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The Brief with Jim Sciutto

CNN International: Source: Trump to Hear Updated Military Options for Iran; Iran's Top Judge Claims People Want Protesters Executed; Economists Warn of Demand Destruction Due to Iran War; Trump Warns He May Cut U.S. troop Numbers in Europe; U.K. Raises Terror Threat Level After Antisemitic Stabbings; Russian Economy Under Attack. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired April 30, 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 the U.S. military is said to be drawing up new military options for President Trump as he continues to try to persuade

Iran to make a deal. Iran's top judge says executing protesters reflects the legitimate demands of the Iranian people. And the U.K. is now under a

severe terror threat after two Jewish men were stabbed in London.

Well, sources tell CNN that President Donald Trump will hear from Pentagon officials today about new military options for Iran. That briefing raises

the possibility the president could order new attacks. He's already threatened to do so on social media but internally sources say he would

prefer to make some sort of deal.

The Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, says the ongoing U.S. naval blockade already amounts to an extension of military operations. Today,

President Trump was asked if he was getting antsy to break the ceasefire.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Nobody knows what the talks are except myself and a couple of other people. They want to make a deal badly. We

have a problem because nobody knows for sure who the leaders are. It's a little bit of a problem you know. The leaders have been wiped out along

with their military. Almost all of their military.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Kristen Holmes is at the White House. I wonder, Kristen, how both those things can be true, that the president is convinced Iran really wants

to make a deal but says in the same breath that he doesn't know who the leaders of Iran are.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, I certainly think that they are trying to dance around the idea of why there haven't

been this second round of negotiations. When you talk to these U.S. officials privately, they say that there are still talks happening behind

closed doors but it certainly has slowed down.

What you heard from President Trump there I thought was very telling. The reason being President Trump we know has not really shied away from saying

that he would bomb or go into Iran. I mean, he basically at one point said -- not basically, he said at one point that he was going to wipe out an

entire civilization if they didn't do what he wanted.

Now, of course, he backed away from that. But what you heard today was him not raising the temperature at all. Instead, avoiding this question of

whether or not he wanted to get rid of the ceasefire or blow past the ceasefire. So, what we know right now the chairman of Joint Chiefs of

Staff, Dan Caine, Secretary Hegseth, the vice president, John Ratcliffe, the director of the CIA, they are all here at the White House. They all

arrived within the last hour or so.

And we're hearing from sources around President Trump who are desperate for this to be over. Who say that he is still looking for a diplomatic way out.

But when you hear Iranians saying that the blockade, the continuation of the blockade is essentially breaking the ceasefire, the White House doesn't

see it that way neither does President Trump. The way they see it is that this is really the only point of leverage that they have. It's the only

thing they've seen even working even if you look at all the strikes and they feel as though it's helping them get the Iranians back to the table

because they think it has some kind of power of a chokehold over Iran and putting this economic pressure on them.

Now, whether or not that is going to end up being the case and that's the way it plays out, that is the way the White House views it right now, which

is why you have so many of his team laying the groundwork for not only just what this is going to look like, but also, what it's going to look like for

the straight and poor moves to continue to be closed for such a long period of time impacting the global market and the market here back at home.

SCIUTTO: Just quickly, Kristen, in your reporting does the president actually have an appetite for extending or perhaps expanding the war

because there's been a fair amount of reporting that the president you know is looking for a way out and as we said in the introduction actually would

prefer negotiation.

HOLMES: And that's what we are hearing from every angle that he'd prefer negotiation which is why again you're avoiding this question of breaking

through the ceasefire with threats to the Iranians as we've heard in the past from him, instead you're hearing a much more measured take he's

blaming it on not having the leadership.

But I thought was also interesting that he pointed out specifically he seemed to get a little prickly over this question of whether or not the

Iranians were being stubborn, saying that he that nobody really knows what the Iranians are doing except for small group of people who are involved in

those talks.

[18:05:00]

But again, it -- the president wants this to end with negotiations. He does not want to blow past the ceasefire now, but they believe that the only way

they can do that is by keeping up at least some of the maximum pressure campaign, which right now is choking off the Strait of horror moves with

the naval blockade.

SCIUTTO: With consequences to the global energy markets. Kristen Holmes at the White House. Thank you.

