Return to Transcripts main page
Connect the World
CNN Obtains 14-point Draft Agreement Between U.S. And Iran; Trump Says He Can Upend U.S.-Iran Agreement if He Chooses; Bystanders Rush to Help After Plane Crashes on Texas Highway; Feds Foil Alleged Plot to Attack White House UFC Fight; Messi Steals the Show After Braces by Mbappe, Haaland. Aired 9-9:45a ET
Aired June 17, 2026 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[09:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: Well, these are live pictures from the final day of the G7 summit in France, where a new U.S.-Iran plan
has been taking center stage. 03:00 p.m. there in Evian-les-Bains, it is 05:00 p.m. here in Abu Dhabi. From our Middle East programming headquarters
you're watching "Connect the World".
I'm Becky Anderson. Also coming up, CNN has obtained new details of the 14- point agreement between Washington and Tehran, among the terms, the reopening of the critical Strait of Hormuz, and financial relief for Iran.
G7 leaders also declaring quote, unwavering support for Ukraine, pledging to step up economic pressure on Russia.
And the stock market opens about 30 minutes from now. Mixed start to the trading day. Investors will be pleased that it does feel as if G7 at least
has had some substantive discussions. More on that as we get the opening bell at the bottom of this hour. Well, we have been hearing from U.S.
President Donald Trump about the U.S.-Iran MOU.
He says he can upend the document known as the Memorandum of Understanding whenever he chooses.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is the Tax Day agreement now final or are you still --
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: No, it's not final, it's a Memorandum of Understanding. And if I don't like it, we'll go
back to shooting at them, dropping bombs on their head -- If I don't like it, if they don't behave, we'll go right back to dropping bombs right smack
in the middle of their head.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, the U.S. President was meeting with Egypt's leader at the G7 summit, you see Sisi there, when he made that declaration. CNN has
obtained the text of this draft agreement in principle between the U.S. and Iran, 14 points briefs, and in some cases vague.
Nonetheless, it is vitally important for us to see the substance of what has been agreed to. So, let's take a closer look at some of the key points.
Number one, Iran and the U.S. agree to a quote, immediate and permanent end to the war. Both countries pledged to negotiate a final deal within 60
days, but that period can be extended.
Iran agrees to allow normal shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to resume, aiming to reach pre-war volumes within 30 days. The U.S. and
regional partners will create a fund for Iran's economic recovery, valuing at least $300 billion. Iran reiterates that it will quote, never produce
nuclear weapons.
The U.S. and Iran agree to maintain the status quo while talks are underway. Iran won't advance its nuclear program, and the U.S. won't impose
new sanctions or strengthen its military in the region. The U.S. agrees to work towards lifting sanctions on Iran, but pledges to issue sanctions
waivers for Iranian energy products in the meantime.
And the last point in the draft deal, the final U.S.-Iran agreement will be approved through a binding resolution of the U.N. Security Council. While
other measures, including the draft deal, cover U.S. pledge to unfreeze Iranian assets, an agreement to respect each other's sovereignty.
Brief outline of how the next phase of talks will proceed. It is important to note that this document was given to CNN by a U.S. official, and three
other diplomats have confirmed that it is accurate. It is possible that some of the wording of this draft may change before a final memo of
understanding is signed on Friday.
Well, CNN's Melissa Bell joining us now from the scene of the summit in Evian in France it's already been a big day in France on this, the final
day of the G7 summit. Can you just get us up to speed on the latest from there?
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think, Becky, whatever now happens with this Memorandum of Understanding, the point is
that the fact that the American President arrived with it in his pocket made him perhaps much more amiable than he would have been with his G7
counterparts without it.
And that has allowed over the last three days all kinds of discussions to take place in a sort of tone and constructive atmosphere that the French
presidency, when it was organizing all this over the last weeks, could never have hoped for, including on the question of Ukraine.
[09:05:00]
In fact, Becky, it had been planned in order to avoid any disappointment that there should not be at this G7 the usual declaration amongst G7
leaders. Normally, these things are sort of agreed in advance, signed during, and they represent the common stance of the G7 on the number of
geopolitical issues.
