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Donald Trump Says Cease Fire With Iran Is On "Massive Life Support"; Final Passengers Disembark From Hantavirus-Hit Cruise Ship; Vladimir Putin Suggests Four-Year War Could Soon Come To An End; Putin Suggests Four-year War Could Soon Come to an End; Iranian Regime May Be Linked to Recent Anti-Semitic Attacks; More Than 70 Labour Lawmakers Urge Keir Starmer to Step Aside; Macron Pledges $27 Billion Investments as Paris Seeks New Partners; Man Arrested After Allegedly Shooting at Cars in Massachusetts; Barcelona F.C. Celebrate 29th La Liga Title With Parade. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired May 12, 2026 - 02:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:00:56]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM, a cease fire on life support. That's Donald Trump's assessment of where things stand with Iran just hours before he heads to Beijing.

Under quarantine, passengers from a cruise ship hit by a hantavirus outbreak return to their home countries as worries linger about potential spread.

Plus, a cloud unlike any you've ever seen, we will look at the science behind this rare beauty.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Thanks for joining us, and we begin with the Iran war, as the White House weighs a critical decision that could break the fragile cease fire. Sources tell CNN, President Trump is now giving serious thought to resuming major combat operations in the region. They say the president has been voicing his frustration and impatience with how Tehran is handling the negotiations to end the war. Here's what he said at the White House on Monday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I would say the cease fire is on massive life support where the doctor walks in and says, sir, your loved one has approximately a one percent chance of living.

(END VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH: Meanwhile, Iran's top negotiator took to social media to warn against any aggression, saying, in part, "We are prepared for every option. They will be surprised."

All of this as President Trump is scheduled to depart for Beijing in the coming hours to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The Iran war, U.S. tariffs and tensions over Taiwan are all expected to be on the agenda.

CNN's Kristie Lu Stout joins us live from Hong Kong with the latest. Good to see you, Kristie.

So, President Trump says the cease fire is on massive life support after he rejected Iran's latest peace offer. What are the chances of a deal now?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, hopes for a deal really have been dashed given the current situation, but we've also just learned that, as anticipated and as planned, the United States is releasing 53 million barrels of oil from its strategic reserve, all in a bid to stabilize oil prices and minimize the pain for consumers as the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed after what 10 weeks of war, as I've been saying reporting this day, hopes for a cease fire have been dashed with U.S. President Donald Trump calling the cease fire with Iran, "On massive life support." That was after he received and outright rejected that counter proposal from Iran to end the war.

And I want to show you what that counter proposal looks like. And I have to add here, we don't have an official readout from either side. What we've learned on the Iranian side is based on what we've read from Iranian state media. And this is what Iran countered with. It wanted an end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, compensation for war damages, an end to sanctions, an end to the U.S. blockade, resumption of Iranian oil sales, guarantee of no further attacks, and Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. President Donald Trump has rejected this. And so, oil prices have been rising. We continue to monitor the price of Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, as well as West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark. You can see there on your screen, Brent crude is now gaining about one percent, meanwhile, gas prices at the pump in the United States remain elevated.

According to AAA, right now, the average price of gas is $4.52 a gallon. This is the highest level since 2022 and analysts have pointed out that the spike in gas and diesel is costing American households about $300 a month. So, the pain is being felt. The U.S. President Donald Trump is aware of this. That's why he says he will reduce the federal gas tax.

[02:05:02]

But Tehran is digging in. Tehran is defiant, and it also has expressed its intent to inflict pain on the U.S. taxpayer. Let's bring up this comment was posted on X by the Iranian parliamentary speaker saying this, there is no alternative but to accept the rights of the Iranian people as laid out in the 14-point proposal. The longer they drag their feet, the more American taxpayers will pay for it.

So, here we are in this current situation, 10 weeks into the conflict, the Strait of Hormuz remains virtually closed, and according to shipping data, just last week, only three vessels laden with crude oil managed to exit the Strait of Hormuz. Back to you.

