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Connect the World
China Denounces U.S. Threat Of Sanctions Over Trade With Iran; Canada Set To Announce Retaliatory Tariffs On U.S. Goods; The U.S. Is Sending Migrants To Volatile African Nation; U.S. Removes Syria Off Its List Of State Sponsors Of Terrorism; Trump Lays It on the Line for Darline Graham. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired August 25, 2026 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:00:50]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi. This is Connect the World with Becky Anderson.
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 is just after six in the evening. And we're tracking the fallout of U.S. President Trump's two economic conflicts,
beginning with his new sanctions on Iran. China, Tehran's key trading partner, now criticizing the measures, saying they will quote only further
intensify tensions.
And Canada preparing to hit back against Trump's tariffs as the two countries trade war deepens. Next hour, Ottawa set to announce its
retaliatory measures.
And CNN will take you this hour to the Central African Republic where the Trump administration has struck a deal to send migrants to uncertain fates.
Well, let's start with the U.S. Treasury secretary's warning to the world Monday about doing business with Iran. Scott Bessent threatening punitive
actions against countries that defy the U.S. without saying exactly what those measures would be or when they would happen. He did outline the U.S.
strategy at a news conference on Monday. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT BESSENT, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: We are giving everyone the opportunity to remedy bad behavior. Why would I want to blow up the global
financial system? We believe that it is important to level set and give people a cure period. But they should know that will move very quickly and
that we are serious.
So we believe that a warning shot and a level set of expectations is appropriate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, the U.S. Treasury also tightening sectoral sanctions on Iran itself, announcing five targets, aviation, digital assets such as
cryptocurrency, gold, shipping and technology. The Treasury Department says the measures are designed to choke off the ability of the regime to
generate revenue and hard currency.
China warning that new U.S. economic action on Iran will only further intensify tensions. And it's cautioning the U.S. to avoid interfering in
its relations with Iran. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson saying today, quote, China's cooperation with Iran has always been conducted within the
framework of international law and should not be disrupted or undermined.
Richard Nephew is a senior research scholar at Columbia University, former U.S. deputy special envoy for Iran, and he joins me now from Washington.
And I'm interested in your sort of response to what we heard late yesterday from Scott Bessent. You are considered to be the architect of U.S.
sanctions on Iran.
So what did you make of the latest from the Trump administration?
RICHARD NEPHEW, SENIOR RESEARCH SCHOLAR, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: Well, candidly, it's really more of the same, and there were certainly a lot more
words than there were actions or really any description of actions to come. I mean, frankly, the treasury secretary's statement that we are now issuing
a warning shot, a last opportunity for everyone to get clean.
Well, I mean, what have they been doing for the last 18 months while allegedly Iran's been under a maximum pressure campaign, or over the course
of the last six months when Operation Economic Fury was in place? And I think this really does put a pin into the lack of really new options on the
sanctions front.
A lot of these sanctions have been in place for decades now. And part of the reason why we're in this situation is that from a Trump administration
perspective, the sanctions weren't working. So, it's a little puzzling why they think these kinds of threats are going to now change any Iranian
decision making. They haven't done so thus far and they didn't really do anything new.
[10:05:00]
ANDERSON: So do you buy sanctions at all at this point, given that they, you just admitted, haven't worked in the past and are unlikely to work
going forward.
NEPHEW: Well, they can work if you have objectives that are in bounds and something that the Iranians could credibly decide to give up. I mean, part
of the reason why the nuclear deal was achieved in 2015, in my opinion, I think the opinion of others, although there is some dispute, is that the
Iranian system was feeling pressure from sanctions that were being imposed on the economy.
They felt they needed to make concessions, and the concessions that we were asking them to make were something they considered in bounds. But the Trump
administration, when it walked away from that nuclear deal back in 2018, essentially said, we want more.
We want more on missiles, we want more on proxy activities, we want more even internally in the country. And they've doubled down on those demands
over the course of this administration.
When you're asking a country to fundamentally change its behavior, well, you're potentially going to need to bring more to the fight than just
sanctions pressure. And now we've actually had military conflict.
