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What We Know with Max Foster

Trump: U.S. Will Resume Attacks After Slow Progress On Deal; IRGC Commanders Dismiss Trump's Threats As Empty; Tech Titan Bill Gates Testifies About Epstein Ties; Democrat Platner Wins Maine Senate Primary Despite Scandals; Belfast On Edge Amid Wave Of Anti-Immigrant Violence; U.S. Inflation Surpasses 4 Percent For First Time In Three Years. Aired 3- 4p ET

Aired June 10, 2026 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[15:00:36]

MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: President Donald Trump threatens new strikes on Iran.

This is WHAT WE KNOW.

Beginning with Trump's vow of more attacks on Iran today, then the president claims an agreement to end the war is fully negotiated and all

Tehran has to do is start signing a paper. He says the Iranians are dragging out negotiations as the United States plans a new round of

strikes.

Before that, another exchange of attacks happened between the U.S. and Iran following the downing of an American Army helicopter. Tehran fired on U.S.

targets in Jordan and Kuwait, and video geolocated by CNN appears to show a flash of light near a U.S. base in Bahrain.

Kevin Liptak is standing by for us.

Kevin, where do we stand with this then?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE RPEORTER: Well, we're in this disorienting place where we're at neither a full ceasefire, as evidenced by

what we saw over the last 24 hours, the U.S. and Iran exchanging fire. We're also not at a full-blown war. The president saying that we may be

heading there, saying that the strikes could resume today, but not yet saying that he's ready to go back to full-bore conflict.

And so, it is sort of a liminal space where the president expressing dissatisfaction that the talks with Iran to try and reach this memorandum

of understanding are operating too slowly, but still I think holding out hope that they will eventually yield a deal.

Now, the remarks that we've heard from the president today really are a sharp reversal from the optimism that we've been hearing from him over the

last several weeks at the status of these negotiations. You know, just less than 48 hours ago, very early Tuesday morning, the president was saying

that he thought a deal could be struck with Iran in the next two or three days. He also sounded more reluctant than he had ever been about going back

to war, saying that it would kill a lot of people and it would cause the Strait of Hormuz to remain closed for some months.

Today, he's sounding completely different, saying that he is willing to go back to conflict, declining to rule out hitting civilian infrastructure,

including power plants and bridges, and saying that Iran, in his words, keep tapping him along when it comes to this deal.

Now, the status of these negotiations still remains ongoing. You have a delegation from Qatar in Tehran today working to bridge some of the

differences between the two sides when it comes to this framework deal. You know, they remain sort of in dispute on elements of Iran's nuclear program,

about some of the financial relief that Iran could potentially receive as part of this deal. They don't seem as if they're completely at the end of

the road yet on the negotiations.

But President Trump suggesting that the deal that he has signed off on is one that Iran should agree to very, very quickly. He said it was a very

good paper.

And so, I think we're in a place that is ultimately a very confusing one. Will we see these two sides go back to full blown conflict? Will we see

them arrive at a deal? We just don't know at this point. But the president seems to be injecting all of this with a degree of pressure as he tells

Iran that the strikes will begin again sometime today.

FOSTER: And there was something potentially significant here in terms of escalation, wasn't there, Kevin? He didn't rule out the possibility of

strikes targeting civilian infrastructure in Iran. And that was after Iran said that water reservoirs had been struck already.

LIPTAK: Exactly. And remember, the president, before this ceasefire went into effect in April, had been threatening some of those sites. It was, I

think, alarming to a lot of people because it could amount to a war crime if the U.S. intentionally targets facilities that are not military in

nature. And so, the president reviving some of those threats.

But now, what's unclear is whether he's using these threats as a pressure tactic to try and get Iran to finally sign off on this plan that he has

been trying to negotiate, or whether he is, in fact, newly willing to resume the war. We just don't know at this point. And, of course, he's

someone who has used bluster in the past to try and get adversaries to come over to his side.

And so what exactly is happening right now, I don't think we really know. What is clear is that the president is frustrated that this is taking so

long, and we have heard that from him in the past, that it takes so long to get some of these drafts to the Iranian supreme leader, so long for him in

turn to get his positions back to the United States.

