Return to Transcripts main page
What We Know with Max Foster
White House: Trump Expects Iran To Keep Strait Of Hormuz Open; Lebanon: 112 People Killed, 800+ Injured In New Israeli Attacks; U.S.-Iran On Shaky Ground Amid Continued Attacks. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired April 08, 2026 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:28]
PAULA NEWTON, CNN HOST: Fragile truce. Not even a day old now.
I'm Paula Newton, in for Max Foster. This is WHAT WE KNOW.
The United States is claiming victory in the war with Iran, saying its core objectives have been achieved and even exceeded. But the fate of a
temporary ceasefire unclear at this hour amid continued attacks in the region and confusion over terms of the truce.
Now, just a short time ago, the White House, in fact, downplayed concerns about the Strait of Hormuz, saying President Donald Trump expects it to
reopen and remain open. There's even a question as to whether it is open at this hour. In fact, Iran reportedly closed the strait in response to new
Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
Now, the U.S. and Israel say Lebanon was not part of the ceasefire, contradicting Iran and key mediator here, Pakistan. Israel says it carried
out the biggest strikes on Lebanon since the war began. That includes in the heart of Beirut, it says most of the Hezbollah targets were in civilian
areas. Lebanon says at least 112 people were killed and 800 wounded. The U.S. says it's sending negotiators, meantime, to Islamabad this weekend for
a new round of talks.
CNN's Betsy Klein is at the White House for us.
You know, as we were just remarking, Betsy, the ceasefire, not 24 hours old and already a lot of contradictory information, we did have a fulsome, I
would say, explanation from Karoline Leavitt there at the White House podium. But I'm wondering from you, there wasn't really a lot of
explanation in terms of when you look at the discrepancies between what Israel is saying, Iran is saying and what the Trump administration is
saying.
BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah, there's so much contradiction at this hour, Paula. And I think all of that really
underscores the uncertainty and the extent of the work that is going to be ahead for these negotiators over the weekend. But this is a fragile
ceasefire in the words of our vice president, J.D. Vance, there's still not a lot of clarity on what has been agreed to, with both sides here claiming
total victory and Iran claiming that the U.S. had agreed to provisions that President Trump had explicitly said were off the table.
There's so much confusion as to whether Lebanon is off limits. The White House position here is that there is a disconnect between what Iran is
saying publicly and what they are communicating to the Trump administration in private. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt moments ago said
there were two plans that were put forth by Iran. One of them she cast as fundamentally unserious. The second, she said, was workable.
Now, we still don't know what was in that second plan, but it is that workable framework that negotiators are going to try to merge with the 15-
point plan from the Trump administration as they begin those intense discussions in Islamabad on Saturday. And that is going to include Special
Envoy Steve Witkoff, President Trump's son in law, Jared Kushner, as well as Vice President J.D. Vance. And his attendance there had been somewhat
uncertain amid security concerns. But Leavitt confirming that he will indeed be there.
But a lot of questions remain about the Strait of Hormuz and whether it will stay open. That is something that the Trump administration has been
aggressively pushing for. And they said, according to Karoline Leavitt, that the strait will remain open. And they have received private assurances
from Iran that it will.
Now, there's all -- that is a major priority for the president, because this strait is a major oil thoroughfare and its virtual closure has
essentially led to so much of those rising gas prices. Part of what is driving this deeply unpopular polling among American people just believe
that this war is not successful in their view. Now, the Karoline Leavitt was also pressed on the rhetoric that we have heard from President Trump in
the last 48 hours or so, and what the president at one point saying that a whole civilization will die if a deal wasn't reached by yesterday's
deadline, Leavitt said that Trump's tough rhetoric is what led to the agreement to stave off that outcome for now.
But again, so many questions ahead.
NEWTON: Yeah, absolutely. As we continue to watch what goes on in the White House, we will point out that the president is there in policy
meetings and shortly will be with the NATO secretary general.
Betsy Klein for us. Thanks so much.
Now, despite the ceasefire deal, Gulf countries have reportedly had more strikes from Iran today. Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates both say they
were targeted by Iranian drones and missiles.
[15:05:03]
Iranian state media, meantime, says the attacks were a response to strikes on its energy infrastructure, specifically attacks on an oil refinery on
Levant Island.
CNN's chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward is in Riyadh for us.
Clarissa, it is really good to have you on the ground there. As we continue to observe the fragility of this ceasefire. And, of course, it raises the
stakes for U.S. allies there in the region who really borne the brunt of, in some cases, catastrophic damage to their economies. I am wondering now
how the allies are viewing the last 24 hours.
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think earlier this morning, Paula, there was an unmistakable feeling, a palpable
feeling of real relief. There was deep fear here and across the Gulf countries that if President Trump had gone through with his threat to
decimate Iran's civilian infrastructure, that the repercussions would have been catastrophic and that it would have been countries like Saudi Arabia,
like the UAE, Kwait, Bahrain, and others that would have borne the brunt of Iran's retaliatory strikes.