Well, Iran's top judge has been defending his government's recent executions, claiming they reflect, quote, "the legitimate demands of the

people." At least 21 people have been put to death. Some 4,000 arrested since the U.S. and Israel first bombed the country more than two months

ago, this according to the U.N. Shortly before that, Iranian security forces in January killed thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of anti-

government protestors. The judge says that Iran's judiciary will quote, "Certainly not show any negligence or leniency in the trial and lawful

punishment of any criminal whose hands are stained with the blood of our people." On Thursday, another execution reported the victim identified by a

US-based human rights group as a 21-year-old karate athlete who lived in Isfahan.

Well, joining me now is Holly Dagres, senior fellow at the Washington Institute and curator of the Iran Substack. Holly, good to have you back.

HOLLY DAGRES, SENIOR FELLOW, THE WASHINGTON INSTITUTE AND CURATOR, "THE IRANIST" ON SUBSTACK: Thank you for having me, Jim.

SCIUTTO: So, first, if heard President Trump claim repeatedly that Iran, in effect, was doing him a favor by stopping executions, and he's even gone

so far as to say that he has saved the lives of Iranians. Is there any evidence of that?

DAGRES: I would say no. And I know that we had some confusion even last week because he had said that there were the executions of eight Iranian

women that were put off, but actually only one of those women was sentenced to death. And so, the Iranian judiciary went out of its way to call

basically fake news on the president of the United States' Twitter post.

SCIUTTO: But is that our best understanding too, that, that there were not these executions of several women put off?

DAGRES: No, it's just I think there was a misunderstanding because he had quoted a post on social media and just went with it. There was no fact

checking of what, what had happened. But that being said, there are executions as you noted, and there's a real worry about that because, you

know, at least 10 of those 21 people, including the 21-year-old today, had participated in the anti-regime uprising in January.

SCIUTTO: I see. Tell me how the Iranian people are doing now. I mean, early on you talk to them often. I've been able to be in touch with

Iranians speaking to several people around the country. Early on, there seemed to be some hope that the war might rid of a regime that many people

in Iran, as you well know, do not support. Where do they stand today? Do they still have that hope?

DAGRES: Well, it's first -- it's important to note that we have a state- imposed internet shutdown that began on the, on February 28th, the first day of the war, it's the longest globally. And so, the -- a little bit of

information that's petering out is from these small anecdotal conversations that we're having with contacts on the ground, friends and family. And I

think they're feeling very alone, especially if you were one of those protestors in the anti-regime uprising in January, the regimes still in

power and this regime that massacred protestors in January is now the -- granted it's not successful yet, is sitting across from the vice president

of the United States and negotiating.

And I think for people that actually went out to the streets and put their lives on the line, there's mixed feelings there and they're feeling like,

wow, we actually have to live with this regime. Others are also just worried because this was a war that had at least civilian 1,700 civilian

casualties according to group human rights activists in Iran. And it was wartime and it did have these big ramifications that's hurting the economy.

And they're out there, it's just real worry that the war might begin yet again.

SCIUTTO: Right. President Trump has quite publicly threatened the possibility of strikes on infrastructure. Would the Iranian people -- and

again, this is with the proviso that it's difficult to speak to many Iranian people, but when you have been able to, would they look at that as

fair attacks? Because, of course, the Iranian people would suffer from infrastructure attacks, particularly power plants, desalination plants, all

these things that the president has mentioned.

DAGRES: So, the comments that we heard in the lead up to the ceasefire, one of them was bombing Iran back to the stone ages. And of course,

famously saying a whole civilization will die. That really shook Iranians because they didn't even understand what that meant to the point that we

had Iranian American here stateside calling me and asking, is the United States going to drop a nuclear weapon on Tehran? And people were actually

calling their loved ones and saying goodbye because they didn't know if they were going to have electricity.

And I think that really shook them and really made them think twice about what does this war -- what is the cost of this war? Is it really worth it?

And now, with these new threats about war they're wondering, is this war we're going to go down a path? And I think we saw that in the Axios

reporting that there might be a threat against infrastructure yet again.

[18:10:00]

SCIUTTO: I want to ask you about the supreme leader's message. He has said -- he has not been seen or heard, his message at least, his public message

was that Iran will safeguard its nuclear and missile capabilities. And while President Trump has said repeatedly, they really want to make a deal,

we haven't seen a lot of evidence of that to date at least. In your analysis is Iran is interested in negotiations as the U.S. president is?