[15:05:13]

It's clearly weighing on the president who is under pressure to get this war over and to get the Strait of Hormuz reopened. And so clearly, I think

now we're in a waiting game to see if these strikes do in fact resume if the president does in fact target some of those civilian infrastructure

facilities or whether Iran comes back and says that they can agree to a deal and the president clearly I think tapping his foot very eager to get

this over the finish line.

FOSTER: Kevin, thank you so much.

Let's go to Fred Pleitgen now. He is in Tehran. We have to know the CNN operates in Iran only with the permission of the government, but maintains

full editorial control of its reporting.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's not often that we're able to attend events put on by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Bar

Corps. And the one that we're at today commemorates IRGC commanders who were killed when Israel attacked Iran in June of last year.

Now, as you can imagine, senior IRGC brass is not necessarily very keen to speak to media from the United States, but we were able to speak to a

senior IRGC commander as well as a cleric of Iran's armed forces, both of them telling me that they're not particularly impressed with President

Trump's threats that Iran will pay a price for not making a deal with the U.S. so far.

President Trump says that Iran will pay a heavy price for not making a deal with the United States yet. What's your response?

BRIG. GEN. HOSSEIN MAROOFI, ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS (through translator): Trump is delusional. He must understand the power of this

great nation, and he must recognize the strength of our armed forces. He should have become aware of the great movement of our armed forces in these

recent operations and fully comprehend the readiness of our armed forces with the support of the Iranian people.

ABDUL ALI DERGAHI, MILITARY CLERIC (through translator): If until yesterday it was only the Islamic Republic that was sanctioned, today it is

the U.S. that is sanctioned in the Strait of Hormuz. And that harm affects the whole world. The Islamic Republic has not been, is not, and will never

be a war seeker.

PLEITGEN: Now, of course, all of this comes right on the heels of the United States and Iran trading blows, with the United States attacking

sites in the Persian Gulf, including islands and also the port of Bandar Abbas, while the Iranians fired missiles at U.S. bases in Jordan, in

Bahrain, and in Kuwait.

Now, the Iranians have said that there will always be a tough response from their sides to any attacks from the United States. But of course, both

sides are still working to try and put together a memorandum of understanding that would then pave the way for negotiations between the

U.S. and Iran to reach a broader peace agreement. All of that, of course, right now in a very difficult state.

A lot of people that we speak to here say they don't really have much faith that it could happen. At the same time, the Iranians are saying that they

are ready for any new attacks and will strike back hard.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Tehran.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Now, one of the world's richest men, the tech titan Bill Gates, is testifying behind closed doors on Capitol Hill today about his ties to

Jeffrey Epstein. According to a copy of his opening remarks, Gates said he was aware that Epstein had faced, quote, "prior legal issues," but said he

didn't fully understand the extent of the late sex offender's crimes. Gates also said Epstein tried to use information about his personal life,

including extramarital affairs, to pressure him.

Let's get more from M.J. Lee in Washington.

You're getting an insight into a very murky world, M.J.

MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL ENTERPRISE CORRESPONDENT: That's right. You know, this interview is still ongoing. It's been underway for about five

hours now on Capitol Hill. And we know that Bill Gates told lawmakers that he knew nothing about Epstein's crimes and that importantly, he himself was

never involved in victimizing anyone. He said that he was introduced to Epstein back in 2011 and that the two men's interactions were mostly

limited and that it all came to an end in December of 2014.

Interestingly, Max, this is something that Bill Gates also told lawmakers. He said, "I learned Epstein had become aware of sensitive information about

my personal life, including the fact that I had been unfaithful in my marriage. Epstein was working to use information about my infidelities in

addition to many lies that he layered on top to pressure me to reengage with him."

Now, we also know that Gates has been asked by lawmakers about some of the more salacious but unverified claims that are in the Justice Department's

Epstein files. They appear in draft emails that appear to be emails that Epstein actually wrote to himself. There are references to sexually

transmitted diseases.

[15:10:00]

There are references to Epstein helping to get antibiotics for Gates o secretly give to his ex-wife, Melinda Gates, all claims that Gates has

denied in the past.

