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U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer Announces Resignation; High-Level Talks Took Place As Donald Trump Issued Threats Over Strait Of Hormuz.; Source: Israel Considering "Symbolic Withdrawals" In Lebanon; Burnham Appears Likely To Succeed United Kingdom's Starmer As Prime Minister. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired June 22, 2026 - 10:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:00:43]
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Welcome to the second hour of the show from our Middle East programming headquarters. I'm Becky Anderson in
Abu Dhabi where the time just after 6:00 in the evening.
A very good day of U.S.-Iran negotiations, according to U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, he says Iran has agreed to let nuclear monitors into the
country as technical talks continue in Lucerne in Switzerland. We'll bring you all the latest from there in a moment.
MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: And I'm Max Foster in London.
Keir Starmer has resigned as Prime Minister of the U.K. and his heir apparent Andy Burnham is one step closer to potentially taking over feels
quite inevitable, really. It is 3:00 p.m. here in Downing Street, and number 10, once again gripped by turmoil and transition. This is happening
more and more often over the last 10 years or so. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he took the decision to step down following mounting
pressure from within his own ruling Labour Party.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEIR STARMER, OUTGOING BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general
election. I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question and I accept that answer with good grace.
Every decision I have taken has been about putting the country I love first. That is why I will resign as leader of the Labour Party.
I have spoken to His Majesty the King this morning to inform him of my decision. I will ask the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party
to set out a timetable with nominations opening on the 9th of July and completed by the summer recess.
In the case of a contest, this will ensure a new leader is in place before parliament returns in September.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Andy Burnham, the outgoing mayor of Greater Manchester in the north of England, is seen as his likely successor as Labour leader, and
accordingly, Prime Minister CNN's Clare Sebastian explains what led to this moment.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Keir Starmer promised to restore integrity to British politics.
STARMER: The fight for trust is the battle that defines our age.
SEBASTIAN (voice over): And yet the moment he swept into Downing Street with one of the biggest mandates in modern British history would mark the
peak of his popularity.
STARMER: We have to take the tough decision to stabilize our economy.
SEBASTIAN (voice over): Progress on domestic reform is widely seen as slow and fraught with U-turns. On the global stage, he seemed on steadier
ground, securing three major trade deals, including with the U.S., playing a leading role in rallying support for Ukraine and standing his ground over
the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
STARMER: I will never let this country be dragged into a war that is not in our interests, never.
SEBASTIAN (voice over): But one decision would come to haunt him, the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington, only to fire
him nine months later. A veteran yet controversial Labour figure, Starmer hoped Mandelson would build bridges with the Trump administration.
There were existing warnings about his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, though it was not known then how deep that relationship
ran.
In February, Mandelson was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, a charge he denies, though he has said publicly he regrets his
friendship with Epstein, and apologized to Epstein's victims, and he wasn't the only one apologizing.
STARMER: I am sorry, sorry for what was done to you, sorry that so many people with power failed you, sorry for having believed Mandelson's lies
and appointed him.
SEBASTIAN (voice over): In May, local and regional elections revealing the extent of Starmer's fall from that 2024 landslide and the fragility of the
trust he had promised to restore. Pressure from within his own party eventually leading to this.
[10:05:00]
STARMER: Every decision I have taken has been about putting the country I love first. That is why I will resign as leader of the Labour Party.
SEBASTIAN (voice over): Clare Sebastian, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Let's speak to Greg Cook now, he is the British Labour Party's former head of political strategy from 1995 to 2019, I think that's right
in saying. He's joining us from London. Thank you so much for joining us.
It wasn't -- I mean, it feels ordinary on one level, this story, because we've had so many prime ministers. We keep coming back to Downey Street to
cover it, but it was extraordinary in the sense that Starmer came in on such a sweep of energy at this landmark election, but he seemed to lose it
as quickly. What do you think happened there?
GREG COOK, FORMER HEAD OF POLITICAL STRATEGY, U.K. LABOUR PARTY: Well, indeed, I mean, the -- we're now on to, I think, our fifth Prime Minister
in the last five years. It is quite extraordinary, and the Labour Party, in particular, always previously had a reputation as being quite soft on its
leaders. It hadn't, you know, replaced leaders in midterm, certainly when they're in power before. There were several attempts to remove Gordon
Brown, for example, which came to nothing, but this one is, in a sense, not the most brutal of all, because there isn't an ethics issue here, as there
was, for example, with Boris Johnson. There's certainly no kind of major policy difference.
You know, it's very hard to identify any serious kind of policy fissure between Starmer and most of his back benchers, or indeed Andy Burnham. This
is entirely about the brutal reality of electoral politics, and the fact that his party became convinced he was an election loser, and he had, you
know, remarkably bad personal ratings with the electorate, to the extent that, you know, many analysts like me are quite perplexed about why he
quite, why he's so unpopular, because he comes across as quite a decent guy.
But clearly, the camera was very harsh on him in a way, he came across as pretty sort of non-human, really, and in terms of his lack of empathy, and
I think that was a big part of it, and then there was a series of policy U- turns, which really quite seriously undermined his political position.
