending, not just hurting its missile capabilities. And by
the way, they still have the ability not just to lay mines, but fire missiles. Do they have different definitions of success, the U.S. and
Israeli leaders?
MILLER: Oh, absolutely. Fundamental daylight on Iran, fundamental daylight on Lebanon, except the daylight, frankly, as a public matter, Jim, does not
exist and in my judgment, will not exist for one basic reason. Because the most important event in 2026 for this Israeli prime minister is not
Lebanon, not Iran, not Gaza. It's elections.
The government goes to in October. Right now, the polls suggest that he has received very little bump in two wars with Iran and an enormous amount of
military degradation and decapitation, including Israeli or the Americans killing Ali Khamenei. But it has not made Netanyahu's position stronger. He
cannot afford, Jim, a public break with Donald Trump, which is why you've just seen another three-week extension of the Lebanese ceasefire.
SCIUTTO: Yes.
MILLER: (INAUDIBLE).
SCIUTTO: If three weeks holds, right? Because these timelines are so amorphous. Before we go, today Trump said he does not know who the leader
is of Iran. Has Israel undermined the peace process by repeatedly killing so many senior Iranian leaders, including those who might conceivably
negotiate with the U.S.?
MILLER: I think the decapitation strategy has removed a key balancer, which is the supreme leader, who since 1989 played a role of trying to
strike a consensus and make decisions that balanced the clerical interests, divine power, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps interests, the hard
power.
The fact that Ali Khamenei is dead, I think delays, decentralizes the decision-making process. But no, I think the generals are in charge. You
read Farnaz Fassihi's piece in the New York Times. It's an extraordinary piece of reporting without access to any classified information.
[18:15:00]
I worked at INR at State for a decade. What he wrote today in the Times on how decisions are being made was as good as any intelligence memo we sent
up to the secretary of state. It's really, really important reading.
SCIUTTO: You know, it's interesting, during my time in government in China, sometimes some of the good reporting in China was as good or better
than some of the intel reports. Aaron David Miller, good to have you.
MILLER: You too, Jim. Take care.
SCIUTTO: Well, there's more breaking news into CNN. According to a source speaking to CNN, a U.S. soldier involved in the capture of the Venezuelan -
- former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has been arrested for placing a bet on Polymarket prior to that raid that Maduro would be ousted. In
fact, he placed that bet just days before the raid took place. That bet netted him some $400,000 in profits. The trade, which was unusual, given it
was quite a long shot at that point, caught the attention of law enforcement officials almost immediately.
John Miller joins me now. John, tell us about the police work here. I mean, it was a longshot bet. How did they find their way to this soldier?
JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: Well, they looked at the bet and, you know, the securities and exchange people
and the financial people in the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, the FBI, looked at it and sat down with Polymarket and said, this
is a very unusual bet. 32,000 put down a windfall of 400,000 on a very unlikely scenario unless you were clued into not just inside information.
This is an Ivan Boesky or Mike Milken classified information about a high- risk operation where the safety of the team would be guaranteed by the element of surprise, the speed and violence of action. And as it was, they
faced resistance. So, the idea of profiting from this information or hinting at it in a public marketplace is a very serious charge.
Now, we know he's a member of U.S. Special Forces. As you understand better than most, Jim, that was a Joint Special Operations Command operation. The
operators who went in after Maduro were the Delta Force, the Army's most elite team. They were carried in by the 160th Air Wing from the Army, the
Night Stalkers, who bring them in and out of those critical missions. And they were supported by Army Rangers. So, what branch of the Special Forces
this person was with, we don't know. But we do know that he is now charged under arrest, will be brought to New York to face these charges.
And of course, it's not just a question of inside information, but classified information, but also the safety of his or her teammates and a
question of honor.
SCIUTTO: 100 percent. That was going to be my next question. This is not just a financial crime. It's a national security crime because you're
sending a signal out there that something's coming, right? I mean, that that could have tipped -- I mean, we don't know if it tipped anybody off. I
mean, the operation was successful, but it certainly could have. It poses a risk.