Having said that, fast forwarding to the evening where we find ourselves now, it is increasingly clear that this ceasefire is in a very fragile and
vulnerable state.
Indeed, just in the last hour, we have seen a post on X from the speaker of Iran's parliament, Mohammad Ghalibaf, a former IRGC commander who is
expected to take part in those direct talks between the U.S. and Iran on Friday in Islamabad, in which he effectively outlines three violations of
the ceasefire agreement. He talks about Israel's devastating strikes on Lebanon today. He talks about a drone that was intercepted in Iranian
airspace, and he talks crucially about denials of Iran's right to enrichment.
This coming after we heard from Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and we heard earlier in a Truth Social post from President Trump himself that in
no uncertain terms, it is impossible for Iran to be able to continue producing enriched uranium. So, all of this now calling into question the
possibility that this ceasefire could essentially fall apart at the seams. And it's important as well to underscore, Paula, that effectively, despite
the relief earlier in the day here in the Gulf countries, there hasn't really been a ceasefire. There have been 17 missiles and 35 drones
intercepted over the UAE, 28, I believe, over Kuwait. More in Bahrain, nine here in Saudi Arabia. And one drone actually hit a pumping station at Saudi
Arabia's East-West oil pipeline, which has become a vital artery for Gulf countries to export their crude oil because of the chokehold that Iran has
on the Strait of Hormuz.
And now with Iran effectively saying that they are once again closing the strait in response to Israels strikes on Lebanon, all of this really, I
think just laying bare the deep complexity of trying to find a path forward when there is quite clearly such a gaping chasm between Iran's vision of
what this ceasefire should look like and the U.S.'s -- Paula.
NEWTON: Yeah. And everything you just described when you think that it would normally take at least months to try and get to a deal, we were
dealing with a matter of days and weeks.
Clarissa Ward, good to have you there in Saudi Arabia. Appreciate it.
Now, the White House continues to back Israels stance that the ceasefire does not include ending strikes in Lebanon. You just heard Clarissa explain
that already. Iran is saying Lebanon must be on the table.
This runs completely counter to a statement by Pakistan's prime minister who helped broker the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran.
Now, the Trump administration's stance also comes as Lebanon says Israeli strikes on Wednesday killed at least 112 people. The Lebanese health
ministry said on Tuesday. At least 1,500 people had been killed and 4,800 wounded since the start of this war.
Nada Bashir has been on the ground for us in Beirut.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Homes destroyed, the air filled with smoke. The site of yet another deadly attack.
BASHIR: This is the aftermath of an enormous Israeli military strike here in Beirut. This is one of the more than 100 targets, according to the
Israeli military, that they believe to be Hezbollah targets struck today. But you can see behind me, these appear to be residential buildings,
apartments. This is a very busy area full of shops and a busy roadway.
[15:10:04]
There would have been many people at this site and around the area at the time of the blast, and now emergency services are working to dig through
the rubble for victims.
BASHIR (voice-over): The Lebanese health ministry says hundreds have been killed and wounded, adding to the more than 1,500 people killed over the
course of this war. Hopes that the ceasefire between the U.S., Israel and Iran would extend to Lebanon were quickly dashed on Wednesday.
RASHA, LOCAL RESIDENT & EYEWITNESS (through translator): We were sitting drinking coffee like normal, and then we heard a very loud noise, three
blasts at the same time, and then we saw the smoke, but we couldn't tell where it was coming from, what kind of life is this? We don't know what
will happen in the next hour. The last thing we could imagine is this kind of attack occurring in the center of Beirut.
BASHIR (voice-over): Both the U.S. and Israel have claimed Lebanon was never part of the agreement, despite claims to the contrary from Pakistan's
prime minister who helped broker the deal.
Now, fears of a further escalation, including a possible retaliation from Hezbollah ally Iran, has left many fearful over what now lies ahead for the
people of Lebanon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: And Nada Bashir does join us now from Beirut.
Nada, I am wondering from you as we continue just to watch the suffering of really innocent people who are just caught in the middle of this, how
closely they are watching negotiations over the next couple of days. And if they do believe that despite Israel's words, that they will eventually be
part of the ceasefire deal
BASHIR: Well, look, there certainly had been a lot of hope that that ceasefire would in fact, extend to Lebanon. But of course, a lot of
trepidation as well, given the ongoing conflicts that we have seen over the last more than a month now here in Lebanon and the ongoing attacks. And of
course, late last night, we continued to hear drones flying over Beirut extremely low, very loudly. And so many feared that there would be another
attack today.
And clearly, we have seen now the largest wave of aerial assaults on the country and in particular in Beirut here in the capital, since the
beginning of the war.