FOSTER: Yes, it was that dithering, wasn't it quite often, he didn't make quick decisions. The suggestion was that he came into office without any
strategy, or he didn't quite translate it into a strategy and a plan. Do you think there's some truth to that?
COOK: Well, this is the kind of -- you know, this is the accepted wisdom, I suppose, if you like, but I mean, the circumstances were obviously, would
have been difficult for anybody. He took over the Labour Party at one of its lowest steps, having, you know, had landslide defeat against it, having
to, you know, rid it of the hard left influence, which most regarded as having been pretty fatal to its electoral prospects.
And then was confronted almost immediately with the pandemic, and then all the emerging issues, which arose from the pandemic, and then from the Liz
Truss mini budget fiasco, and so there really was a bit -- you know, it was difficult to identify what the big kind of issues were going to be when we
came to the next general election, and so there wasn't really the discussion within the party about what that big picture would be.
But also there was kind of not really much political division in the party. The party's been in the hands, really, with the exception of the COVID
period of what's now called the soft left, certainly since the accession of Gordon Brown, and there was some consensus about the kinds of things that
needed to be done, and they're focusing on growth, and so on.
And I think it's much more that you know the harsh reality of not being able to please everybody, of not being able to rely any longer on the
unpopularity of the conservatives to carry you along was something which came like a bit of a glass of water when they actually got into government.
FOSTER: We have got this extraordinary situation where Andy Burnham pretty much ousted the Prime Minister before he was even an M.P. this morning. It
does look as though he is going to become the next Prime Minister.
When we see pictures of him, I mean, you intimated this with Starmer, his lack of charisma. Just take us through Burnham and how he is a completely
different character, but in terms of policy, we actually don't know what he stands for at this point, do we?
COOK: Yes, I mean, the great thing about Andy is that, you know, for somebody who's been at the top of politics for so long, he's got very, very
few enemies. You know, on a personal level, people like him, you can't really dislike Andy on a personal level, and he's kind of, I think, in a
funny way, we're going to have a much less kind of ideological partisan approach than we had indeed with Keir Starmer, who, you know, laced every
comment with attacks on the Tories.
I think Burnham will be much kind of, you know, try to come across as more reasonable towards his opponents. I think one feature we may have from him,
for example, is that he's going to cast is net a lot wider within the party for people who are going to serve within government, and that will include
members of the old Corbynite half left. It's interesting that a number of their leading likes, like John McDonnell, have been among Burnham's leading
supporters, not because Burnham himself is on the hard left, but because he's not, you know, he's somebody who's basically about bringing people
together and being, you know, trying to work things through rather than working through an ideology.
[10:10:12]
I think those who doubt him, you know, on a political level, and we shouldn't underestimate the numbers there will be -- will be of those,
including a big cohort of people who are going to be victims of the Keir Starmer's removal is that -- you know, they wonder if that can carry you
along very far. You actually need to have the ability to be unpopular, to do things that people aren't going to agree with, and to hide that out, and
that's always out of that ending. You know, we shouldn't forget he has fantastically leadership elections and lost them both heavily.
FOSTER: Yes, Greg, really appreciate your thoughts on that big moment for the Labour Party and the British government.
Becky, we know a lot about Andy Burnham's North of England policy. We know nothing beyond that. We don't know anything about his foreign policy, so
now's the moment, really. We have some really sort of answer questions about that. He's going to have to take over, you know, policy with Iran,
for example, policy without with your whole region. What's he going to do about oil prices? We know none of that at this point, so we are slightly in
the dark.
ANDERSON: Yes, Ukraine relationship with the U.S. plus plus plus plus E.U. is going to be an interesting one and will be across it for our viewers.
Thank you, Max.
You are watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson from our Middle East programming headquarters in Abu Dhabi.
Ahead on the show, the U.S. Vice President gives a very upbeat assessment of peace talks with Iran. What J.D. Vance told reporters about key
developments in those talks before he left Switzerland.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance on his way home from Switzerland after leading the American delegation at high-level peace talks with Iran.
Before leaving, he spoke to reporters touting what he called important accomplishments. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
J.D. VANCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: Yesterday was a very, very good day. We made a lot of good progress. We did exactly what we wanted to do, which is
accomplish four things for the American people.
First, we wanted to build a mechanism for keeping the Strait of Hormuz open. It is open.
Number two, we also wanted to build a mechanism, a similar mechanism for deconfliction for the regional cease fire. If Hezbollah fires at Israel, or
if Israel responds, if there are other conflicts that arise in the region, we're actually talking to each other and figuring out how to stop the
shooting.
Number three, we, and this is probably what we're most excited about, as Americans, the Iranians have agreed to invite IAEA inspectors back into
their country. That is a major milestone for the American people, and the first step in permanently denuclearizing or permanently ending a nuclear
weapons program in Iran.
[10:15:03]
And that leads me to the final thing that we wanted to accomplish, which is actually set up the process for the technical negotiations that will
follow. Our teams with -- working with the Iranians, the Qataris, and the Pakistanis made great progress yesterday. They will continue Burgenstock,
and then those technical negotiations are going to continue over the weeks and days to come.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Right, Nic Robertson back with us this hour from Switzerland, you've been there all weekend, Nic, and a markedly different tone from
France there after some pretty difficult optics yesterday when the Iranians walked out of the room rather than standing with him and the mediators, it
appeared that was over anger with Donald Trump's threat to bomb the country.