J. MILLER: I mean, it certainly is. And I mean, this is a cue to foreign intelligence services to watch these anomalous bets on these platforms,
which is a relatively new phenomenon to say, you know, do we see a clue here and can we trace these things back? Are we getting inside information
by default that way, which is just another national security risk? But it's a brave new world out there.
SCIUTTO: Final question, John, because, you know, this is one of many trades on Polymarket and similar sites by people, it seems, who have inside
information prior to a whole host of moves, including those by President Trump decisions, deadlines, war announcements, et cetera. Should we be
confident that investigators are investigating all of these things, or are they picking and choosing because it raises the possibility that people
inside the administration are doing the same or at least people connected to or with knowledge of the administration's decision making?
J. MILLER: Well, and we saw some incredibly coincidental profiteering on the launch of the war. And that's a very legitimate question. But I'm going
to be candid with you, Jim. Another part of this brave new world is the fact that the Department of Justice and most particularly the FBI and other
executive branch agencies are very reticent as they have seen their colleagues being fired for investigating either the president in or out of
office or the president's supporters. We've seen, though, people who have been charged being pardoned and the people investigated being pardoned.
So, I think they would be very cautious before jumping into the other end of this pond. And when I say the other end, I mean the one connected
directly to political power.
[18:20:00]
SCIUTTO: Disturbing, to say the least. John Miller, good to have you. Thank you.
J. MILLER: Thank you.
SCIUTTO: Still ahead, a significant step in the proposed merger of Paramount, Skydance, and Warner Bros. Discovery, which is the parent
company of CNN. We're going to have the latest on that deal that would create one of the world's largest media firms.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: Welcome back. In today's Business Breakout, U.S. stocks fell across the board amid the ongoing standoff between the U.S. and Iran. Oil
prices climbed higher, too, with Brent Crude now hitting $105 a barrel. Sources say the Pentagon is warning U.S. lawmakers the Strait of Hormuz
could be closed for six months after fighting ends.
In corporate news, Meta is cutting 10 percent of its workforce, some 8,000 jobs, to help offset its massive investments in artificial intelligence.
Just last year, the company spent more than $72 billion on A.I. alone. The job cuts take effect next month. Meta shares finished the session down more
than 2 percent.
Paramount Skydance's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of CNN, is now one step closer to completion. WBD shareholders
approved the $110 billion deal Thursday, which would combine two major Hollywood studios and much more. CNN and Paramount's CBS News division
would be owned by the same company, too. Many fear the deal will have a negative impact not just on jobs, but also industry competition. WBD says
the vote passed, quote, "overwhelmingly."
It now expects to close the deal by the end of September, pending regulatory approval. WBD shareholders, however, rejected the executive
compensation package for the WBD CEO, David Zaslav, worth at least half a billion dollars. However, the WBD board could still go ahead and approve
the payout, despite voters' preferences.
Joining me now is Sara Fischer. Sara, so good to have you. It's been a long process. It's not the first time you and I have talked about this. We do
have several state attorney generals in California, New York, contemplating challenging this deal. Could state efforts stand in the way of this?
SARA FISCHER, CNN MEDIA ANALYST AND MEDIA CORRESPONDENT, AXIOS: Absolutely. And we've seen, Jim, in recent history that states have proven
very successful in blocking deals and breaking up companies.
[18:25:00]
You'll note that the deal between Nexstar and Tegna, two massive local broadcasters, is on pause in response to, in part, a state attorney's
general complaint. Same thing with Live Nation and Ticketmaster. Federal regulators blessed the deal, but they ultimately got state regulators to
essentially say that the regulatory environment in the federal landscape did not work and that they want to breakup the company.
