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Mediators Float 10-Day Ceasefire as U.S.-Iran Strikes Reached 10th Day; India's Cockroach Party Demands Corrupt Education System as Protesters Marched New Delhi Streets. Aired 3-3:45a ET

Aired July 21, 2026 - 03:00   ET

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

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POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Hey everybody, thank you so much for being with me. I'm Polo Sandoval live in New York, and this is "CNN Newsroom."

A 10th straight night of strikes in Iran and no end in sight to the conflict. As U.S. officials warn that President Trump is out for revenge.

And clashes between police and protesters in India. And an activist on a hunger strike will tell you more about the cockroach movement that refuses to die.

And with the World Cup over and loads of new soccer supporters, we'll look at FIFA's growing fan base here in the U.S.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from New York, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Polo Sandoval.

SANDOVAL: Hi everybody, we do want to begin in the Middle East, where an effort to de-escalate attacks between the U.S. and Iran are being one-upped by, as one U.S. official puts it, President Trump's focus on making Iran pay.

Earlier, U.S. Central Command announced that the completion of the 10th consecutive night of strikes had happened. Iran's state media reported explosions in the country's southern region along the Gulf of Oman and near the Strait of Hormuz. And on Monday, the Pentagon confirmed that nearly 100 U.S. service members have been injured in the past two weeks.

And that announcement does come after CNN reported that the U.S. military has been slow to disclose injuries to troops in this war. And mediators between the U.S. and Iran have floated a 10-day ceasefire in an effort to get the two countries back to the negotiating table. As for the White House, we wouldn't say if it would accept a pause in the fighting, but did acknowledge that diplomatic efforts are ongoing.

Let's go to CNN's Leila Gharagozlou live in Abu Dhabi. So what do we know about these U.S. efforts also to increase some of their fighter jet presence there on the ground?

LEILA GHARAGOZLOU, CNN PRODUCER: Yes, so we are hearing that we're expecting to see some increased U.S. fighter jets here in the region as President Trump kind of looks to see what he wants to do with this conflict and how to proceed forward.

Now, for some people, they're taking this as a sign of potential escalation again, despite the fact that we're also hearing that there are diplomatic efforts being made behind the scenes.

Now, last night, U.S. CENTCOM said that they struck Iranian military command centers, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and air defense systems. So a rather expanded list than what we've seen over the last couple of days when it comes to targets that they're hitting in that southern region. So the concern of escalation is definitely rising day by day.

So the effort to mediate and bring the two sides back to the table is one that is really top of mind, particularly for regional countries like Qatar, who've been at the forefront of mediating between the U.S. and Iran. Now, whether this actually happens is very unclear. Both the U.S. and Iran have essentially said that they're open to some sort of mediation and negotiation and diplomatic track, but we're also seeing simultaneously this escalation in the region.

So it's unclear how that will actually come to fruition. What we do know is that the MOU at this point has essentially collapsed, partly because of its vague language, partly because of the difficulty of implementing that vague language. So there is this idea that they would likely have to once again start from scratch.

We're going to have to see how the next couple of days play out and what President Trump really decides to do with this region. Polo?

SANDOVAL: Yes, absolutely. So much uncertainty there. Leila Gharagozlou, thank you so much for that live report.

Well, today, Andy Burnham is set to hold his first Cabinet meeting since becoming British Prime Minister. He replaces former leader Keir Starmer, and he's now the U.K.'s seventh prime minister in a decade. Burnham was, he has wasted no time making some bold promises to the public and pledging to make politics work better, as he said.

CNN's Max Foster has details on Burnham's first day and outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer's last day.

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MAX FOSTER, CNN LONDON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Britain's new Prime Minister, the seventh in just over a decade of political turmoil, arriving at Downing Street on Monday with a promise of change.

ANDY BURNHAM, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I know people at home are fed up with politics. I hear you, and I want to be honest with you.

We have not been good enough, and we need to be better. We will be. [03:05:08]

We will make this moment a circuit breaker for Britain, bringing forward the biggest changes in the last 40 years.

FOSTER (voice-over): Doing away with the traditional Downing Street speech lectern, Burnham pledged to restore faith in government, bring down the cost of living, and end rough sleeping.

BURNHAM: I will put the care of people at the heart of everything I do.

FOSTER (voice-over): It came after a warm goodbye to the former leader, Keir Starmer, earlier on Monday.

KEIR STARMER, FORMER BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: My work is done.

FOSTER (voice-over): His resignation making him the shortest serving Labor Prime Minister in history.

STARMER: I go with good grace, I go with a smile, and I go proud of everything that we have achieved.