The way the French had stage managed this is that they had left aside geopolitical matters. These were to be to lead to sort of conclusions from
the French presidency. The only joint declarations would be on things like AI or combating online abuse of children, things that they could all agree
on.
In fact, what you had published overnight, against any expectation, was a joint G7 declaration on geopolitical matters. It began with Ukraine, and
that part name checks the American President no less than three times, because the idea is that this G7 conversation, for instance, just taking
Ukraine has allowed them to agree on a number of points that no one would have imagined possible last week.
The fact of putting more pressure on the part of the G7 -- Ukraine, the fact of continuing to arm Ukraine and help it with its air defensive. And
defensive is the fact also of looking towards talks with Russia that it is now hoped the United States will help organize perhaps sometime after the
summer.
That is a huge win for the Europeans at the table, specifically, and the idea of this joint declaration on all of the matters, because it didn't
just include Ukraine, but Iran, simply wouldn't have been possible were it not for this Memorandum of Understanding.
Many more of its details now emerging, a lot of its strategic vagueness, as well, but also the potential that it has really to reset the entire
relations in the region in and around Iran. And I think that is something that the Canadian Prime Minister, in his interview with CNN last night,
made clear this is a game changer.
And it has proven a game changer, just for the relationship between G7 leaders, as they were meeting here in Evian, Becky.
ANDERSON: It's good to have you. Thank you very much indeed. Look, we want to do more on this MOU. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney saw the
document and called it a game changer, or at least use that term in discussion with my colleague Kaitlan Collins. Just have a listen to this,
and you'll see the context.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK CARNEY, PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA: I have to say it succeeded my expectations. We're very pleased with the deal that's been struck. It sets
the groundwork for to ensure Iran doesn't have a nuclear weapon. It sets the groundwork for a reintegration over time of the economies in the
region. It sets the groundwork for a solution in Lebanon.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Did you actually see the agreement itself?
CARNEY: I've seen the agreement. Yes.
COLLINS: Oh, so the president showed it to you.
CARNEY: Well, I've seen the agreement. We have our sources. I think it's a game changer.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, Carney also said that after seeing the agreement, G7 talks turned to Ukraine and were constructive. Well, let's get more from CNN's
Stephen Collinson here. Just heard from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Now that we've got the text and CNN seen the text, what do you make
of it?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: I think the phrase game changer is referring to the potential of what the agreement could unleash
rather than the agreement itself, because I think looking at this draft text and if this is how it ends up on Friday when it's signed it's clear to
see why the administration didn't want to release it beforehand, because it plays into the fears of many of its domestic critics, and of Israel, for
example.
The very first part of this draft agreement talks about an end to the war from the U.S. and its allies, that is something that it would seem to have
to impose upon Israel as regards to Lebanon and its activities against Hezbollah, that will be seen in Washington by Israel's allies as a
concession to Iran.
This $300 billion fund, although it doesn't apparently include funds from the United States or U.S. taxpayer cash, that's going to be used by
Republican hawks on Capitol Hill to suggest that the United States is paying Iran to get back to the negotiation table and to open the Strait of
Hormuz.
The same accusation, I think, will be levied against the part of the agreement where it says that sanctions will be waived by the U.S. on
petrochemicals, on oil, on banking, and insurance until sanctions are officially lifted under any deal. So, this, although it contains the
Iranian undertaking not to develop nuclear weapons, something they've done before.
[09:10:00]
I think it's far from the unconditional surrender that the United States had wanted from Iran earlier in the war. You know, there are times in
diplomacy when it's good to just stop the fighting and try and create some momentum for peace and for negotiations. It's possible that this could do
that if this is the way the agreement ends up.
But I think it's going to be very hard, at least initially, for the president to defend it initially in Washington.
ANDERSON: There's a lot in what you've just said. I think it's really important. There has been a lot of pressure from U.S. lawmakers over this
deal, including from Senator Chuck Schumer, of course, Democrat. I do want to just think about what you just said.