So, you could absolutely federal regulators taking a backseat and states stepping ensuing to block the deal. Rob Bonta, the state attorney general
in California, has a pretty strong case that he's going to argue that the this is going to impact jobs in his state. I think that he has a very,
very, very strong likelihood that a judge or an independent jury would agree with him.
SCIUTTO: Now, from the DOJ's perspective here, it's, of course, public knowledge that the man behind this, a lot of the money, is Larry Ellison,
his close friend of the president. Is there evidence that the DOJ, from the federal perspective, is likely to fast-track approval for this?
FISCHER: I don't think that they're likely to fast-track approval. In fact, the interim head of antitrust at the DOJ has said that this is not
going to be some sort of fast-track process for political reasons. But what I do think is going to happen is they're going to take a close look at it.
They're going to investigate it. We've already -- Axios has reported that they're investigating it.
I think the bigger challenge for them, though, Jim, is foreign regulators. So, the E.U., its member states, the U.K., they all need to bless this
deal. And the longer that they take while they're investigating it, that gives the state attorney's general in the U.S. time to assemble a case. So,
even if they get regulatory approval from the DOJ here, that does not mean that it's over and that it's done for this deal.
SCIUTTO: OK. Now, there are a lot of carry-on effects from this, even beyond the entertainment industry, because, of course, you have CBS and CNN
then, if this gets approved, under the same umbrella here. Beyond potential impact on jobs, what have we learned from Paramount's ownership of CBS News
as to how it oversees, runs, attempts to influence, if possible, news coverage and news operations?
FISCHER: I mean, if I'm being honest, I think news is, like, the last thing that they're thinking about right now. I think they're very focused
on uniting their streaming platforms, so, Paramount Plus and HBO Max, finding synergies across things in the back office, like marketing and
sales and legal. And then, once they get all that done, they're going to think a little bit about news.
But I think that what you're going to expect is these networks, CBS is a broadcaster, CNN is a cable network, they're going to remain separate. They
have separate distribution deals with telecom companies. They will probably make efforts to find synergies, again, in some of those back-end functions,
like sales, and maybe in things like news gathering. You know, CBS doesn't have a massive international news gathering footprint. CNN does. But I
think that the consumer-facing product is going to look and feel pretty much the same.
Now, if you asked me about influencing the news product. I have a very strong belief on this, which is that Paramount is going to take on so much
debt to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, that they're not going to be looking to be acquisitive after this. Sure, they might do best things in the future,
but they're not going to need robust regulatory approvals. So, I can't see them trying to enforce so much editorial scrutiny on CNN, because they're
not going to need to be in the back pocket of the administration anymore.
I think what's most likely the risk to both news enterprises is that Paramount is going to have so much debt that needs to be paid down that,
for a cable network, for example, like CNN, that makes a lot of profits, those profits are going to go towards paying down the debt as opposed to
reinvesting in these news networks to make them more modern and more digital. That's the big risk to me. I can't see Ellison going in and trying
to micromanage CNN. It's just not going to be in his interests after this deal closes.
SCIUTTO: Well, we have a little experience with that after the WBD acquisition, right? A lot of debt to write down. Sara Fischer, thanks so
much.
FISCHER: Thanks, Jim.
SCIUTTO: Checking some of today's other business headlines, the Trump administration has delivered a long-awaited win to the U.S. cannabis
industry. The Justice Department is reclassifying state-licensed medical marijuana as a less dangerous drug. The announcement does not make cannabis
use legal under federal law, but it will give tax breaks to licensed cannabis businesses and allow more research into marijuana.
An attorney for bankrupt Spirit Airlines says a government rescue for the carrier could be announced soon. Sources tell CNN the U.S. could approve
some $500 million worth of assistance to Spirit to keep it flying. In exchange, the U.S. could take a stake in the company. Spirit has warned it
is close to liquidation otherwise.