FOSTER (voice-over): It was less than two years ago that Starmer led his party to its biggest majority in parliament this century. But the British public soon soured on him, and ultimately it was pressure from within his own party, amid lagging poll ratings, that led to his exit.

And this moment.

STARMER: As I now pass the baton to Andy Burnham, I wish him every success. He has my full support.

FOSTER (voice-over): After leaving Downing Street, Starmer travelled the short journey to formally offer his resignation to King Charles at Buckingham Palace. Burnham then seamlessly stepped into his place, as he was invited to form a government by the monarch.

FOSTER: For Andy Burnham, this is actually a return to Westminster. He was a member of parliament here for 16 years, he was a member of the cabinet as well, before going on to Greater Manchester, where he became mayor, and one of the most popular politicians in the country. Now he's urging everyone, his supporters and the general public, to get behind him as he takes on his biggest job yet, the biggest job in the country.

BURNHAM: I will give this my all, and I ask you all to pull with me. Let's build a new national sense of unity, of common purpose and positivity. Let us make this the moment when Britain starts to believe again, the moment we bring back hope.

FOSTER (voice-over): But as the man dubbed the King of the North takes office behind the shiny black door in Westminster, the difficult decisions, both at home and abroad, begin.

Max Foster, CNN, Downing Street, London. (END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: And wildfires, they're still burning across Canada, but air quality, it has improved in southern Ontario, as well as the U.S. northeast and the mid-Atlantic.

But there are still parts of the Midwest that are still dealing with poor air quality levels, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, it has rated it as unhealthy or unhealthy for sensitive groups. Here's more now from a fire chief in Canada.

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FIRE CHIEF MARK SHRUFF, NEEBING EMERGENCY SERVICES: Northwestern Ontario, we're not strangers to forest fires. We deal with them every year.

However, with the scale that we're dealing with this fire season, especially with a relatively slow start, is unprecedented. And I think any of you talk to anyone in the Northwest, and they'll say they've never seen anything like it.

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SANDOVAL: And wildfires have increased tensions between Canada and the U.S., and now President Donald Trump is suggesting that America's northern neighbor should have to pay damages for the wildfire smoke.

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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Our air has been poisoned.

I have a good relationship with Mark Carney, but you know, we've got to stop the fires up there. If we can help them, we'll help them. But maybe they should pay us some damages or something, or we should do some tariffs?

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SANDOVAL: Well, President Trump on Monday announced a 50 percent tariff on certain Canadian goods, including electrical equipment and machinery, but administration officials say that the move is unrelated to those wildfires.

Now to Greece, which is currently bracing for a three-day heat wave. Temperatures there forecast to climb as high as 42 degrees Celsius, or 107 degrees Fahrenheit in some mainland areas.

Visitors to Athens' top tourism sites are braving the heat, doing anything they can to stay cool. You see some folks there using umbrellas, others using fans, and others, like one American tourist, say that they're just relying on a positive attitude to stay cool.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNKNOWN: It's very hot in Athens, but it's been hot back home as well. We've had a little bit of a heat wave, so trying to drink plenty of water, keep my head on my head, and just having the best time we can. That's all we can do.

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SANDOVAL: Meteorologists are expecting the soaring temperatures to persist at least through Wednesday.

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Well wildfires are also spreading through southern Bolivia as firefighters struggle to control the flames. But despite coordinated efforts, local media there say that the fires have spread to other regions.

Bolivia's defense minister says that helicopters will be needed to combat the flames in hard-to-reach areas, making things worse was powerful winds, as well as too little rain, and the beginning of the dry season. They've all worsened the fires.

Well flooding is also a problem in Chile. The authorities say that at least five people have been killed and thousands have evacuated after several days of rain there. The storm systems have caused landslides and overflowing rivers.

More than 33,000 people are isolated due to road closures and swollen rivers. Authorities are now working to restore power and drinking water in some areas. And a new storm is expected to bring even more rain in the coming hours.

Sinaloa drug cartel boss Ismael Zambada, known as "El Mayo," has been sentenced to life in prison here in the United States. He pleaded guilty last year to trafficking millions of kilos of cocaine over decades.

And during the sentencing, the man, described by the DEA as one of the most violent traffickers in the world, urged young people not to follow his path. At his sentencing, it ends one of the most significant drug prosecutions since the trial of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.

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A. TYSEN DUVA, ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: This defendant perpetrated unspeakable crimes and unquantifiable carnage on this country and other continents and many other countries for 50 years. Never held a legitimate job in his life. Never did anything worthwhile for any community.

All he did was spread evil, poison, kill, and corrupt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: And it's hard to forget how "El Mayo" ended up in the U.S. in the first place. You see, he was arrested in the U.S. in 2024 when a plane carrying him and one of El Chapo's sons landed at an airstrip right across the Mexican border, an airstrip in Texas.

"El Mayo" claimed that he was lured onto that aircraft under false pretenses and that the way that he was captured became a point of friction and continues to be a point of friction between the U.S. and Mexican governments.

Still to come, the cockroach party protests, how a youth-led movement with a unique name is trying to change India's education system. You're watching CNN.

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SANDOVAL: In India, a youth-led movement is demanding reforms to the education system in that country. Thousands of so-called cockroach party protesters demonstrated in the capital of New Delhi. They're calling for the resignation of the country's education minister.

You see some of these clashes here between police and demonstrators as they try to disperse the crowds. Some injuries have been reported there.

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UNKNOWN (through translator): Here, we were breaching the barricades to march ahead. We were doing a peaceful march, we were doing nothing wrong, we had no weapon in our hands, we were just marching forward.

Suddenly, the police broke into a scuffle with us and fired tear gas shells at us. There were women, children, and elderly people who were blinded by the gas for five to ten minutes, and the crowd almost trampled them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: At the party's growing popularity, it comes amid anger over recent exam paper leaks and unemployment rates there. A federal minister has now promised that the government will look into the party's demands. But the demonstrations, they mark a rare show of defiance against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.

Let's go now to Rahul Verma, he's a fellow at the Center for Policy Research. He's joining me from New Delhi. Thank you so much for being with us, Rahul.

RAHUL VERMA, FELLOW, CENTER FOR POLICY RESEARCH: Thank you so much for having me. Thank you.

SANDOVAL: Of course. It's coming up on almost 1 p.m. there where you are. I'm wondering if you could tell us just what the latest is after Monday's meeting between representatives of this Cockroach Janta party and the Indian government officials. What are you seeing there today? Are we still seeing defiant crowds in the streets?

VERMA: So, not as of now. What happened yesterday was unusual in a sense that the Cockroach Janta Party and its supporters were protesting for now more than two weeks. But this protest was largely confined to a small space in New Delhi. And they had given a call that a large protest on March would be taken out on July 20th when the parliament convenes for its monsoon session.

And so, since Sunday, we started seeing gathering of large crowds from neighboring states of Delhi. And so, yesterday on Monday, this protest was able to mobilize a large number of citizens on the street. The government representative met with some members of the protest team yesterday and the protest team submitted three main demands.

I think the first demand is resignation of the education minister. Second, that some of the issues related to exam paper leaks and education reforms should be brought on the table of the parliament now. And third, compensation for students who have died by suicide because of these examination leaks.

I don't think any big development as such has happened today, but it remains to be seen how government responds to some of those demands that have been made.

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SANDOVAL: You mentioned that growing chorus of calls for the resignation of the education minister. One of them, as you know, Rahul, is Sonam Wangchuk, the Indian activist who was on a hunger strike.

Can you just talk to us about that separate element that continues to develop right now? We understand that he was recently hospitalized. I mean, is that perhaps further galvanizing this movement?

VERMA: So Sonam Wangchuk had been on a hunger strike for more than two weeks. And a couple of days back, the government on, I think, the intervention of court, picked up Mr. Wangchuk from the protest site as the court basically had established a health monitoring committee of some doctors and doctors actually suggested that his health might deteriorate further if he continues on to this fast.

What I think happened in the last three days, and that's why this movement sort of like gathered momentum, is picking up of Mr. Wangchuk from that protest site by policemen and large number of policemen were in plain clothes. That created the first kind of imagery that this protest needed.

And after yesterday's, sort of like, altercation between police and the protest groups, they've got further, sort of like you know, imagery to create sympathy for their cause. Soman Wangchuk is well known activist and he has been speaking on educational reforms for quite some time, and he landed his support for this protest movement a couple of weeks back.

SANDOVAL: Can you also just speak to how this movement has become, quite frankly, just too large for Modi's government to ignore? And has there been, you mentioned on it at the top, has there been any really significant progress in reaching some common ground?

VERMA: So two things.

The first one, this movement actually started on Instagram. You know, some incident prompted the Chief Justice of India to make a remark or comment on activists saying that they are like cockroaches. And so the movement leader, who was just like, you know, a civil society activist at that time, was in the United States.

He started an Instagram page of Cockroach Janta Party, and that within a matter of three to four days, got more than one million, sort of like, subscribes. And so for last one month, it seemed that this movement is largely online and would not have any, sort of like, effect on the ground. Of course, those assessment needs to now change, especially in like the developments that have happened in last three days.