CHURCH: And Kristie, as the war drags on and just ahead of Trump's meeting with Xi Jinping in Beijing, the U.S. has issued new sanctions for Iranian oil shipments to China. What more can you tell us about

that?

STOUT: Yes, Rosemary, the U.S. Treasury Department has announced on Monday, more sanctions on individuals and companies for facilitating Iranian oil shipments to China.

On that list that was released on Monday, you have four Hong Kong based companies, and this follows a previous round of sanctions that was announced by the U.S. government on Friday. On that list, two China based companies, one Hong Kong based company.

And analyst do point out, it's interesting, no Chinese banks have been targeted just yet with these sanctions. But this also comes right up against what's happening later this week, May 13th to 15th, this big meeting, the summit between the U.S. President Donald Trump, Chinese leader Xi Jinping, highly anticipated. It's highly expected that Donald Trump will be pressing Xi Jinping to somehow use China's weight, use China's leverage, to somehow rein in Tehran and to get what the U.S. and also China needs right now and the world to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

CHURCH: Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. Many thanks for that live report. Appreciate it.

Well, joining me now from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent with The Economist. Appreciate you being with us.

GREGG CARLSTROM, MIDDLE EAST CORRESPONDENT, THE ECONOMIST: Thanks for having me so.

CHURCH: President Trump says the ceasefire with Iran is on massive life support, as sources tell CNN, the President is seriously considering resuming combat operations. What might this signal about diplomatic efforts to end the war as Trump prepares to head to China to meet with President Xi Jinping?

CARLSTROM: It all feels a bit deja vu at this point. I mean, just about every week over the past month since the cease fire took hold, we've been hearing these sort of dueling reports about efforts to reach a diplomatic deal, and then the president, you know, huddling with his security advisors to talk about the possibility of renewed military action.

But I think fundamentally, the dilemma here is you can't end a war unless one or both parties think that the cost of continuing that war outweighs the benefits of continuing it. And I think both for the Americans and the Iranians right now, they believe that they are imposing enough economic pain on the other side through these mutual blockades in the Strait of Hormuz that eventually it will compel the other side to make more concessions and to be more amenable to the sort of deal that they want.

So, unless that changes, if both sides think economically, they have the upper hand here, and time is on their side, it's very hard to see how you get to an agreement.

Clearly, the Iranians don't feel much pressure to make significant concessions. You look at what's been reported as being in their latest proposal, there are no major concessions there. The Americans have certain red lines that they are not going to budge on either. And so, for now, we're locked in the stalemate.

CHURCH: So, where do you see the next step here?

CARLSTROM: The question is whether someone wants to try and break that stalemate militarily. And this is where we come back to these reports of Trump huddling with his advisors. I'm skeptical that he wants to do that. I mean, we've been through five weeks of intensive American and Israeli bombing of Iran. It's not clear what another round of bombing is going to achieve. It's not clear how that would either change the regime's decision making or take away the cards that it's using at the negotiating table, its control of the Strait of Hormuz, its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, things like that. It's just very difficult to deal with those things militarily.

So, if there was to be another round, what would that look like? It would be further airstrikes like what we saw in the first round of war, there would be intensified Iranian attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure, which would have huge consequences for the global economy.

I don't think that's very attractive from an American perspective, particularly heading into this summit in China, heading into the World Cup over the summer. And so that leaves us with continued stalemate for some time until one or the other party decides that the economic pain is just too much to bear and they have to make concessions at the negotiating table.

[02:10:09]

CHURCH: So, what role might China perhaps potentially play in any effort to find an end to this US war with Iran, and how would that work without emboldening China?

CARLSTROM: The Iranians are always very keen for China to play a larger diplomatic role in the region, and we did see it play some role last month in getting to the cease fire. China wasn't, of course, the main mediator. Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, they played that role. But China helped at the very end, I think, to push the Iranians over the line to convince them to accept the cease fire.