And so, where does what we've just heard from Vance, and what you understand to have happened over this week weekend leave us right now?
ROBERTSON: Yes, I think it sort of gets the memorandum of understanding sort of nailed down a little bit more. I wouldn't say expanded upon, J.D.
Vance described it there as, or describes it as a sort of building the foundations for the house that comes after.
So, you know, you go into the weekend late, frankly, for the torts, because Iran wouldn't come, because of the, you know, the Lebanon -- the ceasefire
in Lebanon wasn't in place, that was part of the memorandum of understanding, they didn't come, it was late, then they were persuaded to
come, and they come, and then they walk out, and all of that drama.
So, where do you arrive at today? Well, you sort of arrive at those issues and problems that raised and came up before the weekend, now seem to be
tapped down. I think to a degree, the symptoms have been dealt with, but not the underlying causes. Iran still wants tolls on the Strait of Hormuz,
so that's an issue that will come up later, despite the sort of lines of communication. The Lebanon ceasefire, that is sort of something that the
deconfliction cell should deal with, deal with what happens, but the underlying causes, the Lebanese army isn't strong enough to sort of do a --
its expected role yet that is force Hezbollah out of the south of Lebanon, put their weapons down, all of that sort of thing.
Another sort of takeaway here in part is, you know, Vice President J.D. Vance emphasized the International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors being
able to go into Iran. Their director general, by the way, was at the talks over the weekend. He emphasized that, but actually, when you look at the
memorandum of understanding, both the Iranian President and President Trump had signed up to the MOU, and clause eight says the IAEA inspectors will be
involved in overseeing nuclear issues inside of Iran.
So, you then left wondering, well, is that also sort of being nailed down, if you will. It appeared that there was agreement, but then there was, you
know, the real sort of positioning, obviously for domestic U.S. audience, hugely important to them on the nuclear issue. And the other one that J.D.
Vance spoke about was essentially the issue of money, the Iranian foreign minister saying that they were getting sanctions relief, frozen assets were
being released. J.D. Vance had an explanation about how the U.S. would maintain a hand on that. This is what he said:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VANCE: We want Israel's security to be protected, and we also want Lebanon's sovereignty to be protected. And this is going to be an ongoing
conversation. The Israelis have been very clear, they do not have territorial intentions on South Lebanon. The reason they feel they have to
be there is because they're worried about Hezbollah fighters in South Lebanon firing into Israel.
We do believe, of course, it's going to require a lot of hard work, that we can get to a place where Lebanon's territorial integrity and sovereignty is
protected, Israel's security is protected, and that's going to require some coordination with the Lebanese armed forces, and also it's going to require
the Iranians to rein in Hezbollah.
That's all the sort of things that we were talking about yesterday, and again, I think that we got much further compared to where we were just 24
hours ago.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: Yes, so there you go, that's the sort of band -- the band aid, if you will, on the clause one, nailing down clause one, making sure that's
effective.
On the frozen assets, the vice president said that the United States would have oversight over those assets being unfrozen. If some of them were on
frozen, the Qataris would also have oversight on it, but the -- but the money once unfrozen, there's these Iranian assets unfrozen. The money would
then be used to buy American agricultural goods, soy, for example, wheat was another example he gave, that would then go to the Iranian people.
So, Iranian money being used for the Iranian people, but buying U.S. products, that was the sort of sell, if you will, that the United States is
not giving money to Iran just to spend on its proxies, just to spend on Hezbollah, Hamas, or whomever.
So, again, that was a very important point for J.D. Vance. The land we haven't heard the Iranians speak about that yet.
[10:20:08]
ANDERSON: Good to have you, Nic. Thank you.
CNN's Jeremy Diamond is in Tel Aviv. We are not sure whether it was a yes or a no from J.D. Vance on the question of whether or not the U.S. wants
Israel to withdraw from Lebanon. What did you hear?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, what the vice president seemed to be saying was that they're going to move in that direction, or at
least move in the direction of kind of creating a scenario where there is not only a cease fire on the ground, but ultimately he said where Lebanon's
territorial integrity and sovereignty is respected.
I think it's very hard to imagine how that can take place without the withdrawal of Israeli troops, and that is indeed, you know, what the
Iranians have been demanding here.
But I think what the vice president and the U.S. are trying to do here is to say, OK, let's put a process in place in order to allow for that to
eventually be the place where we end up, not just to snap their fingers and say Israel must withdraw now, which is what the Iranians are saying.
So, you heard the Vice President touting not only this new deconfliction mechanism that will allow the various parties to, you know, talk about
violations of the ceasefire that take place in Lebanon, whether by Hezbollah or by Israel, and then, in addition to that, you also have a
number of talks that are set to take place this week between Israel and the Lebanese government, which again have been working on this broader notion
of not only a cease fire, but also how to ultimately go about the work of disarming Hezbollah, which the Lebanese government says it is committed to,
but simply does not have the resources or the capacity to do, and certainly not to do without potentially drawing Lebanon into a civil war, something
that the Lebanese government very much wants to avoid.