And this is what Robert Garcia, who was the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, just told reporters about this habit that Epstein appears to

have had in writing emails to himself. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ROBERT GARCIA (D-CA): Mr. Gates does believe that Mr. Epstein would write emails that were oftentimes untrue. I think he's he spoke to that in

some of the questioning that he denies some obviously some of those claims and that he felt that Mr. Epstein would write emails to himself and just

say things that were not true or didn't happen as Mr. Gates remembers them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: And goes without saying, this has been a pretty embarrassing ordeal for Bill Gates. I'm told that his lawyer at one point jumped in to

tell lawmakers Gates is not going to answer questions about any extramarital affairs if those affairs are not related to Jeffrey Epstein.

Gates also told lawmakers that meeting with Epstein was a grave error in judgment and that he is now practicing a little more judiciousness when

choosing the different kinds of people that he associates himself with.

FOSTER: Okay, M.J., appreciate it. Thank you.

Now in the California governor's race, former Fox News host and Republican Steve Hilton beat out billionaire Tom Steyer for the second spot in the

November general election. Hilton backed by President Trump will face Democrat Xavier Becerra to replace Gavin Newsom.

And in Maine, Graham Platner won Maine's Democratic Senate primary for one of the key races in November.

Let's take a closer look then with CNN's Arlette Saenz.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The real test will now come in Maine in November as this general election match-up between Democratic candidate

Graham Platner and Republican Senator Susan Collins is now officially set. Maine is one of those states that is really a linchpin of both party

strategies to try to win the Senate majority in November and the decision about who the next U.S. senator from Maine will be could very well lie with

female voters in the state.

Back in 2020, they made up 59 percent of the electorate -- of the electorate here and really boosted Collins to reelection.

Now for Platner's part, he won the majority of Democratic voters in this primary. But the general election electorate could look very different. And

there are some Democrats on the national level and here in Maine who are worried that some of the controversies around Platner's campaign complicate

their chances in flipping this seat blue.

For Platner's part, he has acknowledged that he has made mistakes and says that he has work to do with Maine voters, but he has also argued they need

to be squarely focused on the push to defeat Collins in November.

Take a listen.

GRAHAM PLATNER (D), MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE: They will try to make this race about everything other than what absolutely is a simple choice for who

will represent us in the United States Senate.

(APPLAUSE)

PLATNER: Susan Collins may have started her career decades ago in Washington with good intentions, but she has become Just as spineless and

corrupt as the establishment.

SAENZ: Republicans have made clear that they want to put Platner's controversies front and center in their messaging. So that is something

that he will have to contend with as a new level of scrutiny could come over the next five months.

For Senator Susan Collins, she is also facing those political headwinds that so many Republicans in the country are grappling with right now. That

is part of what had made Democrats hopeful that they could potentially flip. They, Democrats, believe that some of the angst that voters have

towards President Trump and Senate Republicans could filter down to Collins as well.

But Collins has been a longtime legislator here in the state. She is running for a sixth term. She heads the Senate Appropriations Committee,

which is responsible for doling out money to various states. So her teams believes that she has a lot of proof in her records of what she has been

able to do for Maine voters, but this will be one of those contests that will be watched very closely until the end as it could very well determined

who is in control of the U.S. Senate next year.

Arlette Saenz, CNN, Bangor, Maine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Coming up, Northern Ireland on edge tonight after a grisly stabbing attack triggered a wave of anti-immigrant violence we'll have the

latest for you from Belfast.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Police in Northern Ireland are bracing for another potential night of violence after a grisly knife attack in Belfast triggering anti-

immigrant riots. Homes, cars and buses were set on fire as mass protesters roamed the streets on Tuesday. Police say they randomly targeted the

property of ethnic minorities. Violence erupted after video of the stabbing attack went viral. A Sudanese man has been charged with attempted murder.

CNN's Nic Robertson has more on the violence rocking Belfast.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): At its dangerous peak Tuesday night, police rescuing Belfast residents as their

homes torched in a night of anti-immigrant rioting gripping Northern Ireland.

A neighborhood bus set on fire amid scenes of some of the worst violence across the U.K.'s troubled province in years. At times, angry mobs of

masked men roamed streets unchecked, smashing houses, apparently searching for migrants.

The violence smoldering through the night as riot police clashed with rot- throwing youths in multiple towns. At least two policemen injured, several people arrested.

Northern Ireland's police chief ramping up his forces in readiness for worse.