DAGRES: I think the Iranians see themselves at an advantage because they've managed to close the Strait of Hormuz granted there's a blockade

ongoing, but I think in their eyes, the fact that they've managed to survive as a regime, that is a measure of victory, in their view. And so,

the fact that this is ongoing and they have this leverage that they could blockade this -- they could block the Strait of Hormuz and then force much

of the world economy to be impacted by it, they're going to stand their ground.

And just based off the comments you just talked about from the supreme leader, I think that really tells you that this is a regime that is going

to stick to its guns and it's going to keep going. And I think also, it's important to emphasize that the president, I think, was hoping for a

Venezuela scenario and he's managed to create a North Korea in the process, an Islamic Republic that's more hardline, more repressive and now, more

emboldened. And so, I think this is a situation we're dealing with.

SCIUTTO: Yes. People with this blackout cut off, in effect. Holly Dagres, thanks so much for joining.

Coming up the Iran War now heading into its third month, beginning to cause real damage to economies around the globe. We're going to discuss why

demand disruption is now growing concern.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCIUTTO: Welcome back. In today's Business Breakout, Green Arrows on Wall Street with the S&P 500 and NASDAQ hitting yet new record highs. The S&P

wrapping up its best month in five years. Tech rallied despite an 8 percent sell-off in Meta. The social media giant says it could spend as much as

$145 billion dollars on A.I. this fiscal year alone, sparking concerns of possible over spending.

In the energy markets, Brent Crude hit a four-year high of $126 a barrel overnight before pulling back. U.S. crude later fell too. Oil however is

wrapping up its fourth straight months of increases and that is weighing heavily on global economies.

[18:15:00]

New numbers show that U.S. GDP rose by a weaker than expected 2 percent annual rate in the first quarter, and the Fed's preferred measure of

inflation rose at an annual rate of 3.5 percent in March its highest in almost three years. U.S. gas prices have now hit $4.30 a gallon up nearly

$0.30 in the past week. The International Energy Agency is warning the Iran War could usher in a damaging round of what it calls demand destruction due

to persistently higher oil prices.

Joining us now Gregory Daco he's the chief economist at EY Parthenon. Gregory good to have you.

GREGORY DACO, CHIEF ECONOMIST, EY-PARTHENON: A pleasure.

SCIUTTO: All right. So, when I look at those numbers, 3.5 percent inflation, GDP missing expectations in Q1, it wasn't great in Q4 last year

either. I mean, where is this economy now? It doesn't seem particularly strong, does it?

DACO: It's not particularly strong, but it is still resilient. I think when we look at the underlying drivers of growth is when we see some of the

signs of fragility in terms of private sector demand. You saw in the first quarter that consumers were a little bit more hesitant when it comes to

spending and most of the spending is being done by more affluent consumers while lower income consumers are increasingly dipping into their savings to

finance their outlays.

And one key factor driving economic activity in the first quarter was A.I. investment. So, you're seeing essentially the tailwind from A.I. investment

being offset by the headwind and the growing headwind from the Middle East conflict affecting energy prices and lifting inflation.

SCIUTTO: I mean, is the A.I. spending giving a bit of an artificial kind of sugar high boost to the economy and is it delivering results?

DACO: I think it is delivering results. We are probably at the outset of a A.I.-led tech revolution and so we have to have the infrastructure, the

capex necessary to establish a strong foundation for that A.I. led tech revolution. And so, what you're seeing is essentially a lot of investment

in equipment spending, a lot of investment in software and R&D development, a lot of investment also in corporate adoption and that is a key tailwind

in terms of the economy.

But at the same time, we're seeing increasing pockets of fragilities. We're seeing the consumer facing higher prices when it comes to groceries, when

it comes to gasoline, when it comes to a number of items that have been affected by tariffs over the course of the past year and that is gradually

eroding purchasing power.

SCIUTTO: Tell me about demand destruction as economists call it. Are we seeing it? Do you agree that this is a major risk?

DACO: I think we're not yet fully seeing it. Demand destruction is just a fancy word for saying that purchasing power is being eroded. And if you

look at some of the underlying drivers of the U.S. economy, one of the key pillars of the U.S. economy is essentially the labor market and the labor

market over the course of the past year has been adding very few jobs.