But so, the question is, whether we could see anything from the Israelis on that front to show that goodwill. We know in the past they've talked about
these pilot zones that would allow for Israeli troops to withdraw from areas that have been deemed, "Terror free." The Lebanese military would
then move into those areas that has been under discussion, and at the same time as that has been under discussion, we have learned from an Israeli
source familiar with the matter that Israel is considering announcing, "Symbolic withdrawals" from parts of southern Lebanon that it is currently
occupying.
We will see whether or not that comes to fruition, and whether it is linked to that notion of those pilot zones, but in the meantime, both the Israeli
Prime Minister and the Defense Minister are maintaining that their troops have the full freedom of action to thwart any threats that they may face in
Lebanon from Hezbollah, and also the Israeli Prime Minister saying that he is, "Firmly committed to staying in the security zone in southern Lebanon
for as long as necessary."
Those do not sound like the words of someone who is prepared to carry out a full withdrawal of the thousands of Israeli troops that are currently
positioned inside Lebanon.
ANDERSON: Jeremy, thank you.
My next guest, well positioned to judge then what is going on in region, very specifically what's coming out the talks between the U.S. and Iran.
Robert Malley joining me now, he served as special envoy for Iran under former President Joe Biden. He was a lead negotiator on the 2015 Iran
nuclear deal, the JCPOA.
Rob, you were quite clear that you actually don't see much value in comparing the JCPOA in this memorandum of understanding. You said, "They
are fundamentally different agreements that emerge from starkly different contexts. The bottom line is that the MOU is far preferable to any of the
alternatives on offer. Period."
So, just, if you will, give us your thoughts on these talks as they stand right now. We just heard from J.D. Vance. What are your thoughts?
ROBERT MALLEY, FORMER U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY ON IRAN: Well, my thoughts are what I try to express there is that there's at this point we're not talking
about, or at least they're not negotiating yet the details of a grand agreement that may come, that may be coming in the coming weeks, as we
heard from both sides.
But the memorandum of understanding did one thing out to be done, which is ended the war, we hope, and it opened the Straits of Hormuz.
Now, that has nothing to do with the JCPOA, it is a much leaner document, the rest is more promissory things that both sides say they're going to do,
and you know, this would have been unnecessary had there not been this completely unjustified war. But because we had the war, we needed this
memorandum of understanding. Let's not focus on criticizing the memorandum of understanding. If you want to criticize something, criticize the war
that made it necessary.
[10:25:00]
ANDERSON: No, understood. All right, I think it's important that you just sort of explained your position there.
You heard J.D. Vance lay out a plan by Jared Kushner to unfreeze Iranian assets, and then use that money to buy American soy corn and wheat that is
on top of full sanctions relief and a $300 billion reconstruction fund that, as we understand it. U.S. says the Gulf will invest in or finance.
Look, I mean, I hear no further detail on that in this region, I've got to say. Of course, all of this is hugely conditional on these talks reaching a
breakthrough and getting us into this sort of, you know, 60-day technical period when we are talking about a kind of, you know, wider portfolio of
files here.
But are you surprised to see this level of economic support to Iran at the outset after years of Donald Trump trashing the JCPOA for lifting some
sanctions and unfreezing some Iranian assets, and or do you think what we are seeing now is a good thing?
MALLEY: Yes, so listen, a few things. First, obviously, it's a rebuke, it's an indictment of the policy that President Trump himself has led, because
he had promised that he could squeeze Iran, he promised that he could bomb Iran. He's now negotiating with Iran, and he's doing what any negotiator
would have to do, which is providing some incentive to Iran, which is economic relief in exchange for them taking steps on the nuclear file.
He tried to deny that reality in his first term. He tried to deny it for the last year and a half. He's now surrendered to that reality. You asked
me that as a good thing. Yes, it is a good thing that we now are back to a situation where we're going to trade economic relief for steps that Iran is
going to take, which is the only way forward.
And by the way, I think we have to put things in perspective. Now, yes, these assets, which were frozen and then unfrozen and frozen again, that's
some amount of money. It's not a huge amount of money, it's Iranian money, as the Trump administration keeps reminding us. The $300 billion the
lifting of all sanctions that will come if and only if we reach the broader agreement. So, that's way into the future with a big question mark.
Right now, what we're talking about is simply several million -- billion dollars that Iran will have access to for humanitarian purchases. I know
that's something that given the devastation that Iran has suffered as a result of this war, it's really peanuts compared to the cost that they have
now and the challenge they have of rebuilding their country. I don't see this as sort of a huge giveaway for Iran. It's really sort of the least the
U.S. has to do to get them to negotiate and to get them to agree to do some of the things they said they would do, like allowing the nuclear inspectors
back in, and then putting some limitations on their nuclear program.