So it's just very hard for me to see the level of demand that's being made on the Iranians when they, at this point, have weathered sanctions for
quite some time, being equal to the task they've set for them.
ANDERSON: So Scott Bessent is now effectively threatening secondary sanctions on countries working with Iran. How feasible is that? And does
the U.S. have the leverage to compel, for example, China to stop trading with Iran without, as Bessent concedes, blowing up the global financial
system?
NEPHEW: Yes, that was a statement that if he was intending to scare the Chinese or others, probably undermined his overall strategic messaging may
not have been terribly advisable. But this highlights a bigger point that there have been sanctions in place governing, for instance, Iran's trade in
oil with China.
For many years now, the Chinese, or at least some elements of the Chinese system, have continued with that trade. And so very clear they've made the
determination that it's worth the sanctions risk without changing the nature of that risk.
It's really hard for me to see those companies saying, oops, we made a mistake. We're now going to not engage in trade that we found quite
profitable. And I think this goes to the fact that sanctions are never going to be completely hermetic. They're not going to completely seal a
country.
It's very difficult to do. So, frankly, we're finding that even a maritime blockade is not able to do that. And this goes back to a question of
sanctions. Have a role, but they also have limits. And if a country is prepared to push back on those sanctions, as China has in particular and
others have too, then it kind of limits how far you're going to be able to go, especially if you're putting really unreasonable demands of what
sanctions ought to be able to do.
ANDERSON: I'm really interested in getting your view on what your thinking was when you initially designed the Iran sanctions. I mean, you had the
backing of allies and key nations. The U.S. doesn't have that same backing now. So I guess that does beg the question, how feasible is it to apply and
enforce sanctions and without global buy in.
Is that the point here?
NEPHEW: Right, that's very much the point. Look, when we were doing this in the past, we were enforcing a global U.N. Security Council resolution and
set of resolutions, as well as a global norm and treaty in the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty that everyone else really had signed up to.
And so there were -- there were standards that the Iranians had violated, rules that they had violated in pursuit of a nuclear weapons option that
most of the world found quite concerning. So we had a good case and we also were able to tell everybody, listen, these sanctions are going to be in
place forever.
We're not trying to bring about the collapse of the regime. We're trying to get a deal. And this is something that we said in the Bush administration,
something we said in the Obama administration. It's part of the reason why we're able to keep everybody together.
So then we go and get that deal and then decide to blow it up a couple of years later because we don't think it's sufficient. It's that change in
U.S. policy and the demands that have been made that I think made a lot of countries say, well, listen, you were clearly lying to us in the past when
you said you had the limited demands of the Iranians. And now people frankly just don't trust us and we don't have a lot of credibility in the
international diplomatic space at this point.
ANDERSON: I mean, I am interested in your argument as to, you know, why you felt back in the day that sanctions were useful as a policy. I mean,
there's a wider story here. I mean, the U.S. sanctions policy on Iran has decimated the Iranian economy, There's no doubt about that. But it has gone
even further than that.
A study done, I think, in 2025 showed that sanctions had a direct cause in diminishing the middle class, pushing more people into poverty, leading to
less people with bandwidth to be able to enact on the ground change. The U.S. sanctions policies very directly. And this is over the years, not
just, you know, during the Trump administration, has very directly impacted ordinary Iranians, but it hasn't changed the government's behavior.
[10:10:12]
So do you still view the US Sanctions policy regime, you know, that you were involved with in the past as a success?
NEPHEW: Well, I think this goes to the fundamental point that I was trying to make, which is that a short term sanctions campaign that is supporting
an international norm, like for instance nuclear nonproliferation, that was attempting to avoid the use of military force. Because again, remember that
was the context of this, is that we were working with international partners and allies. We were working with governments that had been opposed
to the invasion of Iraq on a diplomatic option that included pressure tactics. We were working with Russia and China to adopt U.N. Security
Council resolutions. We had multinational support in furtherance of an international norm that everyone basically understood and agreed with.
That was the underlying logic that supported that sanction sanctions campaign. And it was intended to be short term. It was intended to be
limited. It was intended to put pressure to get a policy change, which it did because the Iranians were prepared to make changes to their nuclear
program as a result, things that they said they weren't prepared to do.