The second point that I want to make is that since Prime Minister Modi took power in 2014, every second or third year, this government has seen some big civil society protest. And to my mind, then in their wisdom, that this is one of those cyclical things that has kept on happening.

So they didn't, sort of like, engage with this protest for last three weeks. In fact, this was the first time in Prime Minister Modi's regime that this protest was allowed to have a place at Jantar Mantar, which is in some ways official designated spot for protestors, which was not done in the past.

Now, what is different about this protest or movement is that the previous, sort of like, movements were either on policy differences of the government, or on the ideological differences with the government. This protest is different because in some ways it speaks to the failure of Indian state or the government to be able to conduct these examinations for recruitment or examinations for admissions to institutions of higher education.

So in that sense, a large number of such cases of paper leaks have happened in last few years. So in that sense, this speaks to a very non-ideological element and an element about failure or administrative failure to be able to conduct exams fairly.

And so my own sense is that, because it speaks to the nature of this protest and the issue is very different. Now, with the growing number of people coming out in support, the government now needs to recalibrate its strategy, how they are going to deal with it.

Till now, till yesterday, the government did not engage with them, let alone speak to them. But yesterday, I think after some sort of back and forth, the government decided that a senior minister is going to meet with the representative. So that is where we are at this moment.

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SANDOVAL: It is certainly -- is a growing number of especially young people, very passionate people for this cause.

Rahul Verma, thank you so much for that extremely valuable context in those two key points that you point out. Thank you for joining us.

VERMA: Thank you so much for having me.

SANDOVAL: And still to come here on "CNN Newsroom," U.S. fans, they showed up for this year's World Cup. Why that could be a sign that a larger and maybe even more prominent football fandom could be growing?

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SANDOVAL: Welcome back. I'm Polo Sandoval, and these are today's top stories.

Yemen's Houthi rebels declaring their own maritime blockade on Saudi shipping affected immediately, the announcement posing a new threat to the world's oil supply. The Houthis are one of Iran's key allies in the region, and they have repeatedly warned that they could block the Bab al-Madab Strait, which is a choke point at the southern end of the Red Sea.

Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega is now moving to further consolidate power. The 80-year-old president is saying that the country will no longer hold elections. Ortega has held power continuously since 2007, and last year he made his wife co-president, the Trump administration calling his government a dictatorship.

Online influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate appear in federal court on Monday. The brothers were arrested in Miami by U.S. Marshals on Saturday following an extradition request from the U.K., they face multiple charges, including rape and sex trafficking. Their lawyers are saying that they are innocent.

Well, Spain's World Cup champions, they are celebrating their title in Madrid with some help of a couple of fans, two million of them to be exact. Huge crowds here. You see them filling the streets, welcoming home their players.

And this is just a day after their 1-0 victory over Argentina here in New York, New Jersey. In general, the U.S. isn't as excited about soccer as much as the rest of the world, but FIFA is working hard to change much of that with this year's World Cup.

In fact, some fans are worried that the tournament was being altered to suit American tastes. You see mandatory hydration breaks that stop play, and also a 30-minute halftime show during the final. They were just a few of the changes that were made by FIFA.

And whether those affected the World Cup experience negatively, Americans were still tuning in. And we are still waiting to hear exactly how many watched the Spain-

Argentina final. But Fox Sports, which had English-language broadcast rights, they said that the records were smashed long before that.

In fact, as of June 25, 84 million Americans had watched. And the quarter and also the semifinals, they were the most watched in U.S. history. And some 30 million viewers were glued to the U.S.-Belgium game, breaking the all-time U.S. soccer viewership record.

All right, with me now from Dallas is sports journalist and online creator Allie Anthony. Allie, so great to see you. Thank you for joining us.

ALLIE ANTHONY, SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER, AND SPORTS JOURNALIST: I'm so excited to be here. I know we were just talking about mourning the loss of the World Cup, and I'm feeling it.

SANDOVAL: I know, we really are. We can't wait for another four years.

I wonder if we can maybe get started with this explosion of interest in soccer in the United States. I mean, we've seen some of the T.V. ratings already showing that just the final alone was likely going to be one of the most watched in history. So that's quite telling.

Do you see this soccer interest phenomenon holding here in the U.S., or does it already seem to be fading now that the World Cup is over?

ANTHONY: Gosh, I sure hope so. It's so funny.

Before the World Cup even started, I was making videos online talking about how excited I was for America to host the World Cup or be one of the three countries to host the World Cup. And everyone was commenting, saying, oh, it's going to be horrible. Americans don't care about soccer, this is just going to be the worst.