CHIEF CONSTABLE JON BOUTCHER, NORTHERN IRELAND POLICE: We will be on the streets tonight in numbers even more than we were last night. And we have

got arrangements in hand to get mutual aid that will be arriving here tomorrow. And we're looking to get a further some 200 officers to get on

the streets to deal with this.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): The rioting triggered by a knife attack Monday night, where the victim, Stephen Ogilvie, was saved by neighbors, but lost

an eye, according to authorities, and remains in hospital in critical condition with head and neck injuries.

The suspect, named in a Belfast court Wednesday as Hadi Alodid, a 30-year- old Sudanese refugee who authorities say was legally in the U.K. and was charged with attempted murder.

[15:20:07]

Other immigrants in Belfast now concerned for their safety.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm afraid maybe I might be the next to be attacked on the street, so I don't know, where to take my family, my children, who is

nine years old, who is asking me every question that crosses his mind, and I don't know how to answer him. I don't know. Maybe I'm the next.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): The British prime minister calling for calm at a time when the U.K. is being tested by divisions over immigration.

KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: But let me be clear, Mr. Speaker. The acts of violence and arson that followed are totally unjustified. We

are united in calling for calm and determined to restore order.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Last year, anti-immigrant riots lasted five days. In Northern Ireland, tensions are easily combustible. The legacy of

grievances from 30 years of sectarian bloodletting a generation ago has left easy kindling and a know-how for fiery rioting.

Adding to concerns violence could escalate further, some anti-immigrant mainland UK campaigners have already come to Belfast, others posting on

social media.

BOUTCHER: It's very easy, these days especially, to look online and be persuaded by people who know nothing about Northern Ireland. Stop listening

to these idiots. We will be going after them for the incitement that they've been doing.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Most everyone in Northern Ireland hoping for calm.

Nic Robertson, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Let's take you to Belfast then. Some images coming into us. It's about 20 past eight in the evening. You can see groups again, mass groups

out on the streets, as the police were saying, hundreds more police officers out tonight. They have been using water cannon against these

groups. As dusk settles, there is expected to be a lot of tension there and the real challenge for the police yesterday was that there were -- it was

clearly organized in a way to have lots of isolated incidents around the city spreading the resources of the police which is why they've come out in

force tonight you can see them using water cannon to try to push those protesters back.

Northern Ireland very well rehearsed on street violence. They've had a lot of experience of it and they are putting it into effect tonight.

Seema Syeda is the advocacy and communications director of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants.

Seema, thank you for joining us.

Whatever the politics here, we are seeing a situation where immigration is becoming a very sensitive national issue. Some people calling it a national

security crisis. How would you encapsulate what's happening here in the UK for people outside the country?

SEEMA SYEDA, ADVOCACY & COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR OF THE JOINT COUNCIL FOR THE WELFARE OF IMMIGRANTS: What's happening here is the result of a global

attempt because it is being fanned the flames are being fanned by people like Elon Musk to stir up hatred towards black and brown people, towards

migrants, towards Muslims, to blame all of society's problems on people who have nothing to do with the cause of it.

We have a society where there is an economic crisis, there's a cost of living crisis, and people are really unhappy. Things are very febrile. And

part of that is to do with the economic system that we're in. And some of these billionaires causing that problem are now funding the platforms like

Twitter, pushing the algorithms that push people towards violence. And what we need as a community, as people who care about our neighbors, our

friends, our colleagues, no matter the color of their skin, is to come out and defend our communities from this violence.

And if you know someone who's racist or someone who's interested in committing this kind of violence, it's time to have those conversations and

bring people back and bring people together.

Now, politicians in the U.K. have been part of fanning the flames of this violence. Governments have been part of fanning the flames. So have

sometimes police forces themselves in the way that they communicate and the way that they act. And what we actually now need to see is people saying,

politicians, governments, everybody saying that racism is never acceptable and to tackle that on and to stop blaming migrants and people of color for

the problems that we're all facing together in society.

FOSTER: How do you convince hard-minded people like the ones we're watching currently protesting in Belfast when they see undeniably horrific

instance like the one in Belfast earlier this week, like the one in Southampton recently as well?

[15:25:04]

And as you say, fanned by social media because these videos are going viral and there are politicians who are using these as examples for underlying

national problem.