Now, there is a hope that there may be some push for diplomacy. However, we did hear from Hezbollah this morning from a spokesperson from the group
saying that if there were any movements by Israel, by the Israeli military in violation of the ceasefire agreement, which they had hoped upon the
insistence of Iran would include Lebanon, then Hezbollah would respond. And of course, there are fears that there will be not only a response from
Hezbollah but also from Iran and the IRGC as well.
And of course, it's also important to note that the Lebanese government has continued to push for a diplomatic resolution. The Lebanese president,
Joseph Aoun, has been very clear that he would be open to peace talks, negotiations with Israel in order to find some sort of agreement to bring
stability to Lebanon's southern borders, to bring an end to the aerial assaults that we have seen across the country.
Now, of course, its important to underscore that while the Israeli military has said it is targeting Hezbollah targets here in Lebanon and in Beirut,
we've been on the ground today, as you've seen there, seeing these sights. And it is very clear that the impact of these strikes is, of course, being
felt by civilians here, not only in Beirut but across the country.
And important to, of course, remember that we are now talking about a death toll surpassing 1,500 already from today's attacks. The health ministry is
sending out updates momentarily, saying that hundreds have been killed, hundreds more wounded. And of course, important to remember that the
country is also dealing with the impact of an enormous humanitarian crisis. More than a million people now displaced by this war in the space of just
over a month.
So, clearly, a lot of pressure mounting right now. Many of the people that we have been speaking to have told us that they want to see an immediate
end to the war, a return to peace in Lebanon. But of course, there are real fears that even if there is a cessation of hostilities, that may not bring
an end to the hostilities that we have seen in southern Lebanon for some time now, months now, and of course, may not guarantee security on
Lebanon's southern borders.
NEWTON: Yeah. Which is another issue separate and apart from what's even going on in Beirut.
Nada, grateful to you. Thanks so much.
Now, right now, Israel's security cabinet is meeting to discuss the ceasefire. Earlier today, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel has
more objectives to achieve, either through an agreement or renewed fighting. The cabinet meeting comes as Israel also says the ceasefire with
Iran does not include an end to strikes on Lebanon.
Now, what we don't know tonight, will any ceasefire deal stop Israel from attacking Lebanon?
Joining me now from Tel Aviv is Alon Pinkas. He is Israel's former consul general to New York.
And I'm grateful to have you here this evening.
And how about that? Do you believe that the Prime Minister Netanyahu, will ever agree to have Lebanon as part of any Iranian ceasefire agreement?
ALON PINKAS, FORMER ISRAELI CONSUL GENERAL IN NEW YORK: No, I doubt that very much, Paula. I'll go even farther than -- than what you just
suggested. I think that by intensifying or even escalating the war in Lebanon in the last 12 or 14 hours, Mr. Netanyahu is actively trying to
derail and disrupt the ceasefire with Iran.
Whether he will be successful or not remains to be seen, but I going back to your question, I doubt that he would allow Lebanon to become part of the
deal with Iran. The question is, what exactly is it that he hopes to achieve in Lebanon? But that's a different issue.
NEWTON: But, Alon, you know as well as I do that that could be a negotiating posture. What could also be negotiating posture is what we've
been hearing from Iran. Now, I point out as well that Iran's foreign minister on X said that the Iran-U.S. ceasefire terms are clear. This is,
in the words of Iran's foreign minister, are clear and explicit that the U.S. must choose ceasefire or continued war via Israel. It cannot have
both.
Do you expect that there would be a way for both Iran and Israel to back away, especially if in any, any way, shape or form, Israel could continue
to have that buffer zone in southern Lebanon?
PINKAS: Well, the buffer zone is just one issue, but most of most of Hezbollah's still formidable missile capabilities are up in the northeast
of Lebanon rather than in the south. And let's not forget that in the last two years, Mr. Netanyahu bragged and boasted, disingenuously, that he set
back Hezbollah decades. Well, nine months later, he's attacking Hezbollah again.
I'm not against or for the attack, I'm just saying, you have to make up your mind. Did you degrade them to the point of irrelevance a year and a
half ago, or did you not?
Per your question, Paula, you're absolutely right. There should be a, you know, an off ramp, or a diplomatic formula through which both Iran and
Israel step back in exchange for a ceasefire in Lebanon.
But Israel's calculus is double here. One is, as I mentioned before, to disrupt the ceasefire because I don't think Mr. Netanyahu is happy with the
ceasefire. It's almost pathetically comical how disappointed many Israeli politicians are on Netanyahu's side that the U.S. betrayed Israel, didn't
complete the job, you know, in a twisted way, vindicating what the right wing in America is saying, that Mr. Netanyahu prodded Trump going into this
war. But that's -- that's a different issue.
For the Iranians, their calculus is somewhat different. I don't know that they're willing to endanger the ceasefire that they reached via the
Pakistani mediators, last night with the U.S., just for the sake of Hezbollah, because while Hezbollah was a prized asset for the Iranians in
their, you know, broad web of proxies, they found gold called the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz, strategically for Iran, tilted the war, what
they believe to be what they perceive in their favor.