That means that in turn income growth is slowing and when you look at real disposable income growth, which is essentially the money you have in your

pocket after inflation and after taxes, it's only growing at about a 0.4 percent pace on a year-to-year basis. Meanwhile consumer spending is still

growing at about a 2 percent clip. That means more and more people are having to dip into their savings to finance their outlays. They're using

more credit and they're also using more wealth. Those are all finite resources when it comes to spending.

So, there is really a risk that as we navigate through the rest of the year, we're going to see a slowdown in consumer spending activity.

SCIUTTO: So, I just wonder when you add that up, you know resilient maybe, but these aren't stellar economic numbers. Inflation is persistent. The job

market, job growth certainly not stellar. Demand destruction possibly on the horizon. I mean, are the S&P, the NASDAQ, I mean, are they overshooting

things? I mean, do the conditions warrant new records virtually every day?

DACO: I think when you look at the broader picture, we are in a picture where yes the economy has been resilient to a number of supply shocks from

tariffs to reduce immigration to geopolitical shocks and it's being supported at the same time by this A.I. investment wave which is a positive

supply shock. The question really is how long this erosion of growth can continue without any significant slowdown in terms of spending, in terms of

investment, in terms of economic activity overall.

So, I would tend to say that in the current environment there is perhaps a little bit of extra optimism in terms of how the stock market is evolving

relative to the underlying trajectory of the economy and the downside risks from higher inflation and potentially slower economic activity.

Let's not forget the Fed has signaled that it's likely to be on pause and so that means that interest rates are likely to stay where they are for the

foreseeable future. That's an additional constraint in terms of business investment.

[18:20:00]

SCIUTTO: Yes, irrational exuberance. Remember that phrase? It's been a few years. Gregory Daco, thanks so much for joining.

DACO: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: Checking some of today's other business headlines, Apple reported stronger than expected earnings after the closing bell. Outgoing CEO Tim

Cook says iPhone demand is, in his words, off the charts. He says sales would have come in even stronger were it not for constraints on supply. The

latest model spearheaded by the incoming CEO John Ternus.

Elon Musk wrapped up three days of testimony in the OpenAI trial in California today. The tech billionaire says he sued OpenAI because it

became a for-profit firm betraying what was its founding mission. But he admitted on the stand that he did not read all the fine print. Trial

resumes Monday with expected testimony from OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman.

U.S. passenger jet service to Venezuela has resumed for the first time in nearly seven years. The debut American Airlines flight to Caracas took off

from Miami today. American is the first U.S. carrier to relaunch daily service to Venezuela, this following the U.S. ouster of Nicolas Maduro.

President Trump now says he will, quote, "probably" consider pulling some troops out of both Italy and Spain. Just yesterday he posted on social

media that the U.S. was studying and reviewing the possibility of reducing troops in Germany. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said earlier in the

week that the U.S. attacked Iran without a clear strategy and was now, being in his words, humiliated by Tehran.

Joining me now, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann. She's a German member of the European Parliament, chair of its Committee on Security and Defense. Thanks

so much for taking the time to join us. It's a pleasure.

MARIE-AGNES STRACK-ZIMMERMANN, EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER, GERMANY: Thank you very much for the invitation.

SCIUTTO: So, with this threat to reduce the U.S. footprint in Germany, do you see the U.S. president as punishing Germany for failing to support his

war in Iran?

STRACK-ZIMMERMANN: All right. It's not a new thing. 2020, the U.S. president threatened to withdraw troops from Germany. And so, the reason,

the 2020, was that he was not annoyed that Europe didn't do enough. You know, we have always a discussion, and I could say rightly, that the U.S.

always said Europe has to do more. And now, if you compare it with 2020, we do right more. Before 2020, only 1.5 or 2 percent of the GDP we invest in

military, in security questions. Now, we are nearly to 5 percent. So, I think there is always a reason.

And I'm not sure. It could be that the president is not now happy because he called for European troops to support the war in Iran. And maybe that's

the reason. But the reality is, I think that the U.S. military, which will, I hope so, will explain to the U.S. president that, you know, there are

nearly 38,000 soldiers here in Europe.

If you compare it with the Cold War, 2,550,000 soldiers were in Europe. So, now it's only 38,000. But there are 10,000, about 10,000 civil colleagues.

There are 10,000 families. So, it's 60,000 people working. It's like a small town.

SCIUTTO: But let me ask you this --

STRACK-ZIMMERMANN: And I think --

SCIUTTO: -- do you believe the U.S. president is making these decisions based on national security, strategic thinking, or based on his personal

animus here, that he's upset?