France's meteorological agency has filed a complaint claiming its weather system was tampered with as part of a betting scam. CNN affiliate BFM-TV
says on two separate occasions, bettors on Polymarket, there it is again, placed successful wagers that temperatures would unexpectedly spike in
Paris. Some speculate the secret was a hair dryer to tamper with a temperature sensor. Raise the temperature, as it were, and make some money.
After the break, Danny Danon, Israel's ambassador to the U.N., tells me what he believes must happen to bring peace to Lebanon and victory in the
war with Iran.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: Welcome back to The Brief. I'm Jim Sciutto. And here are the international headlines we're watching today.
President Donald Trump says the ceasefire in Lebanon will be extended by three weeks. This follows talks at the White House between Israeli and
Lebanese ambassadors. The President called that meeting historic and said he plans to host the leaders of both countries.
Trump says his administration does not know, however, who is leading Iran. He blames that for holding up talks to end the Iran war. Still, he insists
it will not be very long before the conflict is over. When pressed by reporters about when that might be, President Trump said, quote, "Don't
rush me."
Pope Leo has returned to Rome from an 11-day tour of Africa with a message about the war in Iran. The Catholic leader is condemning the Iranian
regime's killing of protesters, but says as a pastor, he cannot support the war.
Returning now to news of a three-week extension of a ceasefire in Lebanon, both Israeli and Lebanese envoys were at the White House, hosted by
President Trump. Even as those talks were ongoing, though, Iran backed Hezbollah and Israel exchanged further fire.
Joining me now, Danny Danon, Israeli ambassador to the U.N. Ambassador, thanks so much for taking the time.
[18:35:06]
DANNY DANON, ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: Thank you for having me, Jim.
SCIUTTO: So I'm trying to understand what fire is ceasing, right? Because Hezbollah is still firing in your direction. Iran fired back. And, by the
way, the Israeli military, as you know, maintains a significant presence in southern Lebanon. Will the fire actually cease or just slow down a bit?
DANON: First, we welcomed direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon. We always prefer direct talks. And as we look at the past of modern Israel,
we achieved peace deals through direct negotiations. So we are grateful for President Trump and his team for putting the time and efforts and allowing
us to speak directly with the Lebanese government.
But we have to be honest. You know, the Lebanese government, they have no control of Hezbollah. And Hezbollah is sending rockets trying to sabotage
the ceasefire. And Israel, we have to retaliate.
Every time we see a threat, we take action. And I think the main question is whether the Lebanese government is capable of enforcing a ceasefire or a
peace agreement or actually apply sovereignty over southern Lebanon. That's the main challenge for us.
That we are negotiating with Lebanon, but we all know that you have Hezbollah within southern Lebanon. They have some control over the
government in Lebanon.
SCIUTTO: But that doesn't sound like a ceasefire then.
DANON: Well, you know, if you compare it to what happened before the ceasefire, you know, it's significantly better situation. It's not 100
percent. And I hope see that the Lebanese military are actually able to implement and to enforce a ceasefire.
SCIUTTO: I want to ask about Israeli operations in southern Lebanon. I was in Israel for a number of weeks during the war, and I went to the northern
border. And, by the way, I witnessed incoming Hezbollah fire, but I also witnessed Israeli operations and spoke to Israeli forces operating inside
southern Lebanon.
And it appears that the goal of this operation is to completely raze the villages there. And as you know, the families there have been told, who
live there, told to evacuate. Is the removal of thousands of Lebanese families from southern Lebanon, from their homes, it seems indefinitely, is
that an acceptable price for Israeli security? I mean, they're being told they can't go home.
DANON: Well, first, we asked the population to move to the north because we don't want to see civilian casualties. And unfortunately, whenever you see
civilian casualties, Israel is being blamed for that by so many international organizations, by the media. So we try to minimize that.
And most of the population actually moved to the north. But we have to acknowledge another fact, that some of those villages became headquarters
for Hezbollah. So not all the villages actually moved to the north. You know, the Christian villages stay intact.