Hezbollah in this event is expendable, but they won't allow this to go on. So they're going to -- they're going to appeal to the Americans, to press
Israel to stop Lebanon as well.
NEWTON: If you're right, that really would be a watershed in terms of Iran and what its strategic leverage has been in the region, in the sense that
we don't need Hezbollah anymore. We've got the strait.
I want to go back to something you said, though, in terms of what's going on with domestic politics in Israel, because it is pertinent. Israel's
opposition claims, as you just said, that Israelis were blindsided by the ceasefire deal.
Yair Lapid, the head of the opposition, said on X, there has never been such a political disaster in all our history. Israel wasn't even at the
table when decisions were made concerning the core of our national security.
Can you continue to give us some insight on this? I confess to being confused, and I want to point out that, look, the IDF, just in the last few
hours, loosened some of the wartime restrictions that all Israelis are living under right now. I mean, that sends a clear message to Israelis who
are completely exhausted.
PINKAS: Yeah. Well, look, Mr. Lapid is right. But he's coming to this from a -- from a weird angle. He's the one who encouraged Netanyahu to go to war
with Iran, and further encouraged him to attack, you know, relentlessly Iran's energy infrastructure. And once that hasn't happened, he's now
accusing Netanyahu and by extension, Trump, of bailing out on the objective.
[15:20:05]
The objective being toppling the regime.
That hasn't happened. So, in terms of the jaded Israeli population, you're absolutely right. In terms of the exhausted Israeli electorate, you're
absolutely right.
People are going to start asking questions. Lapid is asking a good question, but it's not just him. It's 10 million Israelis who are going to
look at what Mr. Netanyahu, set to achieve. They're going to look at -- well, some of them at least are going to look at the detailed article in
"The New York Times" today or yesterday by Maggie Haberman about what led and how Netanyahu influenced and swindled Trump into this war by making
promises on regime change and incapacitation of missile capabilities and complete annihilation of Iran's nuclear program. None of that has been
achieved. And people in Israel will start asking questions.
So, for Mr. Netanyahu's point of view, I understand your confusion. By the way, 10 million Israelis pretend to know, but they too are confused, just
like you and I, believe me, Paula, but they're going to ask questions because, you know, what was this good for? I mean, what did this achieve?
If the regime is there, if the Strait of Hormuz was shot at will, if the Arab Gulf countries were attacked, something Netanyahu guaranteed would not
happen, if there was no popular uprising or upheaval in Iran, if their missile capabilities until very late last night before the ceasefire went
into hypothetical effect that the -- I'm in Tel Aviv right now, there were four sirens during the night -- three, I'm sorry, three sirens during the -
- so, you take a -- you draw that list of things you thought you would achieve and what you actually, achieved, people are going to ask questions.
So, from a strategic point of view -- go ahead. I'm sorry.
NEWTON: Alon, we have to leave it there for now, but we do thank you for your insights --
PINKAS: Okay.
NEWTON: -- as we continue to parse the Israeli situation. Appreciate it.
Now, still to come from for us, Iranians share their perspectives on the ceasefire. Why some believe the war has strengthened the government in
Tehran. We'll have it, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:25:38]
NEWTON: So, the U.S. and Iran are both portraying the two-week ceasefire agreement as a victory for now. The deal means an end to relentless strikes
that have killed hundreds of Iranians. But the impact of the ceasefire on the war will stretch far beyond these weeks into years, and potentially
generations.
CNN's Leila Gharagozlou spoke with civilians in Iran to get their perspective.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As the war went on, we realized that this war is really against Iran and not in a benefit -- for the benefit of Iran.
LEILA GHARAGOZLOU, CNN PRODUCER: In the final hours of his own deadline, President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran. CNN spoke
to some Iranians who have mixed feelings. We aren't disclosing their identities for their safety.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I feel relieved that the escalation did not happen, that the people of Iran will not suffer. This war has brought a sort of
unity that we didn't have at the beginning of the war.
GHARAGOZLOU: The unity for many Iranians comes from their ability to survive the U.S. and Israeli military operation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a different feeling and atmosphere from the days right after the 12-Day War. When I speak to people today, there's a sense
of pride in the country that we too were able to survive this war.
GHARAGOZLOU: After nearly a month of attacks and promises of regime change by the U.S. and opposition groups, some feel that the war made the Iranian
government stronger.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel that we, the regular normal people, are the ultimate losers in this. Nothing has changed. Everything is worse. I hope
at least we get some sanctions relief. How are we even going to move on?
GHARAGOZLOU: There's also skepticism about whether ceasefire will even hold.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hope the ceasefire is genuine and not a pretext to get all the ships out of the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, and then to
rearm and restart. The fact that J.D. Vance is involved and, Mr. Ghalibaf is involved gives me hope that this will be a very, very serious
discussions. Not like the waste of time, the previous times the U.S. used as a pretext.