Would they want to go further than that? Can they go further than that now? It's not clear they have some leverage over Iran as the main customer for its oil exports, but we shouldn't overstate that leverage. I don't think they can convince the regime to do something that Iranian officials see as fundamentally not in their interests right now.

And then, the Iranians would like to see China step in, perhaps to guarantee this deal, to offer promises that the Americans will respect it, the Americans will not, in the future, launch another round of fighting. It's just hard to see how China does that. They can't offer those sorts of guarantees.

And historically, whenever there have been expectations that China will play a larger diplomatic role in the Middle East, it often doesn't meet those expectations. It doesn't want to be a diplomatic power yet in this region, I think it's very happy being an economic power, but leaving much of the mess of Middle Eastern diplomacy to other countries.

CHURCH: And on Sunday, President Trump rejected Tehran's response to his peace proposal, calling it totally unacceptable. Now his administration is imposing these sanctions on 12 companies and individuals that it says helping aid the sale and shipment of oil from Iran to China. How might this impact Trump's meeting with Xi and any efforts to end the war?

CARLSTROM: I think it depends on how much further the Americans are willing to press this with China. I mean, as your correspondent mentioned, there haven't been any Chinese banks added to these sanctions lists so far.

So, if it's just this game of whack a mole, which the Americans have been playing for many, many years with China going after front companies, and in some cases, going after the so-called teapot refiners, these independent refiners that turn Iranian crude into refined products.

If that's all they're going to do, then we've been through this before, and it doesn't really -- China will shrug this off and continue buying Iranian oil. If Donald Trump wants to push this further, he wants to start imposing broader sanctions on the Chinese financial sector or other parts of the Chinese economy that would turn into a real clash at this summit in Beijing.

But I suspect he also has other priorities. He wants to talk about trade. He wants to talk about economic deals. I think the last thing he wants to do is have this summit be overshadowed by some sort of sanctions war between the U.S. and China over Iran.

CHURCH: Gregg Carlstrom in Riyadh, many thanks for joining us. Appreciate it.

CARLSTROM: Thank you.

CHURCH: The cruise ship at the center of a hantavirus outbreak is now enroute to the Netherlands, where it will be disinfected. There are still 25 crew members and two medical professionals on board. All remaining passengers disembark the ship on Monday, more than a dozen American passengers are now back in the U.S. where they are being monitored at facilities in Nebraska and Georgia. Two were flown to Atlanta for further assessment and care at Emory University.

A former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had this to say about the agency's role in the current outbreak.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. TOM FRIEDEN, FORMER CDC DIRECTOR: Instead of being a leader in global health we're on the sidelines, and the World Health Organization is doing a solid job on a very complicated investigation. It involves multiple countries, hundreds of people, thousands of contacts, really difficult stuff.

And if the U.S. were members of the World Health Organization now, we could contribute to them doing a better job, and we would be better protected here.

So, bottom line is, when it comes to this hantavirus and these outbreak, there is no danger to the general public. When it comes to the dismantling of the CDC, with firing thousands of staff, we still have a part time director at CDC. Most of the unit directors are acting or part time or vacant. We are much less safe. We can't have a safe USA with a weak CDC.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The American passengers are among dozens who were evacuated from the ship off Spain's Canary Islands. CNN's Melissa Bell is in Tenerife, following all the developments,

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[02:15:03]

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The last of the passengers may have left the MV Hondius ahead of its onward journey to the Netherlands. But amongst those 17 Americans evacuated on Sunday, at least one new case of Hantavirus now confirmed, with another passenger showing symptoms which can include fatigue and a fever. The two had been kept in isolation away from the others as they traveled to Nebraska.

BELL: The American case is interesting because that passenger had been identified as having had close contact with some of the deceased passengers on board the MV Hondius, which is why when he was brought ashore on Sunday, he was brought ashore separately from the other American passengers. It's also a reminder of the length of this virus' incubation period.