But some of the Shiite villages, that we know that Hezbollah took over the villages completely. They put the lunches there and the bunkers. We had no
choice but to move in, to maneuver, and to dismantle the threat.
SCIUTTO: I want to talk about the Iran war now, if I can, because as you know, while the war is not over, President Trump has claimed victory. When
I was in Tel Aviv, Israelis told me repeatedly, including Israeli officials, that Israel would not consider the war won, unless several
things happened.
One, Iran's nuclear material was under control. It's not. Its missile capabilities were destroyed. They're depleted, but not destroyed. And that
there was regime change but it's -- you know, by a lot of measures, it's not clear that the regime has genuinely changed. Does Israel consider the
war won and over, or do you think the fighting must continue?
DANON: Well, I think we can agree that the war was won because we defeated the enemy. You know, we shown our superiority for weeks, fighting together
with the U.S. When you say over, I think we have to wait for the result of the negotiations. You know, we have to make sure that we have the
guarantees that they cannot continue with their nuclear program, with their ballistic ambitions, and supporting the proxies.
So I think now when we see the negotiations, they move very slowly. You know, every day they are turning the negotiations. We have to wait for the
outcome. But everyone can agree that Iran today is not the same as it used to be two months ago.
But one thing I'm shocked with, Jim, that I see the Iranians, they are so arrogant. You know, I deal with them at the United Nations, and they feel
superior to everyone else. They have to acknowledge that they lost the war, and they have to face reality.
SCIUTTO: When we spoke about a month ago, you said you know there are alternative leaders in Iran who might be willing to negotiate, open a door
to diplomacy. Do you still believe that that's the case now, that there are potential leaders that you, the Israeli officials and U.S. negotiators can
make a deal with?
[18:40:21]
DANON: I personally believe in a regime change. I think it will happen. You know, I cannot tell you today when it will happen. But, you know, when you
look at the history, it was always very difficult to predict a revolution or a regime change. But once it happened, it was obvious that it should
have happened.
I think that will happen in Iran. We don't know exactly when. And yes, there are elements who are reasonable among the Iranians that can lead the
nation to peaceful engagements and to become like a nation like any other nation, not a hub for terrorism.
SCIUTTO: Ambassador Danny Danon, appreciate having you back on the program.
DANON: Thank you, Jim.
SCIUTTO: Still coming up on The Brief, the power of a single image, the winner of this year's World Press Photo of the Year. And there it is. Well,
the photographer joins me next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: Here in Washington, the Senate has now advanced a plan that would fully reopen the government by funding Border Patrol and Immigration and
Customs Enforcement, or ICE. Republicans approved the budget resolution in the predawn hours during a marathon session known as a vote-a-rama. No,
Democrats supported the measure.
Democrats have been demanding reforms in customs operations and immigration operations after federal agents killed two protesters in Minneapolis back
in January. The measure now heads to the House, where its future is actually far from certain.
On the topic of immigration enforcement, a single photograph of an Ecuadorian family separated has won the 2026 World Press Photo of the Year
Award. You see it there. The photo titled, "Separated by I.C.E." shows girls clinging to their father as U.S. immigration agents detain him
outside a New York courtroom after an immigration hearing there last August.
Carol Guzy took that photograph. She's with the ZUMA Press Agency and eyewitness for the Miami Herald. And she joins me now.
Carol, good to have you. Thanks for joining.
[18:45:01]
CAROL GUZY, WINNER, WORLD PRESS PHOTO OF THE YEAR 2026: Thank you. It's a pleasure. Although I have to admit, I prefer the other side of a camera,
but here we are.
SCIUTTO: Well, it's good to have you, not to tell you as a father looking at that photo and you can't help but imagine your own children in the same
situation. Can you describe to our viewers how you captured that image?