STRACK-ZIMMERMANN: If you ask me, I think he's really upset. But you know, the thing is that Germany, I mean, the troops are not here just for fun.

They are here because, especially Germany, it's a hub for global operations, a logistic and transport center, a command and planning

locations. So, I think even we have discussion about strategy, we have to work together. And Chancellor Merz told today that it's very important as

allies working together. So, I would say that he's angry about a lot of things.

[18:25:00]

But, you know, the problem is, every morning we could read a new message from the U.S. president. And maybe tomorrow it's a different message.

So, I think we have really to cool down and think about that U.S. foods are important for us, but also important for the United States as well, that

they still are here in Europe, especially Germany. And so, maybe sometimes it's better to cool down and not to send messages about the social

networking.

SCIUTTO: Well, as you know, the chancellor of Germany has said more than once that Germany and Europe can no longer trust the U.S. to reliably

protect Europe. I wonder, do you share those doubts? Do the German people no longer trust the U.S. to help keep them safe?

STRACK-ZIMMERMANN: Yes. I would say, yes, that's -- to make a long story short. You know, president, there are two things. First of all, I just said

that the president told us we have to do more. Absolutely right. Because if you see the last 10, 20 years, it was not enough. But now, we are really

doing.

And as a member of the European Parliament, I could tell you that we are really trying to become more independent, because on one side, we are

responsible for our continent. On the other side, people are not anymore. You know, I've grown up in Europe, and for me, U.S. was really a friend and

to protect us, to work together. And people have the feeling now all over Europe, they changed a lot of things.

And so, we have to do more. That's right. But the trust in this White House is not the same like under Biden, under Obama, under Clinton or name it.

SCIUTTO: Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, we appreciate you joining the program.

STRACK-ZIMMERMANN: Thank you very much.

SCIUTTO: Still coming up on "The Brief," London's Jewish community experiencing a wave of violence in recent weeks. We're going to speak to a

rabbi in London about his and the community's ongoing concers about safety.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:30:00]

SCIUTTO: Welcome back to "The Brief." I'm Jim Sciutto, and here are the international headlines we're watching today.

President Donald Trump expected to be briefed on new potential military operations, options rather, for Iran. The president said no one knows the

status of talks with Iran aside from himself and a handful of others. His remarks suggesting negotiations continue despite no public evidence, at

least, of progress.

U.S. House lawmakers have approved funding for the Department of Homeland Security, ending a more than two-month shutdown at the agency. The funding

bill reopens key parts of DHS, including the Transportation Security Administration. It still lacks funding for federal immigration enforcement.

The president has signed this new bill into law.

Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla have now concluded their state visit to the U.S. They met briefly with President Trump and First Lady

Melania Trump at the White House. The royals then stopped at Arlington National Cemetery and made an appearance at a block party in Fort Royal,

Virginia, marking America's 250th birthday.

The U.K. is now raising its terror threat level from substantial to severe. This a day after a stabbing attack in London, police arrested a 45-year-old

man on suspicion of attempted murder after he stabbed two Jewish men in the Golders Green neighborhood, which is home to a large Jewish community in

London. Here's what the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said about the attack a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Of course, we protect freedom of speech and peaceful protest in this country. But if you are marching with

people wearing pictures of paragliders without calling it out, you are venerating the murder of Jews. If you stand alongside people who say

globalize the Intifada, you are calling for terrorism against Jews. And people who use that phrase should be prosecuted. It is racism, extreme

racism.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: The British prime minister there. Salma Abdelaziz, has more on the story from London.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Golders Green, north London, known as this city's Jewish heartland. Here, a community is under

threat, targeted by a recent spat of antisemitic attacks.

The latest declared a terrorist incident, a stabbing in broad daylight on this street that left two Jewish men injured.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Drop the knife.

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): Leon, who grew up here, says he feels it's no longer safe to be visibly Jewish.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our feeling of freedom to walk around as visibly as a Jew, that has been robbed of us as of yesterday. And this is the

consequences of the government failing its population and not doing enough when all the warning signs were there.

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): The morning after the attack, Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with criminal justice agencies to demand a swift and visible

response.

KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: There's no getting away from the fact that this was not a one-off. This has been a series of attacks on our

Jewish community. And there is a very deep sense of anxiety, of concern.

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): While the PM scrambled his government, his political rival and right-wing populist Nigel Farage spoke to community

leaders at the scene.