SYEDA: Well, firstly, there is never any justification for this kind of violence, for firebombing someone's house or someone's car, for attacking

people just because of the color of their skin. It doesn't matter who committed a single crime. You cannot blame an entire community for the acts

of an individual. And the fact of the matter is that violent crimes do happen all the time. The vast majority of them in the U.K. are actually

committed by white people. And, of course, sometimes they are committed by people who aren't white because people who aren't white also exist in our

communities.

That does not mean that an entire race or all migrants should be seen as criminals who deserving of attack. And I think that's a very basic thing to

say. At the same time, I think violent crime is something that we also need to deal with by understanding the causes of it. What is pushing people,

whether they're white or black or brown to commit violent crime? It's often mainly men who commit these crimes. So we need to think about male violence

as a societal issue, right?

And people often talk about sexual crimes against women. Well, we've seen with the Epstein scandal that these kind of crimes can go to the highest

levels of society. So it's not one particular group that we should be blaming. It's something that's a problem across our society, whether you're

white or black, and that's what we need to deal with by actually tackling the root causes of crime.

It's never justified to go and attack somebody's home, to riot in the streets and attack immigrants. That's never justified.

FOSTER: Seema, thank you very much. Our thoughts with innocent bystanders if they get caught up with events tonight, but we'll keep it across -- keep

everyone across what's happening in Belfast. Thank you.

The murder of an 11-year-old girl is leading to protests in France and political fallout.

Paris bureau chief Saskya Vandoorne the latest on that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(CHANTING)

SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN PARIS BUREAU CHIEF: A man accused last year of raping a 10-year-old girl was never investigated or charged. Now France is

asking whether that failure cost an 11-year-old girl her life.

VANDOORNE (voice-over): The 11-year-old went missing from her family home in southwest France at the end of May, authorities said. After several days

of searches, her body was found on a nearby farm, according to French media reports.

The suspect, the 41-year-old father of a classmate, is now under formal investigation and in custody. He told police Lyhanna was in his car on the

afternoon she disappeared, but that he dropped her off at a swimming pool, BFMTV reported.

The man, Jerome Barella, had previously been flagged to police on at least two occasions for allegations of sexual violence against minors, with the

latest coming in 2025 when he was accused of raping a 10-year-old girl. No police action was taken in regard to either complaint. An attorney for

Barella told BFM that his client was presumed innocent.

VANDOORNE: Many here are shocked that repeated warning signs were apparently missed, with critics accusing authorities of prioritizing

procedure over protection. The case has reignited a broader discussion over how seriously sexual violence is treated here in France.

VANDOORNE (voice-over): One person who's been campaigning on this issue is Caroline Darien, the daughter of mass rape survivor, Giselle Pelicot.

CAROLINE DARIAN, GISELE PELICOT'S DAUGHTER (translated): When you see the suffering of victims -- I know what I'm talking about -- you see the ordeal

victims have to endure. It destroys lives. In Lyhanna's case, as in so many others, we have a problem in France. What is our justice system doing? We

have four times fewer prosecutors in France than the European average. People file complaints, and nothing happens.

VANDOORNE: And with the French presidential election less than a year away, candidates from across the political spectrum have seized the case as

evidence of systemic issues, forcing the current government to acknowledge failings in the French justice system.

GERALD DARMANIN, FRENCH JUSTICE MINISTER (translated): One must know how to recognize when we make mistakes that lead to the tragedy that we know,

out of respect for the family, of course, but out of respect for all French people.

VANDOORNE (voice-over): And tasking authorities to look into 70,000 other complaints of sexual violence towards minors by mid-July.

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has even gone as far as suggesting that the punishment for serial rapists of children be raised to a life

sentence from the current 20 years.

Lawmakers in the French Parliament held a minute of silence on Tuesday to mark the tragedy. But all this has done little to placate the thousands of

protesters who took to the streets across France this week.

[15:30:01]

PROTESTER (translated): We have a real issue here, how can we ensure our children can go out safely and won't encounter repeat offenders? This is

today's topic --

VANDOORNE (voice-over): Meanwhile, the family of Lyhanna is still struggling to come to terms with her tragic loss.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (translated): Our whole little world has collapsed. Once again, I have no words to describe this horrific tragedy that has

struck our family. Standing before you all today and talking about Lyhanna feels surreal.