GUZY: Well, I had been covering ICE detainments at the courthouse in New York for six months last year on a daily basis. And this was one of many
family separations that are, by far, the most heart-wrenching detainments to witness. And I noticed this family before they -- when they were in line
as they were about to enter the courtroom, and the girls were holding onto him so tight and there seemed to be a sense of foreboding.
And obviously, ICE agents were lining the hallways. And when they came out, of course, it was chaos when they tried to pull their dad away. And the
girls were desperately clinging onto him futilely, obviously.
But I think the power in the photograph is that raw emotion and the profound primal bond between parents and children that I think moves people
when they realize that, you know, someone is separated possibly, you know, forever or at least for a long time.
And my father died when I was six, so I understand very, very deeply the eternal hole that kind of loss leaves in a child's heart.
SCIUTTO: Of course, of course. You've been covering these detentions and separations for some time. As you know, the Trump administration has
promised a softer touch. I believe that's the language he used. In your witnessing of this and your reporting on this, have you noticed any
decrease in separations like those captured in this photo?
GUZY: Well, there had been so many detainments last year. And then it slowly decreased the number of detainments, at least at the courthouse. I
actually went to Minnesota for a little while, too, where it was quite brutal, on the streets, obviously. And there was a lot of criticism. So
that perhaps is one of the reasons that this new posture is happening.
But I'm back in New York covering the courthouse again. And ICE has been back, but only on occasion. And the detainments have been very few and far
between.
SCIUTTO: Do you think images like the one you captured and other images, sometimes in video, sometimes in still photograph, of the tactics and those
separations and the raw human emotion and sometimes, frankly, the violence that we witnessed, sometimes deadly violence? Do you believe in your heart
of hearts that that's helped make a difference?
GUZY: The photographs, the --
SCIUTTO: Yes.
GUZY: -- images we're making? Is that the question?
SCIUTTO: Yes. Yes, to change behavior.
GUZY: Well, I certainly believe that it makes a difference to have eyes in that courthouse. Even Monica, one of the respondents that was thrown to the
floor last year, and it was a big news story. She's remarked recently in an interview with me that she's convinced that the presence of cameras is the
reason the excessive force wasn't more, wasn't worse.
And lawyers have even said before there was -- there were cameras allowed in the courtroom, it was much more brutal. So I think we do hold agents and
agencies accountable when we're there with eyes on these issues.
SCIUTTO: Well, that's almost a relief to hear, right, isn't it, in the midst of all this. Well, Carol Guzy, it's a powerful photograph and we
appreciate the work you do. Congratulations on the award.
GUZY: Thank you so much. I appreciate it. Thank you.
SCIUTTO: And we'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:50:50]
SCIUTTO: Union Berlin will seek its first Bundesliga win tomorrow under its groundbreaking coach. Marie-Louise Eta became the first woman to manage a
top-tier men's club earlier this month. CNN's Seb Shukla spoke with her about the pressure to get results on the pitch.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEBASTIAN SHUKLA, CNN INTERNATIONAL FIELD PRODUCER (voice-over): The welcome that FC Union Berlin fans gave their new interim coach Marie-Louise
Eta. Football goddess, they bowed.
The climax of a week where the club and Eta became history makers. The first woman to take charge of a men's football team in any of Europe's top
five leagues. Smashing through a glass ceiling.
SHUKLA: What was your feeling when you took charge of the game on Saturday, when you walked out onto the pitch?
MARIE-LOUISE ETA, FC UNION BERLIN INTERIM HEAD COACH (through translation): I was really looking forward to it because we had a good week of training.
And then it was just about getting it on the pitch right from the start. A lot of energy, but also the tactics. And that's why I had a good feeling.
And I was just happy when it started.
PHILIPP KOSTER, FOUNDER, 11-FREUNDE MAGAZINE (through translation): Marie- Louise Eta's football expertise is undisputed.
SHUKLA (through translation): Philipp Koster is the founder of one of Germany's most popular football magazines, Elf Freunde or 11 Friends.