NIGEL FARAGE, REFORM U.K. LEADER: Every single time it happens, there are kind words that come from No. 10 Downing Street. Soft words aren't enough,

and the government needs to be seen to be very, very robust.

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): When the PM did arrive a couple of hours later, he received a much less welcoming response.

ABDELAZIZ: Prime Minister Keir Starmer has just arrived here to reassure the Jewish community that he is doing everything he can to keep them safe.

But he has been met by an angry and frustrated crowd. They've been chanting, Starmer, do harmer. They've been calling him a traitor. There is

a real sense of anger with the government here in London.

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): Even with Starmer within earshot, Ruth told us she feels the authorities are deaf to her fears.

ABDELAZIZ: Why was it important for you to come here?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because he needs to hear us. He needs to hear this is the first demonstration I've been on, and I go on many, where we're

actually angry because we've had enough. And we want him to start doing something positive.

[18:35:00]

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): In the last few weeks alone, arsonists have set fire to ambulances belonging to a Jewish charity, and two synagogues were

attacked in separate incidences that were just days apart. Arrests have been made, legislation is being fast-tracked, and $80 million has been

pledged to help fund increased security for Jewish communities. But many here worry that's simply not enough to stop the next act of violent

antisemitism.

Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: Joining me now is Rabbi Yossi Simon of the Chabad House in Golders Green. Thanks so much for taking the time, Rabbi.

RABBI YOSSI SIMON, CHABAD HOUSE OF GOLDERS GREEN: Good evening, good evening.

SCIUTTO: So, first, Britain's chief rabbi has said that if you are visibly Jewish in London today, you are not safe. I wonder, do you, does your

community share that fear?

SIMON: People are concerned. People are worried. But we still are very resilient, and we're going about our business as usual.

SCIUTTO: Do you share the feeling that we heard there from one of those interviewed in the story, that the U.K. government has been deaf to the

fears of the Jewish community in Golders Green, but also more broadly in the U.K.? Is the government not doing enough?

SIMON: So, we're very shocked that such a crime, potential murder, happened in our own backyard, in our neighborhood, which is generally a

relatively calm and friendly neighborhood. But we're not surprised. Our government, the current government, they like to deflect blame to anyone

they can. When in reality, over the past couple of years, the current government has been slowly, slowly instigating this antisemitism by the

attitude towards the State of Israel.

In the very first opportunity to address the House of Commons in Parliament, it was anti-Israel, anti-Jewish. So, over time, they've been

sort of under the radar, developing this anti-Jewish, anti-Israel sentiment against the Jews. So, it's no surprise that such an atrocity happened

yesterday.

SCIUTTO: Is it possible, in your view, to be critical of the Israeli government or the progress of the war, for instance, in Gaza, but not be

antisemitic or anti-Jewish?

SIMON: It's all the same. If you're anti-Israel, you're anti-Jewish, antisemitic. Israel's fighting for its survival. And the British government

do not need to, do not have the place to be dictating how Israel should be running their own wars.

Let Israel first -- let the United Kingdom first take care of their rubber dinghies coming in from France before they start dictating how Israel

should be running their wars.

SCIUTTO: As you know, the government has now raised the terror threat to severe, which means another attack is highly likely. It's also pledged more

funding for security in Jewish communities. What specific security measures would your community like to see, and are you seeing it?

SIMON: So, I can't discuss the specifics of our security arrangements, but we do have quite robust security arrangements. There are various

organizations here in the United Kingdom that advise and help implement security arrangements over here. There's a fair amount of funding that

comes from the government to organizations across the board, not just the Jewish community. All communities are funded by the government. And it's a

work in progress.

But the focus shouldn't be on the security. The focus should not be on building higher walls. The focus should be how the government are

projecting Jews, how the government is projecting Israel.

SCIUTTO: Would you have believed a few years ago that this is where the threat to Jews in the U.K., with Britain's chief rabbi again saying that if

you're visibly Jewish, you're not safe, would you have believed a few years ago that it would come to this in the U.K. and in your neighborhood, in

Golders Green?

[18:40:00]

SIMON: So, there's always been underlying antisemitism and therefore we've always been vigilant and careful and have precautions in place. But the way

the government have been projecting Israel, they've made Jewish blood cheap, they've made it permissive to be anti-Jewish and anti-Israel. But

the very fact that they allow these marches every week in central London, all of a sudden, the prime minister's talking about it as if he didn't know

it was going on every single week.