VANDOORNE (voice-over): The pressure is now really on for the French government to try and quell this very palpable anger by pushing through

stricter laws tackling sexual violence towards children and addressing what French President Emmanuel Macron called unacceptable failings in the

justice system.

Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Well, still to come, President Trump says the U.S. is planning to ramp up attacks on Iran, so where does that leave negotiations between the

two sides?

I'll speak with an expert on the region next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Back to our top story, the threat of new US strikes on Iran from President Trump. President promising the U.S. will hit Iran again hard

today, that's after the two countries traded blows following the downing of an American attack helicopter. The U.S. president has warned that the U.S.

could once again hit critical infrastructures in Iran such as power plants and bridges. The Iranian president called that warning a sign of

helplessness. So what we want to know is, can a diplomatic path really be found between the US and Iran?

[15:35:02]

Joining me now is Bilal Saab, senior managing director at TRENDS US and a former Pentagon official in the first Trump administration.

Bilal, thank you so much for joining us.

How are you reading what the president is saying, this contradiction that talks are happening, they're going well, but that attacks are going to

restart.

BILAL Y. SAAB, SENIOR MANAGING DIRECTOR, TRENDS US: No, I don't see a contradiction, Max. As a matter of fact, we're not in a really unique

terrain here. We've seen this before where things are happening simultaneously. You get a few shots fired here and there in exchange of

fire between the two sides, and yet they are still negotiating.

My understanding, I hope I'm not wrong on this, is that they've really made a good bit of progress with the help of the Qataris and the Pakistanis over

the past few days. So prior to this, military incident at sea, they have gotten pretty close to the number of issues over which they've been

negotiating, including the Short of Hormuz, the nuclear stuff, and the frozen assets.

Now, just like anything else in high-stakes negotiations, it's always the details that matter, which I've been doing my best to pay attention to. And

then, of course, the sequencing, right? You do this, I do this, and then we move forward.

So, no, I think this is just a bump in the road, to be honest. I hope I'm not naively optimistic about it.

FOSTER: It's not bilateral, though, is it? We've seen this week, haven't we, that Iran is bringing, you know, not just the Strait of Hormuz into the

equation here and the nuclear issue, which applies to them, but also what's happening in Lebanon and the Israeli internal pressure to push hard against

Hezbollah.

All of these are different moving parts and they're historically complex and some people would say unsolvable anyway. So how's the president

managing to balance all of that? Because I know there's a lot of frustration obviously in the Netanyahu camp about how he's, you know, some

would say, appeasing Iran on some issues.

SAAB: I agree with you that it's not bilateral. And probably some of the complexity of this whole thing is that there are just too many cooks in the

kitchen, which means that anyone could have an opportunity, let's call it, to spoil things, right, to play the role of spoiler. But the core

negotiation remains. And if there is a breakthrough on the U.S.-Iran negotiations, it should have positive effects on everything else.

And I do agree with one of the officials who was interviewed lately if I'm not mistaken by Axios saying that the longer this thing drags on then the

more opportunities for these spoilers to play a role and essentially, you know, make this a little bit more difficult, but I am of the opinion still

that I don't think any of these players outside of Iran and the United States could torpedo the whole thing. I think President Trump and the

Iranian leadership, whoever it may be that they're negotiating with, because really don't know right now what they're negotiating with, are the

central players in this matrix.

FOSTER: What do you make of these potential attacks on more critical infrastructure, you know, power plants, bridges, civilian structure, some

people would argue that's a war crime. Should he not be focusing on military targets?

SAAB: Yeah, I don't want to sound flippant about it, but it really doesn't cause such a major change in the process of negotiations. I don't think

it's a make or break. I don't think it really has the potential to really collapse the whole thing.

Obviously, President Trump is frustrated that we're not at a stage where we can actually sign a deal with the Iranians. He seems like, you know, he's

frustrated by the pace of the Iranian decision-making system. But on the other hand, this is typical, the U.S. approach over the past few weeks and

months, where there's some contradictory messages and some confusion, where he said, sitting with the embassy reporter, if you recall, Max, saying,

well, look, we were in crises with Vietnam and Korea and Afghanistan and Iraq for years and years and years, so I can wait as long as -- as I want.