ANDERSON: I'm sure you've seen this picture of J.D. Vance at the weekend, sitting on a laptop next to the Qatari prime minister slash foreign
minister, and Jared Kushner standing sort of above him, looking over his shoulder. It does seem to demonstrate just who is at the table or
squatting, leading these negotiations, if you will, versus the more global coalition behind the JCPOA, including the Europeans and Chinese.
And I get what you've said, we're not there yet, and we'll have to see who may -- who else may be at the table when we get into this sort of wider
file.
I just wonder, though, what goes through your mind seeing the parties in Switzerland, and whether you do see some merit in this more transactional
deal-making approach, the Donald Trump sort of approach to diplomacy that we are seeing play out here, and we have seen play out, frankly, over the
last 18 months, and in his administration between '16 and 2020.
MALLEY: Every negotiation is transactional. I know President Trump carries it to new levels, but I can't see any merit in where we are now because of
the war that preceded it, and I think that nothing we're going to see in the future could justify the war that he waged.
But that doesn't mean that the process that the U.S. and Iran engage it now doesn't have positive features. I think it's a good thing that they're
talking the way they're talking, at the level at which they're talking, and you're right, we don't see the Chinese, the Russians, the Europeans. It is
interesting, we're seeing other characters there, in particular the Qataris, the Pakistanis. So, it's a more regionalized approach in a way.
That was one of the critiques that I just was in the Gulf, I'm sure you hear it all the time. The JCPOA didn't make any room for Arab countries,
for Gulf partners. This one is, so maybe that's one plus.
And to the extent that there's going to be any economic reconstruction for Iran, it is more likely to come from the Gulf than from anywhere else. I
have to say, right now, the Gulf doesn't feel like they've committed to anything, but let's see if they get something that they want in exchange,
maybe they will be investing in Iran in the -- in the -- in the future.
ANDERSON: Yes, and that is, yes, you're absolutely right.
[10:30:00]
I mean, despite the sort of devastation wrought on these Gulf economies by Iran, you know, when you talk to anybody around this region, they want to
get past this. I mean, they are navigating your new Middle East, that is the idea. These are sovereign projects, they need to get past this, and if
it takes, you know, a sort of quasi sovereign wealth fund, as it were, and some injection into that economy, you know, maybe is -- it is what we
should expect to see.
You have emphasized that Lebanon is the most dangerous fault line that could collapse this mediation process. I just wondered two things: were the
letup in strikes overnight, and Israel's willingness to symbolically withdraw from some areas is a sign of positive progress, and I also wonder
whether the fact that Lebanon's president, speaking to my colleague, Christiane Amanpour, recently, basically told Iran to stay out of Lebanon's
affairs.
Is it -- is it any way going to complicate things here? We are seeing more talks, of course, between Israel and Lebanon in Washington this week.
MALLEY: I mean, one of the most extraordinary aspects of the last few days, weeks, is the U.S. recognition, acknowledgement, whatever you want to call
it, to the fact that Iran has a major role to play in Lebanon. That's quite extraordinary, and obviously, President Donald is probably not particularly
thrilled by it, although, he too had to welcome the memorandum of understanding, because that's -- right now, that's the channel in which the
ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah may be concluded,
The channel between the sovereign government, independent government of Lebanon, and the government of Israel, unfortunately wasn't really leading
anywhere, because the Israelis didn't want anything from the government of Lebanon that the government of Lebanon could produce. What they want is
only something that Hezbollah and therefore Iran have a say in.
So, we are in this pretty, you know, it's a paradoxical situation. It's not the best for Lebanon, but where, because of the balance of power, because
of the relationship now between the U.S. and Iran, that's the channel in which they're discussing de-escalation, deconfliction for Lebanon.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Yes. Yes.
MALLEY: At the end of the day, if it means the end of the occupation, the end of the war in Lebanon, that's a good thing, probably not the best way
to get there.
ANDERSON: Rob Malley, I just have to ask you this: had it not been for the fact that many accused you and the team around Obama of dragging your feet
on Iran talks and an Iran deal that Donald Trump, of course, had pulled out of back in sort of 2021. We might not be where we are today. How do you
address or respond to those criticisms?
MALLEY: So, I haven't been shy about my own criticism of the fact that in the early month, two months of the Biden administration, there was this
view that this wasn't a priority. We had the sanctions that President Trump had imposed, which candidate Biden had opposed, but once the sanctions were
there, I think the feeling was we have this extra leverage, let's try to get a longer, stronger deal.
I think that was wasted weeks in which we sowed more distrust on the part of the Iranians, but I wouldn't give any -- I wouldn't leave the Iranians
off the hook. They had plenty of opportunities after that of deals that the Russians, the Chinese, the Europeans had all thought was a fair deal to
return to the JCPOA, and that's when I think the Iranians, Iranian regime made the wrong calculation of thinking.
They could play for time, they could squeeze for more, they could see what happens with the price of oil after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
So, my view is the U.S. administration was too slow at the beginning, the Iranian leadership was too, you know, too reticent at the end, and so, both
bear a heavy responsibility.
At the end of the day, neither President Biden nor the then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, I think, truly made this a priority. And if neither one was
prepared to make it a priority to take the political and other costs that it would entail, it wasn't going to happen.
ANDERSON: And here we are in June of 2026.