KOSTER (through translation): Much more important is the question of why football needed so long to be confident for a woman to also train a men's
team. So the questions you have to ask yourself are more embarrassing for football than for Marie-Louise Eta.
SHUKLA: Marie-Louise Eta's appointment has been widely hailed across the football world as a success. But online, there are still haters, abuse, and
misogynism.
SHUKLA (through translation): Since the historic appointment, a torrent of awful abuse has been hurled at her online. The club have been active in
calling out insolent fans and not afraid to issue their own rebukes.
A few days after their loss to Wolfsburg, I asked Louise, as her players and staff call her, how she's coped with the vitriol.
ETA (through translation): I'm focusing on what I can influence here. And that's the work with the guys on the pitch, the daily football routine.
It's about staying focused and focusing on the thing. That's what we do every day.
SHUKLA (through translation): They didn't win at the weekend and have struggled this season, resulting in the sacking of previous manager Steffen
Baumgart. Eta called on her fans to stick by their side.
ETA (through translation): We will also need it in the next few weeks. And it will be important. And of course, the team have to perform on the pitch
first. And then I am convinced that we will have every fan with us.
SHUKLA (through translation): Support from the Union diehards will be hard to dampen.
SIMON, FC UNION BERLIN SUPPORTER: She needs a little bit more time to get to know the guys better. And then there will be also better results.
SHUKLA (through translation): Club President Dirk Zingler said Eta will only remain in charge until the end of the season, as keeping her on would
be a, quote, "disservice to women's football."
Sebastian Shukla, CNN, Berlin, at the Stadion an der Alten Forsterei.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Well, here in the U.S., the all-important NFL draft kicks off in just about an hour. The event is where football teams hope to snag the best
players coming out of college looking to go pro. It also gives football fans something to obsess over in the offseason, especially when, like me,
their baseball teams are doing lousy.
Coy Wire runs down the leading draft picks.
COY WIRE, CNN WORLD SPORT: The NFL draft starts Thursday, and Pittsburgh dreams will be made. No touchdowns, no hits, yet the draft pulls in
millions, outdrawing most actual games. Why? It's hope on display.
For franchises looking to flip their futures in real time, and for the young men who've been dreaming of this their entire lives, your boy was a
third-round pick back in the day. And let me just tell you, not much sleep happening this week. You think you will be drafted, but you don't know if
or when or where.
Suddenly, you're imagining a cross-country move in your head at 2:00 a.m. The pressure is real. Let's take a look at some of the projected first-
rounders who might sleep a little better this week, starting with quarterback Fernando Mendoza out of Indiana. This guy processes defense
like he has a supercomputer between his ears.
[18:55:03]
Surgical passing led the Hoosiers to their first-ever national title. If his name is not called, first overall to the Raiders. Somewhere, a GM hit
the wrong button and broke the Internet.
Jeremiyah Love running back from Notre Dame. Imagine trying to tackle a 215-pound bowling ball dipped in baby oil. He can run. He can catch. He can
block. A Swiss Army knife with cleats. His teammates say he's the last guy to leave the weight room, but the first to crack a joke in it. Ultimate
team player.
Rueben Bain, Miami edge rusher. Now, critics say he has short arms. He says, watch the tape, because this dude brings nonstop heat. He's a beast.
Quarterbacks, consider this your warning. He's one of the most film- obsessed players in the class. He studies O-linemen like it's finals week.
Finally, Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State receiver. I've seen him play in person. Body control like a ballerina. He has hands like there are sticky
glue on them. He's smooth in space. Grew up playing multiple sports, including track, which shows up every time he hits another gear.
So there it is. Some of the top prospects and stories that are just getting started. Maybe one of them will go to your team. On draft night, it's more
than picks. Lives change. Dreams launch. And NFL fans everywhere are thinking maybe this will be our year.
SCIUTTO: They always think it's going to be their year. Sadly, only one is right.
Thanks for your company today. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. You've been watching The Brief. Please do stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