SCIUTTO: Well, Rabbi Yossi Simon, we certainly wish your community safety in the coming days and weeks and we appreciate you joining the program.

SIMON: Thank you very much. I want to conclude something really important that here in Golders Green we're looking forward rather than backwards. So,

we're focused on doing positive acts of good, reaching out to other people and if everyone could take this message home, look forward, help each

other, reach out to each other, the world will be a better place.

SCIUTTO: It's a fair message. Thank you, Rabbi.

SIMON: Thank you and good night.

SCIUTTO: Good night. Well, some are describing it as oil falling from the sky as the Kremlin pushes ahead with its war and ongoing invasion of

Ukraine, Ukraine is striking back with increased attacks on Russian energy facilities. How that is hurting the Russian economy and Russian businesses

coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCIUTTO: This just in to CNN, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro has released a new video. This, a clearer one than one we've seen prior of Cole Tomas

Allen. I'm going to wait for a moment as he comes from the left side of the screen. You see him there running through the magnetometers during the

White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday night.

President Trump and other top officials were just down a staircase at the back of a large ballroom, as were many hundreds of others, including

journalists. Lawyers for Allen are questioning prosecutors actually have direct evidence that Allen fired his shotgun in the direction of a Secret

Service officer on Saturday.

[18:45:00]

Well, these images now a truly apocalyptic scene, an aerial view of a Russian oil refinery hit by Ukrainian drones. A witness describes the

aftermath as oil falling from the sky. It's the third strike in 12 days on the Tuapse oil refinery on the Black Sea. Russian President Vladimir Putin

is now facing serious economic problems, as our Fred Pleitgen reports from Moscow.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Another day, another massive fire at a Russian oil refinery. This time near Perm in the

Ural Mountains, the installation hit overnight by Ukrainian drones.

Kyiv has launched a massive aerial war of attrition against Russia's main economic lifelines, oil and gas. A few days ago, drones struck a refinery

in Tuapse in the south, leading to a massive toxic blaze that took days to extinguish.

Drone strikes against civilian infrastructure are becoming more frequent, Russian President Vladimir Putin admits. The latest example involves

strikes on energy facilities in Tuapse, which could potentially lead to serious economic consequences and serious security consequences as well.

Moscow announcing it is drastically scaling back the annual May 9 Victory Day parade, commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany, just as first

rehearsals get underway in the Russian capital. Vladimir Putin even offering to observe a ceasefire on that day, as the Kremlin acknowledges

Ukraine's bombardment makes securing a large event unfeasible.

Against the backdrop of this terrorist threat, all measures are, of course, being taken to minimize the danger, the Kremlin spokesman says.

Russia's ongoing combat operations also taking an increasing toll on Moscow's economy, recently contracting. Videos like these springing up on

social media, Olga Sidorova from Chelyabinsk saying she's forced to close down her clothing stores after 16 years. I started selling clothes in my

apartment. Now, it's a chain of stores. Everybody knows my stores in the city. But now, the time has come to say goodbye to my so-called child. This

is like a little death for me.

Tatyana Semkina (ph) in Omsk in Siberia saying she's shutting her cafe after 20 years. We've run out of energy and no longer have the financial

means to continue, she says.

The Kremlin, though, says it still has both the means and the energy to continue what it still calls its special military operation. Vladimir Putin

telling U.S. President Donald Trump, all of Russia's goals will be achieved.

Fred PLEITGEN, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: Just ahead, the path to Mt. Everest has now reopened to visitors. But could the return of climbers lead to a bottleneck in what is known as

the death zone? We're going to share the details coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:50:00]

SCIUTTO: Electric vehicles manufactured by the Chinese automaker BYD remain rare sites on U.S. roads. Chinese automakers are largely shut out of

the U.S. market due to tariffs. They're priced way lower than many U.S.- made EVs, as well as national security concerns. But as Simone McCarthy reports, BYD says it does not need sales in the U.S. to be a market leader.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SIMONE MCCARTHY, CNN SENIOR CHINA REPORTER (voice-over): These three letters have the world's car makers quaking, BYD. The Chinese car

manufacturer seems to have cracked the code on producing affordable batteries for electric vehicles and now sells more EVs than any other

company. But thanks to Washington's heavy restrictions on Chinese automakers, U.S. consumers won't be able to buy a BYD anytime soon.