I do wonder whether we shouldn't start thinking about this fund that sounds likely to be mostly funded by Iran's frozen money and Gulf money as a sort
of sovereign wealth fund, which I guess conceivably could be run by a board from around this region, and what it does potentially certainly takes us
towards a sort of day after sort of moment, or some thinking, which certainly from this region makes sense.
I just wonder, though, back at base domestically in Washington, where you are, so plugged in, whether you think this agreement will be enough to
appease, for example, the likes of Chuck Schumer.
COLLINSON: I think the Democrats are going to argue that this is a giveaway, that it's far from the massive historic peace deal that President
Trump declared on Sunday, had he come out and said, look, we've got this Memorandum of Understanding, it's aspirational, we're going to use it to
open up a space to have talks and it lays out a potential future post the final agreement with Iran.
ANDERSON: I think it -- yeah.
COLLINSON: That would have been one thing, but he is arguing that this is the final deal that it's the greatest deal that's ever been done, and it's
historic in terms of the Middle East, and that's clearly way past what this deal does, and he's raised expectations for it himself.
I think the strongest argument the administration will make is that look, if Iran doesn't go along with these talks, if we don't get a final deal, it
will never get the benefits of that $300 billion infrastructure or reconstruction fund. The region will never be healed, and we will just walk
away, because we've destroyed effectively Iran's nuclear program last year, and the enriched uranium is impossible for it to get out of the wreckage of
its nuclear plants.
The problem with that is it begs the question of, well, why did this war this year that cost billions of dollars, countless lives, have to happen if
that was the situation. So, I think the politics around this in the United States, the politics that the Trump Administration has created, make this a
far harder sell than it would have been were this simply billed as a way to stop the fighting and start the talks.
ANDERSON: Yeah, it was an interesting -- it was interesting to, and I want our viewers to see this next moment from Donald Trump as he walked into the
meeting with G7 ministers. Melissa Bell, our correspondent in Evian, pointing out that Donald Trump, with this plan in his pocket, arrived at G7
in a sort of what you know I think could be described as a good and constructive mood.
Have a listen to what happened when he walked into the room.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are you?
TRUMP: Great. Thank you --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK -- Thank you, dear colleague --
TRUMP: Would you like to stay for the meeting. OK with me --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, at the top of that, he walked in late, as to be said, Stephen, and said I'm the boss, to which he got a bit of a giggle. I don't
know from whether that was from the leaders gathered there or whether it was from the press who were clearly still in the room, and then he sorts of
addressed the press and said, what do you want to talk about?
But I just wonder, you know, how you want to sort of frame that mood at this year's G7?
COLLINSON: I think Melissa was right that this has gotten a lot better, frankly, than most of the other G7s that Donald Trump has taken part in.
The two in Canada were very acrimonious, and he left early.
[09:15:00]
I don't think he really enjoys these sorts of meetings with the heads of the great democracies and industrialized nations of the world, as much as
he enjoys a one-on-one summit with Xi Jinping of China or Vladimir Putin of Russia, that's the kind of league I think that he sees himself in as a
world leader.
But obviously the Europeans are going to jump on anything that enhances what they want to see happen in Ukraine. I think the developments in the
war in Ukraine, in which Ukraine now seems to have the ascendancy of change, the diplomacy around that. Trump saying that during the summit that
he thought Russia should just do a deal and make that go away.
If the Europeans, in a way, have profited from the fact that Trump has stepped back from the Ukraine diplomacy, it will be interesting to see if
there's a way that they can involve him ultimately to try and get to a deal later in the summer, at least to lower the tenor of the fighting.
And on Iran, obviously any fighting that stops, any hope that the strait will open, whether it leads to a final nuclear deal or not is something
those leaders who are facing much bigger economic blow back to the war in Iran than the United States is are obviously going to encourage, and it's
very good for them.
So, after a lot of talk about how bad this could be before the summit, it's probably ending a lot better than they thought, and I'm sure President
Macron, who is hosting the summit, and this is his last big summit of the G7 before he leaves office next year. He's going to be very happy about
that.