MALLEY: Right, indeed.
ANDERSON: Rob, it's good to have you on. Really appreciate it. Thank you very much indeed for joining us.
MALLEY: Thank you.
ANDERSON: Right. After the break, we are going to get you back to Downing Street. Keir Starmer's former chief of staff tells us what he thinks of
this resignation.
Back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:36:39]
ANDERSON: Welcome back. You are watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. Here are your headlines.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced his resignation, saying, he has accepted that he will not lead the party into the next general
election.
In the last hour, Andy Burnham, seen as his likely successor, was sworn in as a member of parliament.
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance reports good progress at high-level U.S.- Iran peace talks in Switzerland. He says Iran has agreed to allow nuclear inspectors back into the country. Technical teams will remain in
Switzerland to address that and other key issues in the memorandum of understanding between the two countries.
Well, Israel considering making minor "symbolic" military withdrawals from southern Lebanon. That is according to an Israeli source ahead of ceasefire
talks planned for this week in Washington. Israel's conflict with Hezbollah has emerged as a major linchpin in the U.S.-Iran talks, and the source says
this gesture is meant to highlight ongoing diplomatic efforts between Israel and Lebanon.
Right. Other big story is, of course, the resignation of the British prime minister today. Let me get you back to my colleague, Max Foster, who is sat
outside Downing Street.
FOSTER: Yes, that speech, Becky, earlier on today, Keir Starmer saying he had heard the message from his party. He is not the right person to lead
them into the next general election. He was basically ousted by the parliamentary party.
The pressure to resign was impossible to ignore. Clare Sebastian is here. You were here early today, but you are expecting something to happen this
week, but then, it snowballed right this morning. Take us through the process.
SEBASTIAN: Yes, it's interesting how quickly everything has changed, Max, because as recently as Friday morning, Keir Starmer was saying, oh, I'm
going to run in any leadership contest, I'm going to not walk away from this mandate that I've been given. But then, he went to his country
residence and checkers over the weekend, he sort of thought about things, and we got some messaging from his team on Sunday, saying, look, he was
thinking about the political reality of the situation, and after that --
(CROSSTALK)
FOSTER: Which is the top of that, basically collapsed.
SEBASTIAN: It wasn't a -- it wasn't a public mutiny, but the reports were that he was having sort of high-profile Cabinet ministers coming forward,
and saying that you need to set a timetable to resign.
FOSTER: Yes.
SEBASTIAN: And I think, the fact that Andy Burnham had won that seat in Makerfield, that special election that was held last week with the sole
purpose of bringing him back to parliament, so that he could stand against Kier Starmer.
That resounding victory really sort of proof that he would be the guy, or at least, the best hope of defeating a populist right-wing party like
reform in the next general election. I think that was --
(CROSSTALK)
FOSTER: Because of a Makerfield election, which is special election up north.
(CROSSTALK)
SEBASTIAN: Right. Right.
FOSTER: And reform had done well in the local elections.
SEBASTIAN: Yes.
FOSTER: So then, Burnham --
(CROSSTALK)
SEBASTIAN: Flipped around. Yes.
FOSTER: For the Labour, flipped around. So, that was seen as a trial.
SEBASTIAN: Right. And potentially a blueprint for going forward into a general election.
(CROSSTALK)
FOSTER: Yes. OK. And in terms of what happens now, we have seen Burnham sign in, take the oath of allegiance to the king.
SEBASTIAN: Yes, yes.
FOSTER: They still do that these days. And then, we saw this extraordinary image, I mean, this guy is a P.R. man, isn't he?
SEBASTIAN: Yes, yes.
FOSTER: Tell us about the image.
SEBASTIAN: So, it was a sort of photo opportunity, essentially, for Labour M.P.s to come and take a picture of him, and here he is standing at the
front. It's almost like what people do at their weddings, when they have their guests standing behind them.
(CROSSTALK)
FOSTER: Yes.
SEBASTIAN: But it's symbolic, because in order to stand against -- in a leadership contest, you need a certain amount of support. You need 20
percent of the parliamentary Labour Party.
And I think, this photo op shows that he has well and truly made those numbers.
(CROSSTALK)
FOSTER: Is not -- it's like, if anyone dares run against me.
(CROSSTALK)
[10:40:01]
SEBASTIAN: Right.
FOSTER: This is what erupt against or don't, you know.
SEBASTIAN: Oh, yes, and I think it's understood throughout the party. That's why we have seen the likes of Wes Streeting, who is the former
health secretary, come forward and say he is, you know, he's going to throw his hat behind Andy and not run himself.
(CROSSTALK)
FOSTER: Yes.
SEBASTIAN: No one else has thrown their hat in the ring for a contest as of yet,
FOSTER: And if they don't --
(CROSSTALK)
SEBASTIAN: Yes.
FOSTER: When could he be in power?
SEBASTIAN: So, it could happen within a matter of weeks. The idea, the prime minister said right here this morning, is to open nominations for a
leadership contest on the ninth of July, and that the nominations then close by the time they go on their recess, which I think is the 17th of
July.
So, if there is only one person standing, then you have to assume that it could be wrapped up.