My point is that at some point in the first Trump administration, we changed the objective of our sanctions policy. And as we've seen in places
like Cuba, where we now had a sanctions regime in place for over 60 years, when you have overwhelming demands that a country is simply not going to
accede to, it's very difficult to get people to make those changes with sanctions.
And instead you have the long term atrophy and damage that's done as a result. So, it's one of the problems that comes along with sanctions
policy. Doesn't mean that they can't be useful in a short term objective approach. But they aren't a solution to everything and you can leave them
in place for far too long.
ANDERSON: Yes, because studies of course show that economic warfare kills more people a year globally than kinetic warfare. Of course, in your book
you write and I quote you here, the application of pain against a sanctions target is sheer second sadism, unless it is connected to an expectation
about what that pain will achieve and is matched with a readiness to stop inflicting pain when the sanctioning states objectives are met.
In Iran today, it seems that pain has achieved very little despite decades of sanctions. Are to your mind, U.S. sanctions on Iran and its people now
veering into sadism? Is it time to stop?
NEPHEW: Well, I certainly think you can make that case, especially because the demands that we also have are very inconsistent. You know, at some
point yesterday, Scott Bessent was talking about the idea that we want to pursue regime change. In previous days, we were talking about opening the
Strait of Hormuz. Previous days we were talking about just dealing with the nuclear program.
So I think there's a lot of strategic confusion on the part of the United States. But I think this also underlines is that there is desperation in
U.S. policy. At this point the military conflict that the Trump administration decided to launch has not been successful. In fact, has
probably undermined our security and global stability by closing off the Strait of Hormuz.
And so the Trump administration is failing. They are looking for some kind of new solution, and they are going back to sanctions because they think
that is easier for them to both sell to the American people and maintain abroad. But, you know, as I think you're pointing out, and certainly as
other countries have pointed out, if you don't understand why you're doing this and if the reasons why you're doing it are seen as extreme, that's not
going to get you a whole lot of international support either.
And again, it's worth kind of coming back to this point. There was a difference when you were doing something that the U.N. Security Council had
authorized and supported, as opposed to what we're doing now unilaterally.
ANDERSON: Richard, it's good to have you very much appreciate your time. Richard, Nephew in the house for you. Thank you.
Well, today we are expecting Canada to announce its response to President Donald Trump's tariffs. It comes after the U.S. yesterday or over the
weekend imposed 50 percent levies on roughly $20 billion worth of Canadian goods. As the trade tensions escalate, of course, so does the war of words
between U.S. and Canadian leaders. President Trump firing the latest shot, now floating a new name for Lake Ontario, which separates the state of New
York from Canada. Mr. Trump says the U.S. is giving, and I quote him here, serious consideration to renaming it Lake America.
His latest jab comes a day after he warned Canada of far worse consequences if its leaders do not fall in line following the collapse of trade talks
between the two countries.
[10:15:00]
Well, Ontario's provincial leader Doug Ford, hitting back at Trump's threats. And he is not mincing his words.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOUG FORD, ONTARIO PREMIER: I have a lot of real estate on my -- so he has a lot of room to kiss my ass. Well, wait it out for two years, even if he
lasts two years. But we'll wait it out and hopefully they'll come to their senses when they see the pain he's putting on the American people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, our CNN politics senior reporter Stephen Collinson says President Trump's theory of global power faces a reckoning not just on or
in Iran, but in Canada as well. He writes this, quote, it's a commentary on the extreme disruption of the Trump era that Canada, one of America's most
loyal friends, has found itself in a similar state of economic warfare with the U.S. as Iran, one of the Washington's worst foes.
And Stephen joins us now to discuss that as well as CNN's Anna Stewart, who's in London. Anna, let's start with you, break down for us if you will,
where we stand and what Canadian sort of retaliation might look like.
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So we are expecting news of how Canada will respond in the next hour or so. And Mark Carney, the prime minister,
made quite clear that it will be, quote, dollar for dollar tariffs in response to that latest round of tariffs in the U.S. targeting around $20
billion worth of goods. It was a 50 percent tariff.