But on the other hand, he seems quite frustrated that the Iranians are taking their sweet time and they're not making a decision. So I don't know

where he is mentally and psychologically on this, but I will revert back to facts. Let's just stick to facts. There has been a good bit of progress on

the core issues that separate the two sides over the past few days with the help of the Qatari and Pakistani mediators. Now it's just a matter of time.

I don't think they want to go back to war. Neither side wants to go back to war. Neither side wants to go back to military action. It's just that

there's certain things that there's no way the administration will not respond to, including, of course, this military incident that happens in

the waters of the Persian Gulf or the Strait of Hormuz.

FOSTER: Yeah, thankfully, the pilots were okay.

[15:40:00]

Bilal Saab, as ever, thank you so much for your insights on that.

SAAB: My pleasure, Max.

FOSTER: Now it is the final moment of trade on Wall Street. The stocks are down today. The Dow Jones down more than 800 points as a sell off in

artificial intelligence stocks deepens.

This is our Business Breakout.

Now, oil prices climb today on the back of increased tension in the Middle East. Brent crude rose to just below $94 a barrel. U.S. crude oil rose 3

percent to more than $90 a barrel. The Trump administration has proposed new rules for online prediction markets. The rules could see changes to

bets in sports, including on player injuries and officiating outcomes, but it keeps the minimum age for prediction markets at 18 and does not ban

betting on elections as some had called for.

The famous restaurant Noma, often voted as one of the world's best, says it will reopen in Copenhagen this August after a year of controversy behind

the scenes. The restaurant's head chef and co-founder resigned earlier this year after allegations he abused staff. Noma stopped service in 2024, but

opened up a pop-up in Los Angeles this year.

New economic data is raising concerns about rising costs for Americans as oil prices stay high. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, consumer

prices jumped 0.5 percent in May, pushing the annual rate to 4.2 percent. It's the first time this key inflation rate has topped 4 percent in more

than three years.

Still to come, the pope's visit to the world's tallest church. We'll also have an update on the work still to be done after 144 years of

construction.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Pope Leo led mass today at the world's tallest church. Pope Leo led mass today at the world's tallest church.

The pontiff was at Barcelona's Sagrada Familia, where he also delivered a blessing. Construction on the church began 144 years ago. And this year,

the building's last major structural element was put into place. That's the Tower of Jesus Christ.

But we don't know, when will La Sagrada Familia be completely finished?

Joining us now, Pao Mosquera. He is in Barcelona. I mean, it is just the most stunning building, isn't it? But it's not actually finished. So what's

the plan?

PAO MOSQUERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, right now the architects wish that they can complete the whole Basilica in the next decade, but it's not sure

if they will get to finish within this plan following this plan because they have now a major challenge ahead. This is completing the Glory Facade,

one of the three facades that Antoni Gaudi, the architect envisioned.

And the point, Max, is that the Glory Facade, it is designed to be the main entrance to the temple, but there's this challenge, which is that the

entrance is four meters above the ground and the construction board wants to construct a staircase to save this gap. But as there's not enough space

in the street, this maybe could require demolishing some of the buildings that are just in front of it. But so far, the neighbors, the construction

board and the city council have not reached an agreement on how to proceed. And this is why it is not clear what it is going to happen over the next

years.

And right now, Max, let me tell you that the Holy Mass that Pope Leo just led during the last hour got to an end. And all the guests that were inside

the Basilica are now exiting because now within a few seconds, a few minutes will take place the inauguration of the Tower of Jesus Christ. This

is the tallest of all the basilica that rises 560 feet above the ground, Max.

FOSTER: What's it like when you get inside?

MOSQUERA: Well, I can tell you that it's pretty impressive. I've been many, many times inside because I'm from here I'm a local from Barcelona

and every time that I go in I get Goosebumps because for example the light, the colors with the light you can see how all the windows are painted with

different colors and as you move and you walk around, it feels like being inside a moving painting.

And it's also spectacular, for example, the different towers that compose the central nave because it makes you feel like you are inside of a forest.

In that case, a forest made of a stone, but it really is impressive -- Max.

FOSTER: Yeah, I really can't wait to see it. We don't often build things like this these days, do we?