(CROSSTALK)
FOSTER: So, be next steady but to the 18th of July.
SEBASTIAN: Yes, for then. Something like that.
FOSTER: So, before the summer. But obviously, that's a huge challenge for anyone coming into this office.
SEBASTIAN: Yes.
FOSTER: Because, you know, he's got to get his policies together.
SEBASTIAN: Yes.
FOSTER: Isn't there an E.U. summit, you know, in July?
SEBASTIAN: The NATO summit in July, there is a U.K.-EU summit.
FOSTER: Yes.
SEBASTIAN: This prime minister has been very active in trying to repair and restore relations with the EU.
FOSTER: Yes.
SEBASTIAN: NATO is going to be somewhat awkward, I think, for the sitting prime minister, having lost his, just lost his defense minister as well.
(CROSSTALK)
FOSTER: Yes.
SEBASTIAN: So, there is a lot that he's got to do in these weeks.
(CROSSTALK)
FOSTER: There is a lot. OK.
Let's speak to Sam White now. He was Keir Starmer's former chief of staff.
Thank you so much for joining us, Sam.
SAM WHITE, FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF TO KIER STARMER: Thanks for having me.
FOSTER: You know, this is a very stoic politician, quite controlled, and there was that emotional part at the end of his speech where he cracked a
bit. Was that a surprise to you? What did that say to us?
WHITE: Yes, I think, the break in his voice you heard in his resignation speech was when he got to the moment talking about his family, his wife,
and his kids. And, you know, knowing him well, he does have a very, very solid core of family values, he is very committed family man, and I think
he has found the weight, perhaps, of the office on his family, one of the most regretful parts of doing a big job like this one, and I think, you
know, the only upside in some ways for him was he is going to get his life back and have more time to spend with a family he obviously adores.
FOSTER: He is been described as stubborn, inconsistent, indecisive. Tell us, the Keir Starmer that you know.
WHITE: I would love to frame it as he is resilient and has a great deal of willpower, and is able to kind of power through what would put a lot of
people off. Sometimes people call it stubbornness. I don't know. My experience with him is different to that, that in that he has had the
ability to change his mind when confronted with good evidence, argument, and fact.
We saw during his period of travel from, you know, elected opposition leader in 2020 on quite a left-wing platform. But as he traveled through
what the public was asking for from the Labour Party. You know they wanted a party they could trust with their money, with their defense, and whose
concerns were their concerns.
And also, when he got to grips with how bad the fiscal situation he would likely inherit was, and had to make difficult choices about what policies
to execute and which weren't. You saw him very, you know, change his mind on certain things.
So, that sort of stubbornness, yes, but also an ability to respond as an evidence-based policymaker, and you know, vary it to what the circumstances
and context demand.
FOSTER: I'm not going to ask you what your conversations were about President Trump behind the scenes of the prime minister. But it was clearly
difficult for him, and he had to bite his tongue a lot. He now has this, you know, window to be to talk about legacy, but also to talk about
honesty. Do you think we're going to get some frankness from him and pushing back against the president, particularly, when we've seen other
European leaders doing that more recently?
WHITE: I think that's a really interesting question. I think, the relationship with Donald Trump has been challenging for so many
international leaders, because he is such an unconventional president, you know, the way he is even talked about, you know, oh yes, Kier definitely
reside on social media last night, you know, you wouldn't normally get that in the sort of classic diplomacy between allied states.
I think, Kier took the right judgment early on to look past the differences politically and stylistically he had with President Trump and to focus on
the depth relationship between the U.K. and the U.S., which is by far the most important of our allies.
And above the line you see all the things we do together, and below it there's a whole load more on security matters. So, I think Kier did a
certain amount of saying I will suck this up, I will make this work. But I think he probably was right to draw the line at going into Iran as he was
asked to do at that point.
What will he do now with his Trump relationship? I don't know. I always advise him not to have the love action me moment, where you, you know,
dress down the president as the prime minister, and everyone feels jolly good for a few minutes, and then we realize the enormity of what's
happened.
[10:45:08]
Maybe now, he is -- he is a free man. Maybe he will.
FOSTER: Would be interesting, wouldn't it?
Sam, thank you so much. It's been very hard to predict what's happened over the last few days. It's rapid -- it's moved so quickly, but ultimately, we
are looking at a new prime minister, which could be in a matter of weeks.
So, I really appreciate your time with us today Sam. Becky will have more from the rest of the world after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Let's begin to finalize their standings in the group stages. And as promised, we are here to keep you up to date on the teams from this
region. We, of course, are broadcasting to you from Abu Dhabi in the Gulf, and last night there were quite a few from the wider region.
Let's start with Egypt. They are their first World Cup win after 92 years, defeating New Zealand 3-1. Iran battled it out with Belgium producing a
draw. Reuters reports that after the game, Iran notably left a message in their locker room thanking Los Angeles for its hospitality during their
stay. Iran and Egypt will face each other this weekend.
For Saudi Arabia, a tough defeat after Spain. One of the favorites to win the tournament beat them 4-0. Tunisia dominated by Japan, 4-0, and are now
out the tournament.