STELLA LI, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, BYD: Without the U.S. market, BYD still will be in the leading position.

MCCARTHY: You're confident?

LI: Very confident.

MCCARTHY (voice-over): A quick look at the numbers tells you why BYD feels so secure. It bested Tesla in global E.V. sales last year, even without

access to the world's largest economy. The U.S. government has effectively barred Chinese E.V. makers from importing their cars into the country,

eyeing their expansion as a threat to domestic production and national security.

LI: My best wish is with President Trump's visit to Beijing, then you'll start a dialog, then you'll see the business opportunity. This U.S.-China

relationship is a win-win.

MCCARTHY (voice-over): At this year's Beijing Auto Show, BYD put on a show of force, an entire hall dedicated to its brands. There is clamor for all

those cars overseas, especially as the Iran War drives up prices at gas pumps.

LI: We have more global buyers than our Chinese buyers (ph), and they're for sure.

MCCARTHY (voice-over): BYD needs its overseas growth to offset fierce competition in its home market.

LEI XING, FOUNDER, AUTOXING: BYD, right, they were flying up until 2024, and then 2025, so far this year, they've had a lot of pressure.

MCCARTHY (voice-over): The company reported its first annual profit drop in four years in 2025, amid a brutal price war, and its net profit more

than halved year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026. Its answer to driving forward, tech, including super-fast charging, batteries that can

charge from 20 percent to 97 percent in 12 minutes, even in cold temperatures.

BYD is also racing car makers globally to develop more advanced Assisted Driving Systems and investing in hardware and software to roll that out.

LI: This will make us more powerful in the future when the A.I. more mature.

MCCARTHY (voice-over): Simone McCarthy, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: Well, the path to the top of the world is open again. Elite Sherpa climbers called icefall doctors have cleared a key section of the

path to the summit of Mt. Everest. That path had been blocked by a massive 10 story tall boulder of ice.

Now, visitors can take advantage of what are the last few weeks of the peak climbing season. However, that is raising concerns over a potential

bottleneck in what's known as the death zone. High up, Kristie Lu Stout has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The path to the top of the world is back open. A key section of the route up Mt. Everest had been

blocked by a giant column of ice for two weeks. But finally, a group of Sherpa climbers has cleared a path forward, bringing a sigh of relief for

mountaineers hoping to start their trek to the top.

Peak climbing season on Everest typically runs from April to May, when weather conditions are best for reaching the summit. But this year, as

specialized high-altitude workers known as icefall doctors began fixing ropes to establish a path up the mountain, they discovered this, a 10-story

column of ice known as a Surak blocking their path forward.

BEN AYERS, JOURNALIST AND FILMMAKER, EVEREST LIVE: These icefall doctors, their job is only to find a way through this maze of these huge pieces of

moving ice to get up onto the higher flanks of the mountain. And this year, they encountered a blockage of this Surak, which is like a big overhanging

piece of snow and ice that can that can sometimes weigh millions of tons.

[18:55:00]

STOUT (voice-over): Parts of the ice column have now melted and broken away, allowing the specialists to carve a path through some of the most

treacherous terrain on the whole climb.

CONRAD ANKER, PROFESSIONAL CLIMBERS AND MOUNTAINEER: The Khumbu Icefall is the key step to get on the upper reaches of the mountain. It's also the

most dangerous part of the technical climb of Mt. Everest. It's where this glacier tumbles over and it forms a jumbled mass of crevasses and hanging

ice cliffs known as Suraks. The teams need to pass through this before they can get to the upper reaches of the mountain.

STOUT (voice-over): While the path may be clear, the delayed start is causing renewed concerns among climbers about overcrowding. Hundreds of

climbers who have been stranded at base camp for weeks now face a shrinking window to scale the mountain, raising fears we could see a repeat of this

scene from 2019 when climbers ended up stuck in a long line to reach the summit. Experts say the key is to remain patient and respect the mountain.

ANG TSHERING LAMA, MOUNTAIN GUIDE AND CLIMBER: We have a team going up climbing, but we will wait for the good weather. We'll wait for the whole

thing to set up and then we'll go up. We are in no rush like anyone else. You know, the mountain has the last say.

STOUT (voice-over): Kristie Lu Stout, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: Thanks so much for joining us today. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. You've been watching "The Brief." Please do stay with CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:00:00]

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