GHARAGOZLOU: For others, the war continues while still under the current rule.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Honestly, unless there are big changes they make, I think we'll keep protesting because even if they stay for now, they have to
eventually go. This can't continue.
GHARAGOZLOU: As a fragile peace looks to take hold, some Iranians hold out hopes about the new faces in Iran's government.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hope that the new leadership in Iran, which are my his lot more in touch with the younger generation, a lot more in tune with
what's going on in the world, more open to the idea of being part of the rest of the world and participating in the global economy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Still to come for us, news of a ceasefire was music to the ears of investors. Stocks have been surging and oil prices tumbling. We'll show you
those numbers next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:31:46]
NEWTON: So, both Iran and the U.S. are claiming victory after Pakistan brokered a last-minute ceasefire on Tuesday with a two-week pause in
fighting now in place, both Iran and the U.S. are left to gauge what has been won and lost after more than a month of hostilities. The U.S. said one
of its main goals of the war was to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. There's still no clarity on this very crucial issue.
President Trump says there will be no enrichment of uranium in Iran, but Iranian state media reports that Iran's proposal includes an acceptance of
enrichment. The U.S. also said it wanted to destroy Iran's missile capabilities, according to U.S. intel. Iran's military has largely been
destroyed but still maintains significant missile launching capability, and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth insists the war was a success in terms
of military objectives. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE HEGSETH, DEFENSE SECRETARY: Operation Epic Fury was a historic and overwhelming victory on the battlefield. A capital V military victory, by
any measure, Epic Fury decimated Iran's military and rendered it combat ineffective for years to come.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now we turn now to Iran, where before the war, huge anti-regime protests had spread as the currency plunged and inflation remained high.
Human rights groups estimate thousands were killed as officials tried to silence protesters. At the time, U.S. President Donald Trump told Iranians
help was on the way.
Since then, the regime's supreme leader and many other senior leaders have been assassinated. But the regime remains firmly in place, with
replacements quickly being found. Now, before the war, the country's economy was crippled by Western sanctions. Now, possible sanctions release
-- relief with Mr. Trump saying tariffs and sanctions will be discussed as part of those negotiations. Iran also wants to raise funds by charging
ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
Nic Robertson is in Tel Aviv and will help us, you know, really go through all of this.
Even if we just take the last point there, actually charging tolls to go through the Strait of Hormuz, that tells you everything you need to know
about what remains contentious in any kind of deal here. If we turn to Israel and the U.S. first, Nic, how do you see it as the absolute non-
negotiables going forward?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: The enrichment issue is, is clearly an issue that divides them, the United States and Iran. And
it was an issue that divided them in the talks before the ballistic missiles, range of ballistic missiles, numbers of ballistic missiles that
Iran has. That was a contentious issue. The support for Iran's proxies, be it Hezbollah, be it Hamas, be it the Houthis, be it the -- some of the Iraq
militias as well. That is a -- that's a contentious issue.
Iran, as you say, wants to have sanctions relief, primary sanctions, secondary sanctions to be released from all strictures from the
International Atomic Energy Agency, which oversaw the last nuclear agreement.
NEWTON: We're going to listen now to the vice president of the United States, J.D. Vance --
[15:35:02]
J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Negotiation and a lot of bad faith, you know, propaganda going on. I think this comes from a
legitimate misunderstanding. I think the Iranians thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon, and it just didn't. We never made that promise.
We never indicated that was going to be the case.
What we said is that the ceasefire would be focused on Iran, and the ceasefire would be focused on Americas allies, both Israel and the Gulf
Arab states.
Now, that said, the Israelis, as I understand it again, I'm supposed to get a full report when I get on the plane, have actually offered to be,
frankly, to check themselves a little bit in Lebanon because they want to make sure that our negotiation is successful. That's not because that is
part of the ceasefire. I think that's the Israelis trying to set us up for success. And we'll, of course, see how that unfolds in the next few days.
But look, if Iran wants to let this negotiation fall apart in a conflict where they were getting hammered over Lebanon, which has nothing to do with
them, and which the United States never once said was part of the ceasefire, that's ultimately their choice. We think that would be dumb, but
that's their choice.
REPORTER: Mr. Vice President, Iran is continuing to block the Straits of Hormuz. Do you have an expectation of when that that strait is going to be
open?
VANCE: Well, we've already seen an increase in traffic today. Hopefully, we'll see an increase in traffic tomorrow. We actually think that we are
seeing signs that the straits are starting to reopen. I think you guys have probably seen oil prices have come down. So, I think the oil markets, the
gas markets are seeing the same thing.
But the president's been very clear. The deal is a ceasefire, a negotiation. That's what we give. And what they give is the states are
going to be reopened.
If we don't see that happening, the president is not going to abide by our terms if the Iranians are not abiding by their terms.
REPORTER: Mr. Vice President, Karoline Leavitt said you played a key role in these talks. Could you help us understand some details about that role?
And do you think your well-known opposition to foreign wars generally was a factor that made you a key player in this?