ANDERSON: Yeah, absolutely. It's good to have you, Stephen. Thank you very much indeed. And stay with us. Next hour, President Trump expected to hold
a news conference as he wraps up that very sort of cordial G7 summit in France. And we will bring you his remarks live. He's the U.S. President, of
course, as they happen.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: While Iran dominated the G7 meeting in France, that's not the only global crisis being discussed there. Leaders have reaffirmed what they
call their quote, unwavering support for Ukraine, pledging more air defense assistance for Kyiv and agreeing to toughen sanctions on Russia, including
on its oil and gas sector.
Now this move is aimed at increasing economic pressure on Moscow as that war grinds on. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says it was quote,
reckless for a Russian warship to fire warning shots near a yacht in the English Channel this week. The UK and Russian Defense Ministries, as well
as the couple who were sailing the yacht.
All agreed the shots were not aimed at the boat, but were warning shots to avoid a possible collision. But the couple say they were not on a collision
course, and when the ship blasted its horn at them, they immediately turned two degrees to indicate a deliberate change of course.
[09:20:00]
Speaking at the G7, Starmer called the incident, which took place in international waters, deeply concerning. Well, Mr. Starmer is a day away
from a major challenge to his own office. His fate and the trajectory of British politics, frankly, could be heavily shaped by just 76,000 people,
0.1 percent of Britons who live in a small area of North West England.
That is the constituency of Makerfield, which has set a by-election, as they're known -- Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is among a long,
very long list of candidates in the running to be a member of Parliament. To CNN's Clare Sebastian reports this election has unearthed deep divisions
that could shape British politics for years to come.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, look, we've got Andy Burnham voters there, we've got Reform voters over there, and we've even got Restore
voters over there. What does this tell us about the mood here in this constituency?
CLARE HANNAH, JOURNALIST, "WHAT'S HAPPENING IN WIGAN": This is one of the most divisive by-elections I have ever seen, but visibly divisive. It's
become quite aggressive, to be honest.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Two days before one of the most consequential by- elections the UK has ever seen, this area that has voted labor for generations is seeing neighbors at odds. At lunchtime, customers at the
Muffin Man Bakery split over who should get the biggest slice of the electoral pie.
SEBASTIAN: Do you mind telling us who you voted for?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Andy Burnham.
SEBASTIAN: Yeah, OK. Why is that?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It goes back to leader.
SEBASTIAN: Yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I actually think Keir Starmer is doing a good job, but I think Nigel Farage is the most untrustworthy politician since Boris
Johnson.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Reform.
SEBASTIAN: You did. Why is that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I voted for him last time.
SEBASTIAN: You did. Why --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Immigration --
SEBASTIAN: Immigration --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.
SEBASTIAN: In this small collection of former coal mining towns in the northwest of England, around 75,000 registered voters may now decide the
political future for almost 70 million British citizens, and yet the sudden spotlight on this area has highlighted divisions that could shape national
politics in the UK for years to come.
PAUL SPARKS, SCHOOL TEACHER: Ladies, who are you voting for?
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): An -- straw poll on the high street showing what's at stake.
SPARKS: So far, this is what seems to be happening. We seem to be finding that Andy Burnham should win in narrowly and Reform and Restore splitting
the vote, the right-wing vote.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Robert Kenyon, representing Nigel Farage's far right Reform UK, has been a close second in polls here. Restore Britain's
candidate, Rebecca Shepherd, even further to the right, is also gathering steam. No sign on the high street poll of the Conservative Party, the
official opposition in Parliament.
SEBASTIAN: Why are people not even voting Conservative? Why are they edging towards these far-right parties? What has happened to suddenly create this
splintering in terms of the public opinion here?
HANNAH: A massive issue on this is immigration. That's a massive issue that, and people believe what you know, what they're told by, you know,
people look at what's happening in the world, and immigration has become the biggest issue, I would say. I think some parties campaign on, on issues
that make people angry.