BELL (voice-over): The other confirmed case from those disembarked on Sunday, a French woman who began feeling unwell on the flight home to Paris. That's according to France's health ministry. She is now in quarantine at this hospital to the north of the French capital.

TEDROS GHEBREYESUS, DIRECTOR-GENERAL, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: The French passenger is deteriorating now. Imagine if that happened in the ship and her fate would have been more dangerous, actually. So, she's in good hands and she's protected now.

BELL: Even as you have sought to contain this virus, the World Health Organization, with this operation, you're understanding how it functions better and better. Are you confident now that we know enough about it, that this is an outbreak that we're hoping can fight this and thanks to the work that you've done here?

GHEBREYESUS: We learned our lessons from COVID as well. As we say, this is not another COVID. It will not be a pandemic.

BELL (voice-over): What started as a voyage of adventure to some of the world's most remote islands turned into a nightmare for dozens of passengers after three people died and several others fell ill with the virus. The evolution of the infection has been closely tracked by the World Health Organization, even as it has sought to contain its spread.

DR. BORIS PAVLIN, MEDICAL EPIDEMIOLOGIST, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: The most important aspect from now, because all the symptomatic people were offloaded last in Cabo Verde, the issue now has turned to the remaining passengers and crew who had, to varying degrees, contact with those sick individuals before they were offloaded.

BELL (voice-over): As the military-style operation wrapped up in Tenerife, the ship's captain put out this message, thanking everyone for their solidarity.

CAPTAIN JAN DOBROGOWSKI, MV HONDIUS: The past few weeks have been extremely challenging to us all, as I'm sure you know. What touched me the most, what moved me the most, was your patience, your discipline, and also kindness.

BELL (voice-over): The flurry of evacuations and repatriation flights seems to have gone smoothly. But even as the last passengers are offloaded, it is those in contact with anyone who is both positive and symptomatic that are now at greatest risk.

Melissa Bell, CNN, Tenerife.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Joining me now from Geneva is Dr. Olivier le Polain, he heads the epidemiology and analytics for Response Unit at the World Health Organization. Thank you, Doctor, for talking with us.

DR. OLIVIER LE POLAIN, UNIT HEAD, EPIDEMIOLOGY AND ANALYTICS FOR RESPONSE UNIT, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: Thank you for having me.

CHURCH: So, it appears no matter what health experts say to try to calm public concerns, people are worried that the deadly hantavirus outbreak that started on that cruise ship will end up spreading now that passengers have been flown back to their home countries. What would you say to those people to convince them that this will not spread like COVID?

LE POLAIN: We have, you know, experienced previous outbreaks of hantavirus. And what we know about technology is that it really is not a virus that transmits easily. It really requires prolonged, close exposure to infected cases. The cruise ship was an exceptional circumstance. The cruise ship has all the ingredients to be conducive to outbreaks we've seen that were other viruses as well.

And so, the objective of the operation that we saw in terms of repatriation and what's happening now is really to make sure that this outbreak is being contained, and we reassure to know that all passengers are being repatriated. They're either self-isolated or in quarantine. And that's the best way to ensure that the outbreak will be contained. It's also the best way to ensure that if anyone develops symptoms, that they're in the best hands possible to be managed when symptoms occur.

But the risk, the general risk, remains low, and we said that for when it first started, and we are still of the opinion that the risk is low to the general public.

I understand this is frightening. I understand there's memories of COVID as well, but it's a different virus, and it spreads differently.

CHURCH: So, what is the best way to break the chain of transmission of the hantavirus? What is the protocol? What is the process?

LE POLAIN: The best way to break the chain of transmission is to ensure that anyone who becomes infectious doesn't have contact and close contact with other individuals who might then acquire the infection.

[02:20:09]

And this is why we recommend quarantine, be it at home or in facilities. And that the reason for that is that people are most infectious when the symptoms initially occur. In the first phase of the -- in the first few days of illness, people are the most contagious, and it's sometimes difficult to notice those symptoms. Those symptoms might be a bit mild, so that's why it's very important for individuals, once they start feeling unwell, to make sure that they don't have contact with anyone else, and that's why we also recommend quarantine.

But if that happens, and we know that the risk of spread remains, regardless, reasonably low, and that's the best way to ensure that there's no onward transmission and that this outbreak can effectively be contained, and the measures seem to have been put in place in the various countries after repatriation of passengers, the application of the guidance might differ slightly, but by and large, it is really about making sure that anyone who might be infectious when they develop symptoms, do not infect others.

We know the incubation is fairly long, and that's why that period of quarantine may need to be quite long to make sure that we are not seeing onward spread.

CHURCH: So, what do we all need to know about hantavirus? And what advice would you give those people who still worry that they could be exposed, and perhaps people, particularly in cities that find out that some people have come back from that cruise ship and are living in their city or in their area?

LE POLAIN: Hantavirus is not a new virus, and these virus is not a new virus, there have been a number of cases reported in areas of the world where it's most common and endemic also because you can be contaminated through environmental exposure, and those cases continue to be reported, for example, in the southern part of Latin America when it comes to the Andes virus.

The virus itself is not easily transmissible. It is really through close and prone contact, and we know that it's really the conditions in the context of the ship that made that outbreak flare up in the way it did.

So, with that outbreak being contained, with passengers being identified, with close contacts, being followed up with good recommendation and isolation, the risk to the wider public remains very low, and we know more cases could occur because of the long incubation period, we hope not too many, but that essentially reflects past exposure on the ship. It doesn't necessarily affect current exposure because of the long incubation period.

So, the numbers that we've seen today and the cases that we've seen today reflect what happened in terms of their transmission and what happened in terms of the outbreak a few weeks ago.

CHURCH: Dr. Olivier le Polain, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it.

LE POLAIN: Thanks for having me.

CHURCH: Of course. Coming up, Vladimir Putin's comments about the end of his war in Ukraine are raising questions. We will get into it when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:27:38]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Vladimir Putin says he thinks his so- called special military operation in Ukraine could end soon. His cryptic comment comes as Russia faces a stalled front line, a deeply strained economy and far-reaching Ukrainian drone attacks. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh explains the significance of that statement.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A peculiar parade for a peculiar admission.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I think that the master is coming to an end, but it is a serious matter.

WALSH (voice-over): President Putin has almost never talked about the end of his war in Ukraine, and less in the context of an unlikely total victory.

But after a massively and embarrassingly reduced Victory Day parade on Red Square with absolutely none of the hardware that in past years marked Russia's display of military might, he went a little further, suggesting an old German friend, a former chancellor might be a mediator for direct talks with Europe.

PUTIN (through translator): Personally, I would prefer the former chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Mr. Gerhard Schroder.

WALSH (voice-over): And even calling the man He loathes and has refused to meet for talks unless it's here, Mr. Zelenskyy.

PUTIN (through translator): I simply heard once again, that the Ukrainian side, Mr. Zelenskyy is ready to hold a personal meeting.

WALSH (voice-over): Why the change of tone or even heart, Putin has long faked it when it comes to peace talks. Perhaps this was aimed at an audience of one, Trump who had declared the ceasefire. Putin wanted for his parade.

TRUMP: I'd like to see a big extension.

WALSH (voice-over): Protecting this show from Ukrainian aerial attack. Zelenskyy seized the moment to issue a decree, trolling Putin that he, "Authorized the Kremlin's parade by ordering his forces to cause attacks on central Moscow for its duration." The ceasefire itself was as in previous iterations, barely observed outside of the parade.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): There was no silence on the front line today. There were hostilities. We have documented all of this. We can also see that Russia has no intention of ending this war. And we are preparing for new attacks, unfortunately. But there must be peace.

WALSH (voice-over): Ukraine may lack manpower, but now has robots, thousands of them. Zelenskyy announcing in April the first robot capture of a Russian position.

[02:30:00]

And they offered their anti-drone technology to Arab Gulf nations reeling under Iranian attacks, even if it is, like here, a drone shooting a Russian drone with a shotgun strapped to it.

Putin, instead, has mounting problems, airstrikes leaving Moscow feeling vulnerable, internet blackouts to stifle dissent, economic warning lights blinking red. And such an end may not just be designed to placate Trump, but also his own elite, that an unpopular and savagely costly war may have an end in sight. Just don't expect him to say how yet.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Warsaw.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWSROOM": A string of anti- semitic attacks in Europe, CNN investigates possible links to Iran's regime.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:35:25]

CHURCH: The Anti-Defamation League reported this month that 2025 was the third highest year on record for anti-semitic incidents in more than four decades. While there are many contributing factors to this alarming statistic, it appears some of these incidents may have been a coordinated effort.

CNN's Jomana Karadsheh investigated alleged links between Iran's Islamic regime and a recent series of attacks on Jewish people around the world.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 17 claims of attacks targeting mostly Jewish sites in seven weeks. We've been investigating Iran's possible links to these incidents, an investigation that has led us to a stunning discovery of something so sinister that, as we'll show you, is happening right in the open.

KARADSHEH: They're asking me if I have access to Zionist individuals or assets.

RABBI YEHUDA BLACK, KENTON UNITED SYNAGOGUE IN LONDON: It was just a matter of time that one of our communities was going to come on to attack.

KARADSHEH: We saw him taken away by an ambulance.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): Days after the war in Iran began, firebomb and arson attacks hit buildings, including synagogues, Jewish centers and schools in Europe. A previously unheard-of group calling itself Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Righteous, claimed the attacks in not-so- sophisticated videos and statements. We found that the claims seem to first appear on these Telegram channels that are associated with Iranian-backed Iraqi groups.

A source close to Kata'ib Hizballah, the most powerful of Iraqi Shia paramilitary groups that works closely with the IRGC, confirmed to us its links Ashab al-Yamin and told us some of its members are Iraqi. Security experts believe the group is just a front for the IRGC. British counterterrorism police are investigating Iran's potential links to the London attacks and whether the regime may be hiring criminal proxies to carry them out, possibly recruiting people online.

KARADSHEH: When you think of online recruitment by foreign intelligence services, you might assume that's something happening in the deep, dark corners of the Internet. But take a look at what we found.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): This Telegram channel, in English and Hebrew, called VIPEmployment, says it's recruiting "high-paid agents" it claims for Iranian intelligence. If you're ready to take the next step, it says, hit the start button. Undercover, Producer Flo and I started two separate chats, exchanging direct messages over several days with these accounts.

FLORENCE DAVEY-ATTLEE, CNN FIELD PRODUCER: So my conversation begins with someone calling themselves Sina. They quickly ask me lots of questions about myself, trying to get to know me. And then they assign me a task.

Two posters, anti-Trump, anti-war posters. They ask me to film myself putting them up on the streets of London and offered me $2 per poster paid in crypto. And later on in the conversation, they seem to coach me on how to avoid CCTV cameras.

Do it in a place where there are no surveillance cameras, they say. At one point, I question, how can I confirm you are Islamic Republic intelligence, as you say you are? And they say, the work I assigned you is against the policies of the filthy Zionist regime in America.

KARADSHEH: With me, they get straight into it. What are my capabilities? What action can you take against Zionist individuals or assets? Do you have access to specific individuals or information, they ask. I ask what they mean by access to specific individuals or information.

People who work in security and military agencies, such as the Shin Bet, the Army and the Mossad, they say. And I ask them if they're only recruiting people in Israel. They said no, we can hire anyone who can harm Israeli interests or individuals.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): And with those words, we decided to end the conversation there. But others appear to have taken the bait. We found VIPEmployment, a channel with the same name, is alleged to have been used to recruit Israelis to spy for Iran, referenced in this indictment and other official documents.

The Israeli men were given initiation tasks very similar to the one we were given by the Telegram account. From there, prosecutors say the men were tasked with filming government and military sites in exchange for money.

[02:40:00]

One of them, an IDF reservist, was even offered more than $30,000 to assassinate his commander. We can't confirm any links between VIPEmployment and the recent anti-semitic attacks in Europe, but the one thing they seem to have in common is Iran.

Here in the U.K., the wave of attacks has left the small Jewish community feeling more vulnerable than ever. One of the group's targets in London, the Kenton United Synagogue, attacked they claim for being "a center of Zionist influence" and its rabbi, a key instrument of Zionism.

BLACK: Just take you in here.

KARADSHEH: Oh, the smell.

BLACK: Yeah, it's quite -- it's quite pungent, isn't it? And you can actually --

KARADSHEH: Still smell the fire days after.

BLACK: 10 days after and it's still quite pungent, isn't it? They came from the outside. They smashed this window in and they threw a firebomb in here.

You can see the damage that that's been caused.

KARADSHEH: Wow. I mean, how did you feel when you walked in and you saw that?

BLACK: I was really upset, obviously. I mean, it's only a medical room. I mean, we can replace it. We can redecorate it and everything else.

But what could have transpired, that is really hard, you know?

KARADSHEH (voice-over): With anti-semitism at record highs worldwide, Rabbi Black says the attacks were a shock, but not a surprise.

BLACK: My biggest concern is that it has to stop. People have to realize that what's happening elsewhere is happening elsewhere. But what's happening over here is plain anti-semitism.

KARADSHEH: A 17-year-old British national pleaded guilty to arson without endangering life. In a written statement, he apologized. He said he has nothing against the Jewish people and said that he didn't know that this was a synagogue.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): Many of the suspects here and elsewhere in Europe are teenagers. Authorities are warning anyone considering getting involved in these attacks for quick cash, they will be "used once and thrown away." But it seems these attacks may have already opened the floodgates, emboldening others to follow.

On our way back from the synagogue, we noticed a heavy police presence.

KARADSHEH: As we were making our way, we heard that people had been stabbed here. And as we approached the police lines, we could see at the time the suspect was still on the ground, surrounded by the police.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): Two visibly Jewish men were stabbed. From the shadows, Ashab al-Yamin claimed the attack without providing evidence of links to the suspect, who, according to police, has a history of mental illness and serious violence. Claim, confuse, intimidate and inspire, that's all part of their tactics, leaving so many in this community bracing for even darker days ahead.

Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: The Iranian embassy in London denied having any link with or involvement in the London attack, saying in a statement, such baseless accusations against the Islamic Republic of Iran lack credible evidence and appear to serve narrow political agendas and to mislead public opinion and distract from the real root causes of terrorism and violent extremism.

British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer is on the hot seat. Just ahead, why members of his own Labour Party are telling him it's time to step aside.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:48:23]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Britain's Prime Minister is facing growing pressure from his own party to resign. More than 70 Labour MPs have publicly urged Keir Starmer to step aside or lay out a timeline for his departure. Last week's local elections were a disaster for his governing party, which lost more than 1,400 seats across English councils and control of the Welsh Parliament.

But the prime minister says a Conservative government would be worse.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I think what we witnessed with the last government was the chaos of constantly changing leaders and it cost this country a huge amount, a huge amount.

(APPLAUSE)

STARMER: Yes, I acknowledge the frustration. Yes, I acknowledge the results are tough. Yes, I acknowledge that we've lost brilliant representatives across the United Kingdom. I have a responsibility for that, but I also have a responsibility to deliver the change that we were elected and that we promised this country and I'll deliver on that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: If he were to step aside, his successor would become Britain's seventh prime minister in a decade. Reaction now from the streets of London.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't see anyone better really, so it's -- is it better the devil you know? Who knows? We'll see. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, prognosis doesn't look great, seems like his policies haven't been quite the same as his manifesto. I think he's on a sticky wicket and it looks like the Labour MPs maybe want him out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He should definitely go. He won't stay. I think he might survive the week.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[02:50:00]

CHURCH: Right now, Day 2 of the Africa-France Summit is getting underway in Nairobi, Kenya. More than 30 African leaders are gathering for meetings with French President, Emmanuel Macron. Paris is seeking new deals and partnerships on the continent, and Kenya is hoping to attract French investors looking to take advantage of the pan-African free trade area.

Kenya's president is calling for industrial independence amid the Iran War.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM RUTO, KENYAN PRESIDENT: We do not want to be held hostage anymore by the Strait of Hormuz. We do not want to be held hostage by wars that are started by other people. We have our own resources here and we are saying, we are going to use our African resources to industrialize our region.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: In an unusual moment during a presentation at the summit, French President Macron interrupted a speaker to ask the audience to quiet down. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah. And our beaches are dirty, so then --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Already? You're not waiting your turn.

EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT: I will make order. Excuse me, everybody. Hey, hey, hey. I'm sorry, guys, but it's impossible to speak about culture, to have people like that, super inspired, coming here, making a speech with such a noise.

(APPLAUSE)

MACRON: So this is a total lack of respect. So I suggest if you want to have bilaterals or speak about something else, you have bilateral rooms or you go outside.

If you want to stay here, we listen to the people and we're playing the same game. OK? Thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The summit will include discussions on financial reforms, investments, peace and security in the day ahead.

A man is facing charges after allegedly using a rifle to erratically shoot at cars driving on a busy street in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Two people were shot and are hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. At least a dozen cars were struck by gunfire.

Police identified the suspect as Tyler Brown, who they say allegedly fired 50 to 60 rounds. A state trooper and a former Marine who had a license to carry shot at Brown, who is now being treated for injuries. Officials say Brown faces multiple charges, including two counts of armed assault with intent to murder.

Still to come, a stunning sight in the sky, why some are calling it a 'rainbow cloud.' We'll explain just ahead.

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[02:55:24]

CHURCH: Look at this, stunning moments of color painting the sky have been caught on camera. It wasn't the northern lights but a rare rainbow cloud phenomenon. CNN Meteorologist, Chris Warren explains.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS WARREN, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): Video out of Indonesia shows a massive cloud with a rainbow like halo glowing at the top and it doesn't even look real, but it is. The science behind it is the same thing you've seen in a soap bubble or an oil slick. It's called iridescence.

Inside that cloud are tiny water droplets or ice crystals. Sunlight hits them and splits into a spectrum of colors. Some colors turn vivid, others fade. This is rare because everything has to line up perfectly. A thin cloud, uniform cloud particles, and you in exactly the right place to catch it. Miss any one of those and this disappears.

It's the same physics you're used to seeing scaled up to the sky.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Incredible isn't it?

Well, for the first time in more than a decade, a leading group of pediatricians has put out new guidance on the importance of recess to school children. The American Academy of Pediatrics says unstructured breaks can help kids build confidence and new relationships.

They recommend students get at least one 20-minute break every day during school. In countries like Denmark and Japan, some students get unstructured breaks after every 45 to 50 minutes of instruction. Physical activity during the day also helps prevent obesity and too much screen time.

The experts also say recess should be protected and never withheld as a punishment.

Barcelona took to the streets to celebrate clinching their 29th La Liga title. Thousands of fans gathered on Monday for a victory parade through the city as the club partied on their open topped bus. Barcelona sealed the championship with a 2-0 win over their arch-rival Real Madrid with three matches to spare.

The club brought along the Spanish Super Cup for good measure, which they also won against Real Madrid earlier this year. Well done.

Well, thanks so much for your company this hour. I'm Rosemary Church. "CNN Newsroom" with Polo Sandoval is next after a short break.

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