VANCE: Well, I appreciate Karoline saying that. I mean, you know, my key role was I sat on the phone a lot. I answered a lot of phone calls. I made
a lot of phone calls.
And again, I'm happy about where we are. I think the president has struck a good deal for the American people, but fundamentally, the Iranians have got
to take the next step or the president has a lot of options to go back to the war.
REPORTER: Do you know if Iranians requested that you join the talks?
VANCE: I don't know that. I would be surprised if that was true. But, you know, I wanted to be involved because I thought I could make a difference.
And obviously, I think the people really on the ground doing the day-to-day negotiating have been Steve and Jared. They've done a great job, but we're
going to keep on working this as a team, as we always have.
You know, Pete's been very helpful with the various military elements of this. Marco's obviously been extremely involved. We work as a team. We work
effectively.
And you know, yeah, I've been on the phone a lot the past couple of days, but we're glad to be where we are.
REPORTER: Mr. Vice President, how is the United States accomplishing its stated objective of ensuring Iran doesn't have a nuclear weapon ever if
they still have highly enriched uranium? And what's the plan to get uranium out?
VANCE: Well, look, I mean, this is one of the things it's going to be one of the main subjects of negotiation is that we want Iran to not be able to
make a nuclear weapon. We want the nuclear fuel, which is something the president has made very clear. And again, the way to think about this is
the United States has certain demands and certain things that we want. The Iranians have things they can get out of the negotiation. The more that
they're willing to give us, I think the more they're going to get things out of this negotiation.
The president's talked about sanctions relief. The president talked about economic partnerships and things like that. That's not going to happen
unless the Iranians make a firm commitment to stop anything close to the development of a nuclear weapon. And frankly, the president has all the
cards here. We've got a lot of leverage. We've got a lot of things that we can do. But right now, I think we're in a good spot.
REPORTER: Is the threat to wipe Iranian civilization off the map still on the table? And is it fair to keep 90 million Iranians under that threat for
the actions of their leaders?
VANCE: Well, look, the leadership is really to blame for the condition of the country in Iran. The president -- the president of the United States,
has made very clear that the United States has a lot of leverage here. We have economic leverage. We've got military leverage.
What he's trying to do is make sure the American people are safe and strike a deal that's good for the American people. I just -- look, I encourage the
Iranians to come to the table, seriously. We've seen some signs that they're going to do that. We've seen some signs of bravado.
Fundamentally, we're in a good spot. They're reopening the straits. We have a ceasefire. And frankly, if they break their end of the bargain, then
they're going to see some serious consequences.
REPORTER: But wiping them off the map is different than an economic leverage or military leverage. Why is that kind of language useful in this
kind of scenario?
VANCE: Well, again, the president of the United States is saying that unless the Iranians do the right thing, he is going to have some serious
consequences for the regime. We obviously don't want the people of Iran to suffer, but we have a lot of leverage. The president of United States could
use.
[15:40:00]
And it's why I think it's so important for the Iranians to be negotiators in good faith.
REPORTER: Okay. X has been abuzz the last couple of days with the "Free Press" story saying that senior Pentagon officials in January, including
Ridge Colby brought Cardinal Pierre into the Pentagon.
VANCE: Brought who?
REPORTER: Cardinal Christophe Pierre into the Pentagon.
VANCE: Okay, I haven't seen the story, unfortunately.
REPORTER: And essentially the reporting by the "Free Press" is that they told him that the American military has a lot of might, and they can do
whatever they want, and the church should get on its side.
Does that message sound correct to you? Is that something you would sign off on?
VANCE: So, one, I -- with no disrespect to the cardinal, I don't know who Cardinal Christophe Pierre is.
REPORTER: The ambassador to the Holy See in the U.S.
VANCE: Oh, okay, okay. I've met him before. Sorry, I just didn't remember the name. I've never seen this reporting. I'd like to actually talk to
Cardinal Christophe Pierre, and, frankly, to our people to figure out what actually happened.
I think it's always a bad idea to offer an opinion on stories that are unconfirmed and uncorroborated. So, I'm not going to do that.
REPORTER: On the question of Iran's enriched uranium, do you see a scenario in which the administration may be willing to agree to allow Iran
to continue enriching uranium for civilian nuclear purposes?
VANCE: Well, look, what the president has said is that we don't want Iran to have the capacity to build a nuclear weapon. The presidents also said
that we don't want Iran enriching towards a nuclear weapon, and we want Iran to give up the nuclear fuel. Those are going to be our demands during
the negotiation.
And again, we're going to see what the Iranians are willing to give up if they make a good faith effort to actually give us the things that we need
to have a successful negotiation for the security of the American people. I think there's a lot on the other end. If they don't give us what we need,
then I think it's going to be bad. But I'm optimistic that the Iranians are going to be smart, that they're going to negotiate in good faith.