You know, they will campaign on things that make people angry, and you know, this is what happens, you know. We get all this division.
SEBASTIAN: But what is it about Reform that makes sense to you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, they're going to get rid of stopping the balls coming in, because that's ridiculous.
SEBASTIAN: Well net migration has actually been coming down over the last couple of years under this government.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's a lot of rubbish.
SEBASTIAN: What makes you say that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because it's proven that they're everywhere.
SEBASTIAN: Why do you think Burnham will be the one to --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- leave it.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Almost everyone here agrees on one thing. After a month in the political spotlight, they've had enough.
SEBASTIAN: All right.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Almost everyone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've enjoyed it, really. In the forecast for tension.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Clare Sebastian, CNN in Greater Manchester, England.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, let's get you up to speed on some of the other stories that are on our radar right now. And the first tropical storm of the Atlantic,
hurricane season could form within hours. The -- excuse me, system in the Gulf of Mexico brings life-threatening flooding to the southern U.S.
A tropical storm warning is in effect in Louisiana. Millions of people across the region face torrential rain and flash flooding. At least two
people have died in flood world waters in Texas. Well, a dramatic rescue caught on camera after a plane crashed into a moving car on a highway in
Texas.
One person was killed. Witnesses tried to break a window to get the passengers out. Police say they received an emergency call from a flight
tower after the small jet reported mechanical issues. Well, U.S. federal agents say they foiled a plot to launch a violent attack on last weekend's
UFC fighting event at the White House.
One of the suspects, 19 years old, he and several others are charged with conspiracy to murder and commit an offense against the United States.
[09:25:00]
My colleague Brian Todd, with the details for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An energetic, crowded UFC event at the White House with President Trump in attendance, members of Congress
and VIPS, all potential targets of an alleged planned attack using drones and snipers. And according to the Secret Service, there are still suspects
on the loose.
According to a federal law enforcement official, and criminal complaints obtained by CNN, a group of alleged online extremists planned and
coordinated an attack at Sunday night's UFC fight on the White House lawn in order to quote, jumpstart a revolution in the United States, but they
were thwarted.
MATTHEW QUINN, U.S. SECRET SERVICE DEPUTY DIRECTOR: It was a serious threat. It was an active plot, and it's ongoing.
TODD (voice-over): According to a criminal complaint, the plan was to quote, stage a demonstration on the North side of the White House, then
detonate drones over the arena, forcing the attending crowd to evacuate, where the group would act as snipers to conduct shootings of the members of
the crowd and HVTs, high-value targets, including quote both wealthy people and politicians.
Retired FBI Agent Richard Kolko says it's not likely the alleged attackers could have enacted their plot in full, but they could still have inflicted
some significant damage.
RICHARD KOLKO, RETIRED FBI SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT: If they had brought firearms, brought explosives, come to the area, found out where the
perimeter was, and gone forward and carried out some sort of attack. People could have died, people could have been hurt, and it could have been very,
very serious.
TODD (voice-over): According to court documents, the online group were ex- military, Christian-based, and anti-government with anti-Israel and anti- Jewish views. The Justice Department has charged five people across California, Missouri, Nebraska, and Ohio in the alleged plot.
The investigation began when the mother of a 19-year-old in custody, Tycen Proper alerted authorities that she was concerned about her son, who she
says was communicating with radical people online and amassing an arsenal of weapons.
KOLKO: This mom did exactly the right thing. She knew something was up with her son, something was wrong, and she picked up the phone, made the call,
and probably saved lives.
TODD: The charges include conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. As for the one defendant, Tycen Proper,
the criminal complaint does not say that he purchased any drones, but it says he did purchase multiple firearms and ammunition.
Tycen Proper has not yet entered a plea. CNN has tried to reach a public defender listed for him. Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, we are moments away from the opening bell on Wall Street. We'll be watching for reaction to the leaked details that graph -- that
trust agreement, draft agreement between the U.S. and Iran. More coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:30:00]
ANDERSON: All right. Welcome back. We are about to hear the bell ring on Wall Street, ringing in the trading day today, Valmont. There we go. It is
Wednesday the 17th of June, and stocks certainly indicating a mixed open, that's what the futures were suggesting. See what the big board is doing,
and then we will get you a sense as the other two markets settle a bit.