There was some good news for World Cup underdog Cape Verde, who stunned the world again by saving off a defeat from two-time world champion Uruguay.
The match ended in a draw, 2-2.
I mean, CNN's Don Riddell, watching all of these games, following every twist and turn for us from Atlanta, where we will see some games as well,
and we've seen one, I think already, when we see some more. Remarkable day of football on Sunday. What stood out for you, mate?
DON RIDDELL, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Becky, it's been great. All of it. And games that perhaps I wouldn't have thought would be compelling, have us all
on the edge of our seats. It's been fantastic.
As you say, Atlanta has already seen a few games. I saw Spain play Cape Verde in the first game, which was an extraordinary draw for Cape Verde. It
seemed like a bit of a disastrous draw for Spain, the reigning European champions, but I would say normal service was resumed yesterday when they
thrashed Saudi Arabia 4-0.
And Lamine Yamal, who started his first World Cup Game. Remember, he came on as a late sub in the first match. He started yesterday and made an
immediate impact, scoring after what, 10 or 11 minutes. So, that's his first World Cup start, his first World Cup goal at the age of 18. He has
done that quicker. than Lionel Messi was able to score his first World Cup goal.
Meanwhile, the Cape Verde fairy tale just continues a thrilling 2-2 draw against Uruguay, showing that these guys are not just a defensive team.
They can actually get out there and score goals as well. Cape Verde now have a chance of making it into the round of 32, which would be just
extraordinary for World Cup debutantes and a country of what, less than 500,000 people.
[10:50:08]
They are just having the time of their lives. Here is the coach.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUBISTA, COACH, CAPE VERDE (through translator): This is for all other small national teams that have found it difficult to qualify for the World
Cup.
This is for all the people of Africa. We are also here to show that a country may be small, may face financial difficulties. But if it has
resilience, if it has the capacity to endure hardship, if it works in an organized manner, it can also shine alongside the big teams. The major
international sides that have a different caliber of players and resources. We owe this to our continent. We owe this to our people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIDDELL: Becky, you mentioned that Egypt won their game. Thanks to a goal from Mo Salah. Extraordinary to think that the seven-time Afghan champions
had never won a World Cup game until now. But they came from behind against New Zealand, 3-1.
It was a fascinating score sheet with some legendary World Cup names among the goals, Zico, Trezeguet, and of course Mohammed Salah, and he knows what
this win means to his country.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMED SALAH, FORWARD, PREMIER LEAGUE CLUB LIVERPOOL: It's a great feeling for all of us. It's a great achievement. I said before, we just do our best
in the tournament to make the people happy in Egypt, and I think, they are -- right now, they are happy and proud.
So, the only thing I can promise them is just like we sweat and we run and we give it our best, and yes, we were lucky to win the game today. We play,
I think, better game. So, we play against tough team and tough group. So, yes, now, we are top of the -- of the group, and we just need to celebrate
today and tomorrow with the win, and just focus in the last game.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIDDELL: Weekend of World Cup action, Becky, and to think, it's probably going to be even better today.
ANDERSON: Yes. Argentina, France, Norway, with their massive star power, all playing today. Always good to have you. Don Riddell, in the house, and
more as we get it. Thank you, sir.
Right, we are going to take a very short break. Back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Right. A sweltering heat wave hitting Europe. Temperatures expected to exceed 40 degrees Celsius in some parts of the continent.
CNN's Melissa Bell bearing the heat from Paris. And I'm just looking at what the temperature here is at just before 7:00 in the evening. Abu Dhabi,
it is 37 degrees. What is the temperature where you are, and were used to this.
How are -- how are you and everybody else where you are preparing for this extreme heat?
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Becky. Here in Paris, and across Europe, we simply don't have the air conditioning
that you guys are lucky enough to have there in Abu Dhabi. And we are hitting 40 degrees already, with authorities warning, this could be the
hottest day on record in Paris ever.
So, doing what I can with an ice cream that is melting very quickly, Becky, but as you can see behind me, the Canal Saint-Martin, normally, you are not
allowed to swim here. And because of these exceptional conditions, they have opened it to swimmers.
So, all along the banks, the young, particularly, are doing all they can to get called jumping into it. And this began even yesterday.
[10:55:00]
Sunday was France's annual music festival, the Fete de la Musique. There is outdoor music and dancing all over the country.
Because of those sweltering temperatures, a lot of people were seeking refuge in this canal, Becky. But also, authorities had to ban the public
consumption of alcohol just to try and protect the health of people.
Now, the point about this heat wave is that this is the second dome we have had in the last two months, and it is expected to intensify their heat
warnings across Western Europe into the United Kingdom, where the heat is expected to arrive by Wednesday or Thursday. Becky.
ANDERSON: It's good to have you. We are going to leave it there. Stay safe.
I hope it's clean in that canal. Anyway, stay safe and stay hydrated, I guess, is the -- is the advice from those who know here in the Gulf.
Thank you, Melissa.
And that is it for CONNECT THE WORLD. From the team working with me here in Abu Dhabi, it is a very good evening. Stay with CNN. My colleagues, with
"ONE WORLD", up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