REPORTER: And you're negotiating partner in Iran. I know Kevin sort of asked about this already, but he essentially is saying that they're
distrustful of the U.S. for, you know, he tweeted out that three of the 10 points in the and the ceasefire framework have already been violated.
They're distrustful of the U.S.
VANCE: Okay.
REPORTER: What do you make of him tweeting that out before negotiations?
VANCE: So I thought it was interesting actually, because I did see that tweet from Ghalibaf actually just a couple of minutes ago. And let me say a
few things.
First of all, he said that there are a few points of disagreement before the negotiation. Well, that must mean that there's a lot of points of
agreement because there's a 15 point plan floating around. There's a 10- point plan floating around.
If he's frustrated about three issues, that actually means that there's a lot of agreement. That's point number one.
Point number two, to respond to each of those issues. And I read it very closely. Let me just say this. I actually wonder how good he is at
understanding English, because there are things that he said that frankly didn't make sense in some in the context of the negotiations that we've
had.
But to address the three points, first of all, he talked about an attack that allegedly happened on Iran and how that was a violation of the
ceasefire, ceasefires are always messy. An hour after the president announced the ceasefire, the Iranians launch a bunch of missiles. Then the
Israelis responded. Then some of the Gulf Arab states responded.
This is the nature of the cease fire. No ceasefire ever goes without a little bit of choppiness. What we have been very clear about is that we
want to stop the bombing. We want our allies to stop the bombing, and we want the Iranians to do the same thing.
We're seeing evidence that things are going in the right direction, but its going to take a little time.
The second thing Ghalibaf said, which again, I found fascinating, is he said, we refuse to give up the right to enrichment. And I thought to
myself, you know what? My wife has the right to skydive, but she doesn't jump out of an airplane because she and I have an agreement that she's not
going to do that, because I don't want my wife jumping out of an airplane.
We don't really concern ourselves with what they claim they have the right to do. We concern ourselves with what they actually do. And I think the
president's been very clear on the enrichment question. Our position on that has not changed. I think the third thing that he said was --
REPORTER: Lebanon issue.
VANCE: Was Lebanon. Okay? And again, I actually think that is a reasonable misunderstanding, but neither us nor the Israelis said that that was going
to be part of the ceasefire. Again, we're working with people to try to get through some of these things, but it's really fundamentally we're on the
right track. We got a lot more to do. We got a lot more that the Iranians are going to have to accept as part of this negotiation. But I think we've
got a strong hand. And we're going to play it well.
Thank you all. Have a safe trip back.
REPORTER: -- talks won't happen.
NEWTON: And you have been listening to Vice President J.D. Vance. You see him there boarding Air Force Two in Hungary. He was in Hungary in order to
bolster the campaign of Viktor Orban. He is leaving now, apparently going back to Washington, but is expected to hold talks in Pakistan this weekend
regarding the -- I'd say, tentative cease fire agreement right now between the U.S., Israel and Iran.
[15:45:00]
And joining us again is Nic Robertson.
Nic, forgive me, I had to interrupt there as we were going to the vice president live on the tarmac. He certainly gave us a lot to talk about.
I do want to begin with his optimism, first and foremost, he believes that there's still a lot of common ground here. But if we just begin with the
nuclear question. I mean, he's suggesting that he thinks that they will come to the table. Iran will and will actually give up the right to enrich
uranium, to have any kind of nuclear fuel
ROBERTSON: Yeah. He's suggesting that its semantics and understanding that Iran can have the right as long as it doesn't exercise that right. That
sounds like something that's got a lot more days of discussions and talks. As he said, could be just Ghalibaf, the speaker of the Iranian parliament,
the sort of main interlocutor on the Iranian side with the us side, perhaps, maybe just an understanding of his English.
Vance definitely tried to downplay and dismiss some of those points of concern. But I think that gives us an insight into how the United States
wants to push ahead with its diplomacy. I was struck by his framing on the Lebanon question, which was one of the three out of the ten points that the
speaker of the parliament had had raised as concern. And that was about Lebanon.
And he was very clear -- J.D. Vance very clear that this was not part of the deal. However, he said, and this, I think, can be open to a myriad of
interpretations. But he said very bluntly, effectively, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to sort of wind back the level of strikes on
Lebanon and Hezbollah.
And that seemed to be pretty significant. He didn't say we put pressure on him. He framed it as Netanyahu's doing this so that we can have success on
the bigger issues.
This was the biggest strike today that Israel had had against Hezbollah in a very, very long time. Hundreds of people killed, more than 1000 injured.
But yes, he was putting forward some optimism and reasons to get Iran to that table.
NEWTON: But yeah, and the words you use to your point, he said that Israel would, in a fashion check themselves. You do wonder if Israel had been
given a little bit more latitude in the last 24 to 48 hours, at least in some scope in those operations in Lebanon?
Nic, I do want to ask you as well, though, what he said about the strait. Now we continue to see things online from Iran about the fact that the
strait is closed, in their words. There you had J.D. Vance saying that, in fact, in his words that they had seen more -- an increase in traffic in the
strait.