And the Dow Jones Industrial average up about a 10th of 1 percent so. Let's assume that investors are still keeping an eye on what is going on in
geopolitics. Let's assume for us to be in a bit of a state of limbo now between the announcement of this MOU on Sunday and the beginning of
discussions, of course, promised this weekend and beyond on what actually happens with a deal on Iran.
And I think perhaps these markets just looking beyond the geopolitical news at present. Look, a large part of the agreement seen by CNN, this 14-point
MOU, as you'd expect, covers resuming operations in the Strait of Hormuz. That is important to investors. It contains pledges for the U.S. blockade
to end and to restore traffic to full capacity, all within 30 days pre-war capacity.
The U.S. will also allow Iran to resume selling its oil, and there are already signs of movement, according to maritime intelligence firm
TankerTrackers. Iran has exported its first crude oil shipments in two months. At least two Iranian super tankers successfully crossing the U.S.
blockade.
Oil prices rising today, though, after hitting three-month lows on Tuesday. What a roller coaster in these markets. Joining me now is Richard Meade,
Editor-in-Chief at Lloyd's List Intelligence, one of the world's leading providers of maritime news and analysis.
And you and I have spoken a lot over the past four months, primarily about the sort of, you know, what's going on in the Strait of Hormuz, and why is
that the oil price is doing what it's doing. I'm not going to ask you about the oil price specifically today, because actually it, it sort of just
never seems to make sense to me.
What I do want to talk about is the Strait of Hormuz very specifically and physically. Richard, you wrote, quote, the announcement of a breakthrough
to reopen the strait should have been a moment of clarity for global shipping. Instead, you say it's delivered a familiar mix of optimism and
ambiguity, a political headline without the operational detail the industry urgently needs. Can you just expand on that, please?
RICHARD MEADE, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AT LLOYD'S LIST INTELLIGENCE: Well, we've been waiting for this announcement for some time, but we've seen the draft,
like you, and there is very little detail there. The question is, are we going back to something that looks like February the 27th when traffic was
moving freely?
There were no tolls, there were no geopolitically conditioned restrictions on the ships. And we were looking at about 130 ships moving across the
strait every day, I think it would be naive to suggest that we're going to get back up to that within 30 days, even once you have accounted for the
technical obstacles referred to in that draft leak being removed.
And the demining operations, of which we don't know any details yet, that could take a significant amount of time, depending on what is found and
what is proved to be there, we just don't know, but even once you get past that, it's not just a question of getting the tankers out that we have to
worry about.
It's about getting the empty tankers in, in order to get all of the stockpiled inventories out that needs to then run down the inventories
before the refineries can then start back up again, and only then can you start thinking about production getting somewhere near normalization, which
is why, if you talk to industry people, I think you're looking at sort of, you know, some semblance of normality.
Yes, but probably not till the end of the year rather than the end of the week. I think you know time scales are perhaps being talked about over
enthusiastically. I think you know it's one thing to get a political agreement, the operational recalibration required here, that's another
thing entirely.
ANDERSON: President Trump has said that the alternative scenario to not having an agreement is a quote worldwide depression. Have a listen to what
he said about the current conditions of the strait.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: You can only go so far, drive somebody into the ground, and a lot of bad things happen. Number one, the strait would never open because they
don't like floating billion dollar ships up and down a strait when their rockets flying over them, and mine's all over the place.
[09:35:00]
So, the strait would never be open. It wouldn't be open for a long time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, let's just remind ourselves it was open until the U.S.- Israeli war on Iran. I think it's really important just to remind ourselves of that. But do you agree that the strait would never have reopened without
this agreement, very specifically?
MEADE: I think, yes, but what agreement? The wording is so broad as to not really detail what conditions are being put in place. I think a lot of this
is going to be left to the 60-day period to iron out the details, but we don't know the requirements that Iran and Oman are putting on this.
We don't know whether there are service fees, tolls included in this. That's not included in the wording. We don't know under whose authority and
sovereignty is going to be respected in these sorts of conditions. What the traffic separation scheme, you know, these are all the technical
requirements that the shipping industry is going to require.
And then you have to think about that sort of longer-term recalibration piece. And I think realistically you're looking at a slower ramping up
towards what you know will probably be the new normal.
ANDERSON: Yeah.
MEADE: I don't think anyone is expecting it to go back to what was happening on February the 27th certainly not immediately.
ANDERSON: And all of this is so important because in the end, you know, this small sort of, you know, such a small waterway has such an impact on
the world economy, not least on the Gulf economies, and I'm in the UAE, but on the world economy as a whole. So, I guess the last question to you is
simply this.
You know, at the end of the day, it's not about politicians talking here, it is literally about what the shipping industry is prepared to do. What
will it take to get the shipping industry confident enough about moving its vessels right through the Strait of Hormuz, that.
And whether or not, in the end, and apparently there won't be tolls being charged, but whether or not there will be services -- service fees charged
at some point, that's going to add to the cost of doing business through that strait, isn't it? So, yeah, I guess the question is, what are you
hearing from the shipping industry at this point very specifically?
MEADE: Still depends on who you talk to, is the short answer. I'm hearing from a lot of ship owners this morning that they are feeling a lot more
confident. They are already seeing war risk pricing coming down to reflect the optimism that is certainly in some sectors of the industry, you know,
certainly now there.
I think there is this intention that we will start seeing ships move in greater volumes. But how much when this is all the detail that needs to
come, and you say it is not just about the politicians, but there is an aspect here that needs to be addressed in that what happens in Hormuz does
not stay in Hormuz.
The conditions that are imposed here are going to have an effect in terms of thinking in the Strait of Malacca, in the Taiwan Strait, in the South
China Seas. There are serious implications here, and potentially it is going to set either a good or a dangerous precedent for seaborne trade in
global choke points for future operations.
ANDERSON: Yeah. Always good to have you. Richard, we will continue to chat, I hope, because it ain't over until it's over, of course. And thank you for
all your help and support on insight and analysis over the past few weeks or few months. Let's see what happens next.
Thank you. Well, first it was Mbappe, that it was Haaland, but in the end, it was Messi who stole the show on Tuesday at the World Cup. How, is after
this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:40:00]
ANDERSON: Well, Lionel Messi never ceases to amaze, does he? As Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland made their mark on Tuesday. It was over to the
Argentinian Maestro, and he did not disappoint. I see the headlines, age over beauty. Amanda Davies joining me now.
In sort of footballing terms, we're talking about the pensioners, sort of, you know, coming good in this event, aren't we?
AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yeah. I mean, a week out from his 39th birthday, Lionel Messi. It was a case of anything you can do. I can do
better. But this is the biggest stage, and this is where we want to see the stars shine, isn't it? You know, Kylian Mbappe heading out for France
against Senegal, scoring those two goals, becoming France's all-time top goal scorer, setting them off on the right foot in their World Cup campaign
as they tried to go one better than four years ago in Qatar.
Then over to Erling Haaland, his long-awaited World Cup debut for everything he has won and done already in his career. This was the first
time for him on football's biggest stage after Norway's 28 years away. His goal-scoring record is incredible, 57 goals in 51 appearances now for his
country, but then it was over to Messi, and we didn't know what we were going to see from him.
He's been injured. He's not really been part of Argentina's pre-tournament build up. People were saying, well, he won it last year, what more is there
to prove? What more was there to prove? Seven records broken in one single game, his first World Cup, Hatrick.
We've got so much more reaction coming up in just a couple of minutes. And of course, tonight it's over to Cristiano to see what he can do.
ANDERSON: Absolutely, I'm sure you'll talk in your show about Messi, sort of opener against Saudi in 2022. How different was this game for the goat,
as some call him? More on that coming up in "World Sport".
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:45:00]
(WORLD SPORT)
END