Pao, really appreciate it.

Now, we are on the eve of the World Cup football, of course. Find out our predictions as to who'll bring the trophy home. All complete speculation,

of course, but we'll also explain how you can get involved.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:51:04]

FOSTER: Football excitement blasting off this week as the FIFA World Cup finally gets underway. The opening match scheduled for Thursday in Mexico

City with the home team playing South Africa.

A few hours later, South Korea will take on the Czech team in Guadalajara. The World Cup final will be played at MetLife Stadium near New York City.

That is July the 19th. Now football fans are set for more than a month of bumper action, of course, with a whopping 104 matches actually in total.

It's the first time 48 teams will be taking part in an expanded tournament.

If you want to know who we're personally backing, Isa Soares, Paula Newton, and myself, narrowed down our top picks.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Can I ask for help from the crowd? No. Anybody? No.

ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, I can't do a winner. I can't do a winner.

I can't do a winner. This is awful.

FOSTER: I'm not a great expert in the footballing -- prowess of any of these teams.

SOARES: Will I lose friends? Yes, I most likely will.

NEWTON: This is so tough, guys. I'm already nervous, and they haven't even started.

FOSTER: I mean --

NEWTON: This is how you get it done. Good juju for your team, okay?

SOARES: I think that Max will pick England for his final. Clearly very biased like me.

FOSTER: Well, I don't know why Paula is even involved in this because Canada's going nowhere.

NEWTON: I don't have any research or any football or soccer knowledge, but I make up for it in enthusiasm.

SOARES: Okay, there's no science. I'm just going to go with my gut, okay?

NEWTON: All right, here, here we're going. So we're going to select here the first and second place teams in each group. So this is easy, actually.

SOARES: I'm going to put Morocco first, Brazil second. I'm sorry, Brazil.

NEWTON: I'm going with Mexico first, South Korea second.

FOSTER: Can I just ask you, they're playing each other, these two, aren't they, and those two?

SOARES: Now select the eight best third place teams. Here we go.

NEWTON: They are telling me to select eight of the best third place teams. This is not easy.

FOSTER: Australia because they're always good at sport.

SOARES: I have put Scotland because my producer would be offended if I don't.

NEWTON: I'm going to go with South Africa.

FOSTER: So we're in the knockout round. I've nailed it basically. And I am going to predict the winners of this entire tournament, so this is very

exciting for you.

NEWTON: Ecuador and Senegal is just so tough.

SOARES: Now, this would be a cracker of a game. Argentina, Uruguay, two massive rivals and neighbors. I would pay to watch that.

FOSTER: Brazil will beat the Netherlands, although the Netherlands could fluke it, but it is Brazil and they always come up Trump's (ph).

NEWTON: England and Mexico. You know, Mexico is going to be at home.

FOSTER: We are now into the final all of a sudden.

NEWTON: This would be epic. We've got France and then I'm picking Brazil.

SOARES: This is not politics or foreign policy. This is just gut. So, Portugal.

FOSTER: We are into the final, and Spain won.

NEWTON: I'm Paula Newton here in New York, and I have just completed my World Cup bracket. Brazil's going to take it all. Don't ask me why.

SOARES: I'm Isa Soares, and the winner of this year's World Cup will be Portugal.

FOSTER: I'm Max Foster. Spain is going to win the World Cup if everything goes to plan. But, you know, anything could happen in the World Cup.

NETWON: So remember, guts, spirit, stop being cynical. Keep repeating it to yourself. They're bringing it home.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Do not lay any bets based on our advice, particularly Isa's, who's clearly the most biased of all of us. You can make your very own 2026 FIFA

World Cup prediction on our website, as we were doing there, CNN's bracket. In this interactive graphic, you can play out your predictions for the

entire tournament. It really is quite addictive when you get going, so spare some time.

Now, the Trump administration is defending its decision, meanwhile, to bar a Somali referee from entering the U.S. Omar Abdulkadir Artan arrived back

in Mogadishu today to a hero's welcome. A White House official told CNN he was denied admission due to association with suspected members of terror

organizations. Artan, who was named Africa's top male referee in 2025, would have been the first Somali to referee a game at the World Cup.

I'm Max Foster. That is WHAT WE KNOW. Do stay with CNN.

END

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