Some people have speculated, Nic, I know you've seen, you know, everyone talking about this, that it is the Strait of Hormuz that has turned into
not a military victory for Iran, but a strategic one, and that they may not even need proxies anymore if they can hold control of the strait.
ROBERTSON: Look, the Strait of Hormuz was always going to be Iran's pressure point. It always has been. It was this time, and they've used it
to maximum effect and they've gained ground on it because they've realized that they can actually monetize it by charging ships to go through.
There are about 420-something oil tankers, about 19, I believe it is LNG, liquid, natural gas, and about 40 or so or 34 rather, liquid petroleum
tankers. So, you've got more than 450 tankers stuck inside the Gulf. Can't get out the Strait of Hormuz, two tankers we were aware of earlier in the
day had got out. This is before Iran said it closed so that two out of 450.
That's what -- that's less than half a percent of all the vessels that are stuck inside the Gulf were able to get out. Maybe that is a percentage
increase over the previous day. Vance is suggesting that it would be better tomorrow. He is the optimist. He's trying to get -- he's trying to get the
talks to the table.
I was really struck by his language here. And this was it just reminded me of everything that the Trump administration criticized the Obama
administration for their 2015 deal with Iran. He said the more Iran is willing to give, the more they may be able to get. And that came at a
moment where he was talking about Iran wanting sanctions lifted. And those have been two of their 10 points primary sanctions, secondary sanctions to
be lifted.
The more Iran is willing to give -- implication the Strait of Hormuz, and other concerns, potentially uranium enrichment -- there may they more --
they may they -- the more they may get. Well, when President Obama as part of that JCPOA, the Iran nuclear deal 2015, when that concluded, Iran was
given a lot of cash, I believe it was several, several billion dollars. The Trump administration one and two criticized that because of the way that
Iran spent the money allegedly on its proxies, not on its people, allegedly on ballistic missiles, drones, all that -- all those kind of things.
[15:50:09]
So, in the tone of what Vance is suggesting to Iran at this stage is do what you did before, play along, and there can be financial renumeration.
Is that the sort of the Iran tax that's been effectively put on these vessels as they try to exit the Strait of Hormuz and probably enter as
well? And are there fees that potentially, can be distributed further that would pay for the United States for whatever it's going to do in terms of
securing the Strait of Hormuz, which President Trump says that he's willing to get engaged in.
NEWTON: Yeah. Nic, really grateful to you to stand by for us in this way so we could lean on your expertise as we continue to follow these live
events. Nic Robertson for us in Tel Aviv, appreciate it.
Now, two French nationals who experienced what they call daily horror for more than three years in an Iranian prison have returned home. President
Emmanuel Macron welcomes Cecile Kohler and Jacques and jack back to Paris. Pardon me, Jacques Paris back to France. Paris says they were held hostage
at Tehran's Evin prison. He calls conditions there inhumane. Kohler thanked everyone who helped their release.
Iran is under pressure to release other detained foreign nationals, including a British couple who were sentenced to ten years for spying.
Still to come for us, a different perspective on our planet. How looking at the Earth from space has impacted one of the astronauts on this Artemis
mission. You're going to want to hear this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEWTON: So, about two days from now, the four-person crew of the Artemis moon mission are due to splashdown off the coast of San Diego in dramatic
fashion. But just because they're on their way home from the moon, it does not mean they are taking it easy. The astronauts have a series of
activities planned today to test their spacesuits, suits and radiation shields, so future missions will be prepared for the threat of solar
flares. The crew will also be testing the spacecrafts maneuverability.
Now, of course, everyone is still marveling at the amazing images sent back from Artemis trip around the moon. I mean, how can you not look at these
things are just stunning. One of the astronauts talked about how being so far from Earth changed her perspective on her planet.
[15:55:01]
Listen
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINA KOCH, ASTRONAUT: The thing that changed for me, looking back at Earth, was that I found myself noticing not only the beauty of the Earth,
but how much blackness there was around it and how it just made it even more special. It truly emphasized how alike we are, how the same thing
keeps every single person on planet earth alive. We evolved on the same planet. We have some shared things about how we love and live that are just
universal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Profound thoughts there from one crew member. But we do want to turn to something a little bit less serious.
The crew enjoying a delicious earthly treat on their journey. As you can see from the jar of Nutella floating around the cabin, it was spotted right
before the crew set the record for longest distance humans have traveled from earth. This is incredible.
And of course, it went viral, not just around the world, but on my very own family chat. It's definitely one of the more relatable moments for those of
us stuck here on earth. Come on, you got to love it.
It's not just the floating jar of Nutella, though. The fact that you just want to grab it.
I'm Paula Newton, that is WHAT WE KNOW. Stay with CNN. I'll be right back with more news in a moment.
END
TO ORDER VIDEOTAPES AND TRANSCRIPTS OF CNN INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMING, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS
