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Search And Rescue Efforts Ongoing Amid Rising Death Toll; U.N. Pauses Evacuation Of Seafarers Near Strait Of Hormuz; Trump, Johnson Meet Amid Standoff Over "SAVE America Act." Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired June 26, 2026 - 04:00   ET

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[04:00:00]

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SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers all around the world and in the United States. I'm Salma Abdelaziz in London. Let's get into the headlines. There is devastation in Venezuela. We have the latest on the search and rescue efforts that are underway after two very powerful earthquakes.

And a new strike on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz shuts down shipping traffic. We're live with a report from the region.

Plus, a stunning turn of events for the U.S. men's soccer team. The latest World Cup results as the teams advance to the knockout rounds.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from London, this is CNN Newsroom with Salma Abdelaziz.

ABDELAZIZ: I want to start in Venezuela where emergency crews are right now racing to find survivors of deadly twin earthquakes. A massive search and rescue effort is underway across the country. So far, roughly 230 people are dead and more than 4,300 are injured.

Those figures are expected to rise as first responders sift through the rubble. Hundreds of people are trapped under debris or missing after the quakes collapsed houses and buildings in the capital Caracas and throughout the country.

That video shows passengers panicking aboard a plane at the international airport north of Caracas as the powerful tremors shook the aircraft on the tarmac. Many people in Venezuela have lost everything in these quakes. There's an urgent need for aid and shelter as residents are left to sleep outdoors.

The U.S. Treasury has temporarily lifted some sanctions on Venezuela to allow for humanitarian aid and global relief efforts are ramping up. Venezuela has felt nearly 140 aftershocks following the back-to- back earthquakes on Wednesday evening. The second quake was the strongest to hit the country in more than a century since the year 1900.

I want you to listen to how one survivor described the fear and the emotion felt when the tremors struck.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We recovered what we had there. I don't think I was able to save anything else there.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): How was the moment? How was it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): How was it? It was horrible. It was horrible. It was something I had never felt in my life as horrible as what we felt here yesterday. Too much, too much, too much.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Did you feel at any moment that you were going to lose your life?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Yes, you know.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): What went through your mind?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Like this is it for me. This is it for me. I couldn't do anything else because I grabbed my wife, my son, I hugged them, and, you know, that was it. This is it for me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: The twin earthquakes were so powerful that CNN contributor Stefano Pozzebon actually felt those tremors hundreds of miles away in neighboring Colombia. He's following the developments for us from Bogota.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR (voice-over): Chaos, confusion and fear, these were the scenes as not one but two earthquakes rocked Venezuela in a matter of seconds. Massive buildings collapsed to the ground in the capital, Caracas. And the country's main international airport was forced to shut down after feeling the ripples and destruction of the tremors. Acting President Delcy Rodriguez declared a state of emergency as search and rescue operations continue looking for survivors. The 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes hit at around 6:00 p.m. local on Wednesday. The epicenter was the country's northeastern coast. Venezuelan authorities said they registered around 140 tremors throughout the country.

MARIA ALEJANDRA, VENEZUELA EARTHQUAKE SURVIVOR (through translator): I was here when I managed to get dressed. He helped me and all the walls were cracked. We managed to open the door however we could. There was a cloud of smoke that wouldn't let us see. And when we went downstairs, the scene was like a horror movie.

POZZEBON (voice-over): The coastal state of La Guaira was hit the hardest. Three-story houses were flattened into piles of debris and major highways split in half. Many feared aftershocks have taken shelter in outdoor squares and parks.

JOSE TERRAZA, VENEZUELA EARTHQUAKE SURVIVOR (voice-over): We slept here on the pavement and that bench. Well, slept, nobody could sleep last night and nobody wants to go back inside now.

[04:05:06]

POZZEBON (voice-over): Venezuelan authorities are calling it the worst natural disaster to hit the country in nearly three decades. This comes in the midst of political and economic instability. The United States and neighboring countries have offered aid and supplies. The real cost of the tragedy is still impossible to predict.

Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, Bogota.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABDELAZIZ: Joining me now is Tommaso Della Longa. He is the spokesperson for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Good morning, first of all. I know that there is so much happening. Thank you for making the time to speak to us.

TOMMASO DELLA LONGA, SPOKESPERSON, IFRC: Good morning, Salma. Thanks for having me today.

ABDELAZIZ: I know the clock is ticking on these rescue efforts. It's now been about 28 hours since those earthquakes hit. Can you give me an update on those rescue operations?

DELLA LONGA: Indeed, thanks for this question. Of course, we know by experience that the first hours after the earthquake are really the most important one to save lives. The search and rescue operation is going ahead in all the affected areas. Red Cross teams are supporting this operation, in particular in Great Caracas and in La Guaira.

Of course, the more we go ahead, the more it will be sadly difficult to find people alive. But hope is still there. And there is the entire emergency response machine that is working for it. ABDELAZIZ: So you're very much talking about that golden window, which is usually about 48 to 72 hours after a quake when people can be found alive. Do you know how many people are stuck under the rubble and what do you need to get to them?

DELLA LONGA: Yes, absolutely. It's very difficult to have clear numbers at the moment. The situation is fastly evolving. And I would also say that we are just entering in the second day after the earthquake and still we don't have a full clear picture and a full clear assessment of the level of damage, but also of the needs. So then even in terms of numbers, it's very complicated.

What is needed, of course, I think that this is really a team effort. It's not only one agency or one organization that can do this. So the Red Cross, of course, is working with local authorities, with other organizations. Everyone has his own role. For us, it's really supporting the search and rescue. I mean, to find people under the rubble. And in particular, the Venezuelan Red Cross has specific expertise in first aid, but also in psychological support, because we need to think about the people who are alive and they are completely in panic and shocked for what has happened. In a few seconds, they lost everything.

ABDELAZIZ: So it sounds like you're speaking about two parallel operations here, of course, the rescue efforts to pull people out from under the rubble, but also provide support for, as you said, those who are in shock on the ground. What do those people who are affected need the most right now?

DELLA LONGA: Well, I would say that there are several priorities. Of course, a safe place, so emergency shelter, but also the basic items that you can think about. I mean, we're talking about hundreds, actually, I would say thousands of people who lost everything in a few seconds. They don't have any more anything. So we're talking about food. We're talking about water. We're talking about mattresses, tarpaulin, everything that is needed, basically, to survive after such a massive level of devastation.

The good news, if there is any good in this tragedy, is that we are able, as IFRC, to mobilize already 17 tons of humanitarian aid that will fly today from our hub in Panama to Venezuela. Also, to support the operation, we launched an emergency appeal for almost $60 million that will support the life-saving activities of the Venezuelan Red Cross now, but also in the weeks and months to come. And we really call on the international community to show solidarity and help our activities.

ABDELAZIZ: And as you said there, you're calling on the international community to show solidarity. You have tons of international aid on its way, you said today, but more is going to be needed. I think the key question that many people are asking is, does the country have the infrastructure to deal with this crisis, or is that something they are going to need to rely on from the outside?

DELLA LONGA: Well, I would say two things. The first one is that after such a massive double earthquake, I wonder how many countries are ready to respond. We're looking at a vast-scale devastation, of course. Infrastructure is heavily impacted. Even the Red Cross headquarters in Caracas has been damaged. And several of our volunteers and staff lost their homes and still are responding.

Then, of course, we also have to add the second Venezuela, as we all know, is a country that has faced several challenges in the last years. So there was a system that was already weakened. So then, after such a big earthquake, the situation is even more complicated. The reality, though, is that it's not something that will be solved in a few days or in a few weeks. Here, we're looking at a recovery process that will last months, if not years. And this is why it's very important to show the solidarity, not only now, but in the months and years to come.

[04:10:28]

ABDELAZIZ: Tommaso Della Longa in Geneva there on the rescue operations that are underway, but the very long efforts that will also need to continue to recover those who have been traumatized by these two quakes. Thank you so much for your time.

Now, there are no claims of responsibility yet after the latest strike on a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. A U.S. official says an Iranian drone hit the cargo ship on Thursday. The incident happened just as shipping was starting to pick up on the heels of the interim agreement between the U.S. and Iran. As a result, the United Nations is now pausing the evacuation of thousands of seafarers who had been stranded in the Gulf because of this conflict.

Israel says it is going to temporarily reduce its forces in Lebanon to try to sustain what the military calls long-term operations in the region. In a statement to CNN, the Israeli Defense Forces said it will withdraw several thousand troops in both Lebanon and Gaza. The letter made no mention of giving up occupied territory. The IDF said its forces are withdrawing so they can go through, "readiness training."

The IDF is facing a manpower shortage after more than three years of war in Gaza and now in Lebanon. And this comes as both Israel and Lebanon are set to resume talks later today. For more on all of this, I'm joined now by Paula Hancocks in Abu Dhabi.

Good morning to you, first of all. So much happening in the region. But I want to get into what's happening in the Strait of Hormuz right now. Because as we just mentioned, the U.N. has paused its efforts to evacuate hundreds of ships and thousands of stranded people. What happened? Why did they pause it?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Salma, this happened on Thursday when there was a vessel that was transiting the Strait that was struck by an unknown projectile, according to the U.K. Maritime Agency. They say that it damaged the engine room of a vessel. No environmental damage, no casualties. But, of course, this has shaken the confidence of those vessels and seafarers that were trying to make that journey.

Now, the U.S. says they believe it was an Iranian drone that was this -- the cause of this. We're hearing from Iran no claim of responsibility. But just hours before, the Revolutionary Guard had said that they couldn't guarantee safe passage for any vessels that were taking any passage except the Iranian route. This is effectively the northern part of the Strait of Hormuz, controlled at this point by Tehran.

We are seeing, understandably, the majority of vessels taking the southern path of the Strait of Hormuz, so hugging the Omani coast. The IMO, the International Maritime Organization, has said that it has suspended its evacuation of the vessels that have been stuck in the Persian Gulf since the beginning of this war. That's more than 11,000 seafarers.

They say that they are seeking more clarity at this point, as their priority is the safety of these seafarers. So, it has put some concern back into the Strait, where we had been seeing this week really a record number since beginning of this war of transiting ships. We saw from marine traffic 70 vessels managed to get through on Wednesday.

That was double the amount of Tuesday. But, of course, this has now changed all of that. Now, we've heard from the U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who has been in this region. No country can claim sovereignty over international waters. We have heard it from Iranian officials that they would like this to be controlled by Iran.

They say that they have been in coordination with Oman, which, of course, is the territory on the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz, though Oman's foreign minister has said there should not be any service fees or any tolls for ships crossing.

We also heard more from the Secretary of State about this $300 billion reconstruction fund that is part of the Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. and Iran, supposed to be funded by Gulf nations, and he was asked about that while he was in the region. Let's listen to his response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the meeting with the GCC allies, did any of them make any commitments to pay into this $300 billion reconstruction?

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: No, it was not discussed. I mean, that reconstruction cut, that's way down the road, and that's something, you know, that'll be dealt with at the appropriate time in this process. But that was not discussed by anybody.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[04:15:08]

HANCOCKS: This is for a future time, so looking into the future and not imminently. We also know that with this Memorandum of Understanding that there has not been much focus on the things that really do matter to the Gulf nations, and that is Iran's missile program and also Iran's support for proxies in the region. Salma?

ABDELAZIZ: Paula Hancock's there in Abu Dhabi with the latest from the region. Thank you so much.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson is sending lawmakers home early as Republicans remain deadlocked over President Trump's SAVE America Act. A small group of Republican holdouts has been blocking House business to pressure the Senate into voting on the President's voter I.D. bill. Johnson met with Trump for hours Thursday. The meeting came a day after Trump had abruptly canceled plans to sign a bipartisan housing bill.

After their meeting, the President urged the holdouts to stop grandstanding and end the stalemate. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson says he and President Donald Trump are on exactly the same page. Our Kristen Holmes has more from the White House for you.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, it certainly looks as though Speaker Mike Johnson got something out of his lengthy meeting with President Trump. It was roughly three hours. And as Speaker Johnson was leaving the White House, we saw him walking out. We saw President Trump posting on Truth Social, encouraging Republicans not to hold the House floor hostage.

This had been something that Johnson had wanted to talk to the President about. As we reported, these hardliners were saying they were not going to let anything pass on the House floor until the SAVE America Act went through. The other thing we have since learned is that Speaker Johnson is sending that housing bill over to the White House.

And this is significant for a number of reasons. Of course, as we remember, President Trump was set to sign this bill on Wednesday and then at the last minute said he wasn't going to unless he got the SAVE America pass. This bill is a bipartisan bill.

And when the House GOP transmits it over to the White House, that starts the 10-day period in which President Trump has to either sign it or it will go into law. Now, he could veto that bill, but it does seem unlikely that he would want to be on the wrong side of this housing bill, especially given that Speaker Johnson and really anyone in Congress could tell you that they have the votes to override a President's veto, which would be certainly embarrassing for President Trump.

Now, we're still learning more details about what happened between these two men. But one thing is very clear. Speaker Johnson has a unique ability, a way to handle President Trump. And he came out of this, with all intents -- for all intents and purposes, somewhat successful in at least getting that housing bill transmitted over to the White House and getting President Trump to intervene with those Republican hardliners who are trying to hold up Speaker Johnson's agenda.

Kristen Holmes, CNN, the White House.

ABDELAZIZ: The Trump administration scored two wins on Thursday in its efforts to limit immigration. The Supreme Court ruled that immigration officials at the U.S.-Mexico border can turn away asylum seekers before they enter the country. The justices also allowed the Trump administration to end temporary protected status, known as TPS, for hundreds of thousands of Haitians and Syrians now living in the U.S.

TPS protects people from being returned to countries that are struggling with war or natural disasters. In dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor warned that, quote, more people will die. Supporters of Haitian migrants in Miami were, of course, not happy with the ruling.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TESSA PETIT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FLORIDA IMMIGRANT COALITION: My people, they can't go back. It's real. The reality in Haiti is real.