And we really turned it on, I feel like Americans are just some of the best fans in the world. I mean, we're very passionate. We love competition.

And so the World Cup was so fun for us. I feel like it really got us excited, especially during this dead period of the summer where we usually don't have the NFL or the NBA. I feel like it really kind of brought us all together and gave us a reason to cheer for a team.

So I don't know. I think it's going to be interesting to see how this fandom holds up over time. But I do believe that the MLS is growing in popularity and people are going to fall in love with European club football.

SANDOVAL: I want to get your thoughts on European club football in just a moment, but I also do want to see what you think about just some of the changes that were implemented by FIFA during this tournament. Of course, what I've heard referred to as sort of the Americanized elements. You have the hydration breaks, regardless of the weather, a halftime show during the final that was really more of a more fit for a Super Bowl. How much of that do you see sticking around? And is there even an

appetite for that for football fans overseas?

ANTHONY: I've got to tell you, it's so funny. I think the World Cup FIFA halftime show situation got people really excited. And I think that people who wouldn't be watching the World Cup final tuned in to watch Justin Bieber.

[03:35:04]

So I think it's going to hold true. I think it's going to stick around. The hydration break also, come on, with ad revenue, they got to keep that around.

So a lot of changes. They also brought on so many more teams this year. But that's just another great way to keep expanding the sport and get people interested.

SANDOVAL: So many people are watching for Bieber or Shakira. I was all about the Muppets.

Listen, when it comes to just how many people are interested, some of the Gallup polling, it's also really interesting here. I want to share with you about 54 percent of U.S. adults say that their so-called American football fans here in the U.S., that is a massive number compared to the 27 percent who said that they identify as pro soccer fans.

So for those who may have some interest in jumping on the soccer bandwagon, as you mentioned, you do have some videos out there. You offer this Football 101 on social media.

I want to show some of our viewers a clip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY: Welcome to Club Football 101.

The World Cup ends Sunday.

We're all so sad about it. We love it. What are we going to do?

We're going to watch club football because it starts in a month.

We're obsessed. You've heard of Real Madrid, you've heard of Manchester United, you've heard of F.C. Barcelona.

Club football brings the glamor. It brings the drama.

But you can't be a part of the lore unless you understand it. Today, we're starting --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: So there is Allie, you giving us football fans something to look forward to. So in your view, what does club football offer fans and also even some of the differences between major league soccer teams or some of the other clubs abroad?

ANTHONY: Well, I think it offers, like I said, just an opportunity to follow pop culture. I think so many sports fans these days, they love the sport, obviously, but the pop culture element is something that's really added on to fandom, especially with people like me who have always loved sports, but have always loved that crossover of pop culture in sports.

It's been so fun to see how people react to all the drama within the teams with Victoria Beckham being up in the stands. People just love that aspect of club football. And I think that's going to carry over because so many people fell in love with the Jude Bellingham and the Erling Haalands of the world.

So I think that fandom will cross over into club football. And those guys do have the glitz and the glamor and the drama that's just going to keep bringing people back in.

SANDOVAL: The next event, the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil, Allie, I wonder if we can close with what you'll be looking out for.

ANTHONY: Oh, I'm so excited. I'm just hoping Team USA can pull it together. I'm so looking forward to it.

SANDOVAL: Doing it again, hopefully. Allie, thank you so much for your time, as always, for your perspective, and for sharing your love of sport with everybody. I appreciate your time, Allie Anthony.

ANTHONY: Thank you.

SANDOVAL: And our business headlines are next after a short break, you're watching CNN.

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SANDOVAL: Hey, welcome back. Let's get to your business headlines now.

U.S. President Donald Trump has announced sweeping tariffs against Canada, the 50 percent tariffs on certain Canadian goods, including electrical equipment and machinery. The White House says that the levies take effect in 30 days and that they cover about $30 billion of Canadian goods.

The cyclospora outbreak in the United States, it has taken a toll on a number of restaurants. Data from Placer A.I. now showing that foot traffic at Taco Bell locations is down nearly 19 percent in recent days. Other restaurants like Cava, Chopped, Panera Bread, Chipotle and Subway also reporting significant declines in visits.

A U.S. federal judge approving a $1.5 billion settlement by Anthropic, a group of authors breaking that lawsuit, accusing the A.I. giant of using their books to train its chatbot, Claude. It's the largest known payout ever in a U.S. copyright case.

Thank you so much for watching this hour, "World Sport" is next and I'll be back at the top of the hour with more "CNN Newsroom."

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