PAUL CHRISTIAN NAMPHY, POLITICAL DIRECTOR, FAMILY ACTION NETWORK MOVEMENT, LEAD ORGANIZER: There is no grounds for terminating Haiti TPS. Based on the country conditions inside Haiti, this is absolutely absurd.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: Now let's go to the World Cup, which is heating up as more teams secure spots in the next round. Ahead for you, who is moving on and who is heading home after a string of high-stakes games on Thursday.

[04:19:26]

Plus, a massive search and rescue effort is underway in Venezuela. The death toll is rising after two back-to-back earthquakes collapsed homes and buildings. We'll have the latest on the crisis.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ABDELAZIZ: There is no clean sweep for the U.S. as they head into the knockout stage of the World Cup. The team ended the group stage games on a sour note, losing to Turkey 3 to 2 just a few hours ago. But the U.S. still took the top spot in Group D, thanks to victories in their first two games. On the other side of the group, Australia and Paraguay tied at nil-nil.

The score -- the Socceroos are moving ahead, but Paraguay also has a good chance to advance as third-place finishers. In Group E, Ecuador pulled off an upset, beating four-time champion Germany 2 to 1. That means Ecuador came from behind to secure a spot in the next round. Germany had already snatched the top place in the group.

And in Group F, Japan and Sweden tied at 1-1, with both teams moving to the knockout stage. And Turkey stunned Team USA with a last-second win on Thursday, handing the Americans their first defeat in the World Cup. This was the Americans' final game before the knockout round starts next week. Turkey is already out of the World Cup.

CNN's Andy Scholes has all the action for us.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: I tell you what, I mean, you could not tell that there were no stakes in this game based on the atmosphere. It was just electric. Outside the stadium beforehand, inside of the stadium that entire game, I mean, it was just unbelievable. But as you said, the USA had already won the group coming into this one.

[04:25:02]

Turkey, they were already eliminated from the World Cup. But this match still turned out to be incredible. I'll show you the highlights of how it all went down. Early on, this stadium had the chance to erupt right away because off a corner, Auston Trusty, he buries the goal three minutes in. And the U.S. would take a lead almost immediately.

It was the second-fastest goal in U.S. World Cup history. The defense, though, for the U.S., showing some cracks. You know, it was a whole new back line playing for the U.S. in this one. And Turkey, who hadn't scored at all in this World Cup on more than 60 shots, finally found the back of the net twice. They took a 2-1 lead into the half. But the U.S., they responded, 49th minute, there was a throw. And then Sebastian Berhalter, he was just awesome in this entire game. He leveled the match at two with a one-timer.

And then in the 58th minute, kind of the moment all of these fans here were really waiting for, Christian Pulisic making his return from injury. And then every time he touched the ball, I mean, the crowd just went wild. All the fans really wanted a goal from him so badly. He came close a couple of times, but the U.S. never able to get that go-ahead goal. And then in the 98th minute, everyone thought this game was just going to end in a tie. But Turkey, on the last kick of the game, would win it.

The crowd in the stadium was just absolutely stunned at that point. Final ended up being 3-2 Turkey, but the U.S. still wins the group. And they say they're not going to lose any momentum with this result. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHANDLER GALT, USMNT FAN: The first two games, incredible. Again, I think today they showed that even their second string can come in, compete against a world-class team. We're so excited for the next round.

ALEX WATSON, USMNT FAN: It's a weird feeling. I'm a lifelong USA team. It's weird to think that we lost, but it didn't really mean anything, and we're still going through first place in our brackets. I mean, this experience was phenomenal, and I couldn't wish for anything else. Obviously, that last goal sucked, but at the end of the day, it is kind of crazy that we played with basically our entire subs, and we still showed out against one of the better teams in the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Yes, so those are actually the fans that were leaving the stadium. As you can hear, they're still optimistic about the U.S. chances going forward in this World Cup. Here's what the players had to say after that last-second loss.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN BERHALTER, USMNT MIDFIELDER: I think you saw the second half, how we came out, and I think they deserved more out of that game. At one moment, we slipped in the last-second game, and, you know, I think we're proud of Pulisic put-in. I think the guys, you know, did well, and, you know, we fought. And, you know, unfortunately, not the good result, but we'll be ready for sure.

BRENDEN AARONSON, USMNT FORWARD: You can always take these things as fuel. You know, having that moment in the last one where they score, it's tough. We wanted to walk away with, you know, no loss in the group stage, but, you know, we've got to take it as it was still a fantastic group stage. We had so many really, really good performances, and even before the group stage, with the friendlies, we're at a top level. I'm not worried whatsoever. We're going to move on to the next one and be ready to go for Bosnia.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: There are six more games coming up on Friday local time. Two each in groups I, H, and G. Norway and France are kicking things off to start the day in Boston. Then you have New Zealand and Belgium closing out Friday in Vancouver. The round of 32, or the knockout round, will begin on Sunday.

[04:28:14]

Europeans are enduring more record-breaking temperatures. Find out when they can expect a break from this heat wave.

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