I guess the big question for us today is what is on the list? Will it be a blunt 50 percent tariff? Will it be something a little bit more targeted?
And then also, of course, how is Canada going to respond to the latest on cars because there is this threat from President Trump to increase the
current tariff on imports of Canadian vehicles from 25 percent to 50 percent. That is hugely significant.
I mean, just looking at some of the stats in terms of the value of autos, the U.S. imported 24 and a half billion dollars worth of Canadian vehicles
just in the first half of this year and vice versa, Canada imported around $30 billion worth of auto related goods. So that is really significant. How
will Canada respond to that? Will they wait for that given that's kind of the latest off the press salvo?
But also, Becky, where do we go from here because Canada says they will respond. Will the U.S. then retaliate to that and where does this end?
We've seen similar sort of tit for tat trade war, I suppose, between the U.S. and China. And that took us to triple digit percentages in terms of
tariffs with at one point the U.S. having 145 percent tariffs on Chinese goods.
And I think China having 125 percent tariffs on U.S. goods. The difference, of course, here is Canada's economy is much smaller than the U.S. in that
sense, perhaps the U.S. has more leverage. But China does have ultimate leverage over some sectors like energy. We're nowhere near that today.
We're looking at very much a response, a targeted response, I think, to just the latest round of tariffs. But what happens next?
ANDERSON: I hear you sigh. Stephen, let me bring you in. Thank you, Anna. Trump has just floated renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America as this feud
escalates. That gives you a sense of where his head is at this Tuesday morning. That was an early morning post. Can you just expand on your sort
of wider analysis in your latest piece for CNN Digital?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Yes, I think Trump's comments are illustrative of this morning about Lake Ontario. I think the
thing to understand about this is that Canadians, and you can see this in the rhetoric, especially of Mark Carney, the prime minister, do not believe
this is simply a trade war. They think this is about an attempt by Trump to dominate and suppress Canada and its nationality and its unity and its
sovereignty.
The big objection that the Canadians had, apart from the tariffs that were added during these last negotiations that fell down last week, was the fact
that Trump and the American side tried to insert, according to the Canadians, clauses into the agreement, for example, watering down the
bilingualism in Canada, which is constitutionally enshrined and which is one of the reasons why Canada manages to stick together as a nation.
They also apparently, according to the Canadians, wanted to control some of the third nation trade deals that Canada could conduct and agree to. So
when you've had the president of the United States spending the last 18 months saying, and everyone thought it was a joke to begin with, but no one
does now, that Canada should be the 51st state, and then they start doing things like this, you can understand the mindset of Canadians.
And I think the fact that they view this as a threat to their nation means that when this trade war eventually ends, the damage between the two
countries is going to take quite a long time to dissipate.
[10:20:11]
And that is something which, if you step back and think about it, it's quite extraordinary that you would see this fracturing of trust between two
of the world's closest friends.
ANDERSON: It's always good to have you. Thank you very much indeed. More from stephen@cnn.com of course. Coming up on Connect the World, what's
happening to migrants in the U.S. who are deported to third countries. Up next, CNN speaks to some about their uncertain fates in one of the world's
most dangerous countries.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Trump administration's immigration policy involves so called third country deportations where migrants are sent from the U.S. to
countries other than their own. Just months ago, ICE sent its first deportation flight to the Central African Republic, one of the most
dangerous countries on Earth. My colleague Isobel Yeung traveled there to investigate.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was so scared. I was crying and I said, I'm not going out.
ISOBEL YEUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Asena thought she'd find safety in the U.S. she says she fled Turkey after facing death threats. But
then she became one of thousands that the Trump administration has deported.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: First my hands and with my belly like this and my foot.
YEUNG: So they handcuffed you and shackled you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Yes.
YEUNG: And you still didn't know where you were going?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know where I'm going to. I said, where we are going, tell me. And he said, I don't know, maybe Central Africa. And I was
in shock.
YEUNG: Have you ever heard of Central African Republic before?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
YEUNG: So we are here in Bangui in the Central African Republic, trying to find out what happened with this ICE deportation flight that took place
this summer, going from the U.S. to here. We know that this flight happened in the shadows of secrecy. As far as we know, no one apart from U.N.
agencies has managed to meet with these migrants. So we're here trying to track them down.
YEUNG (voice-over): At 8:58 p.m. on June 11, 18 migrants from all over the world were brought to Alexandria Airport, Louisiana. They say they were
handcuffed and shackled. Several claim they were severely beaten. Two of the migrants say they were forced into a full body restraint, like the one
seen here in a demo video.
A U.S. official called the allegation a flat out lie and denied anyone was beaten. The maker of one such restraint said it's a last resort tool
intended to promote safety and prevent escalation. Nearly 20 hours later, after a refueling stop, the plane touched down in Bangui, Central African
Republic.
[10:25:00]
YEUNG: Maybe I can just start with where are you from originally?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm from Georgia.
YEUNG: You're from Georgia?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Egypt.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Egypt.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Afghanistan.
YEUNG: Afghanistan.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Iraq.
YEUNG: Jordan.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jordan.
YEUNG: Jordan. So all different countries. How are you all doing here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Doing here? Like hell.
YEUNG: Like hell.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. No Internet, no electric, too much of mosquito. Everybody have malaria.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The police detained us and then demanded money from us. Since that day, we have not left the building.
YEUNG (voice-over): The U.S. State Department warns people do not travel here for risk of kidnapping and terrorism and advises those who must to
leave behind a DNA sample so they can be identified by their family.
YEUNG: A lot of the migrants have told us that they are terrified to be here, and you can understand why. I mean, this is a country where there's
been an ongoing civil war that's still taking place.
But even here in Bangui, there's very high rates of violence, very high rates of criminality, and very high rates of, you know, these armed groups
operating here.
YEUNG (voice-over): I asked the police about the migrants, claims that they are part of the problem.
YEUNG: Some of the migrants here that I've spoken to say that when they go outside, the police stop them and ask them for cash and threaten them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no, those police officers are checking who those people are. I don't believe they asking them for money.
YEUNG (voice-over): Very little is known about what terms the CAR government agreed to with the U.S., but what we do know is that on May 18,
just one month before the first deportation flight, State Department diplomats traveled here to meet with the President.
For the past decade, the U.S. has given just a few million dollars per year to the U.N. migration agency, IOM's operations in CAR. But this year that
figure shot up to $85 million. An additional $50 million was committed to the CAR humanitarian fund. We asked the IOM about the money they're
receiving.
They did not respond to our specific questions, but told us that IOM has a long standing presence in the CAR and they're receiving funding from a
range of donors.
But this is at a time when the Trump administration has been slashing billions of dollars in foreign assistance.
YEUNG: We have been trying to get hold of any U.S. officials to talk about what's been happening and why and how they've sent these migrants here
because they are ultimately the ones responsible. I mean, the State Department have emailed back saying as a policy, we do not discuss
diplomatic negotiations or funding mechanisms.
And the U.S. Embassy staff have not been replying to us, but we're going to try a knock on the door just to see if they answer.
So we just have some questions about the migrants that were brought here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All questions have to go through them. I'm not authorized to answer any questions.
YEUNG: And is there, is there anyone else we can contact at the U.S. embassy?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Bangue PD at state.gov the email I gave you.
YEUNG: Who are just going to ignore us and pretend that email never came. All right, thank you.
YEUNG (voice-over): Eventually, the State Department did get back to us. They did not reply to any of our detailed questions, but said the U.S. will
use foreign assistance to support countries that help us achieve our immigration priorities. It's a tacit admission that the money is tied to
the deportations.
The U.S. government does have a responsibility towards these migrants. Most of those we spoke to here have protection orders from American judges
stopping the government from sending them to their home countries where they're likely to face persecution, torture or death.
Fidele Gouandjika is a special advisor to the CAR's president. He also hosts a local radio show.
YEUNG: As you know, nothing happens in this country without a little sweetener. It's a little bit difficult to believe that zero money was given
by the U.S. to Central African Republic.
I mean, this is one of the most corrupt countries in the world as you know.
FIDELE GOUANDJIKA, SPECIAL ADVISOR TO PRESIDENT FAUSTIN-ARCHANGE TOUADERA: I do not believe the government could be corrupt, I would not want to think
for a single second that the Americans or Donald Trump are acting as corrupts.
YEUNG (voice-over): For Gouandjika, what's happened to these migrants is a sign of American cruelty.
YEUNG: When a powerful country like the U.S. comes knocking and asking for this help, is it difficult for a country like yours to refuse?
GOUANDJIKA: What saddens me about the United States, a superpower with all the resources could keep these migrants there and they send them here to us
instead. The United States is a superpower, but it's a power without a good heart.
YEUNG (voice-over): Perhaps most concerning of all are those who have nowhere left to run to, like this young pro-democracy activist from Iran
who says she faced possible execution for partaking in protests.
[10:30:10]
Initially, she was overjoyed when she arrived in the US.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was too much happy. America one of the best country in the world. And I say it's OK now I'm safe and I can make one new life
here. I know if I was in Iran, they going to kill me.
YEUNG (voice-over): Earlier this year, Trump himself encouraged Iranians to keep protesting, promising help is on the way.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Every time I think they going to protect me, but emir not protect me. When they send me here, really, I lose my hope again.
YEUNG: Isobel Yeung, CNN, Central African Republic.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: When we come back, as the U.S. removes Syria from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, we look at the ongoing reconstruction efforts
to recover from years of civil war.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Back, I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi and you are watching Connect the World. These are your headlines this hour. And U.S. Treasury
Secretary Scott Bessent says the U.S. will crack down on countries that buy oil from Iran. He gave the warning a day after threatening Iran with an
economic D-Day.
He didn't offer specifics of potential U.S. measures or give a timeline. Iran itself says it is prepared to counter U.S. action or sanctions.
The U.S. Secret Service says it is investigating an Iranian state media video appearing to threaten Barron Trump's life after the country's former
supreme leader was assassinated. Iranian outlets have put out videos threatening the U.S. President and his family, but this is the first time
President Trump's youngest son has been singled out.
Well today, Canada is set to announce its response to President Trump's tariffs. Mark Carney, the prime minister, initially vowed a dollar for
dollar response but says Canada may take a more targeted approach to maximize the impact. Ottawa also expects to unveil measures to help protect
Canadian businesses and workers.
And we are following a significant milestone for Syria. Just over a year and a half after the fall of the Assad regime, the U.S. has officially
removed the country from its state sponsor of terrorism list, lifting what is the last barrier to investment there and integration into the financial
system.
[10:35:10]
President Trump set the process in motion back in July during his most recent meeting with the country's president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, on the
sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. Well, my next guest has recently returned from Damascus and has observed closely Syria's
reconstruction efforts. Here's more on what she saw there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARWA DAMON, FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, INARA: It's like there's layers of existence and you start to see sort of life returning to the bottom layer.
But then you can't help but to wonder, can that bottom layer physically and, you know, metaphorically sustain the destruction that is still on top
of it?
I do see change, but most of this change, it's people's own individual efforts. And it feels like you're almost crossing some kind of weird
boundary when you move from the destroyed outskirts of Damascus into the heart of the capital itself.
The jasmine blooms in Damascus always send me back to my childhood. My grandmother used to always pick them and put them on our beds before we
went to sleep. And it's a habit that my mother continued on as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, Arwa Damon is the founder of INARA, a humanitarian organization that provides medical treatment to refugee children. She was
also my colleague for many years as a CNN senior correspondent. And she's with me now in the studio. And it's lovely to have you.
DAMON: Thank you. Absolute pleasure to be here.
ANDERSON: Thank you for being here. You and I have covered Syria to together for years now. You were instrumental to CNN's reporting of the
Syrian revolution and the conflict, of course, that followed. So I just want to begin with your further reflections, as it were, having just gone
back.
DAMON: You know, Becky, a lot of people want to know and they are always asking, are you optimistic about Syria? And I keep saying right now,
actually, that is an irrelevant question. Optimism doesn't matter right now. It's very clear what Syria needs to go down the path where we can
begin talking about optimism.
It needs to be able to get economy going. It needs to be able to rebuild. It needs that flood of humanitarian assistance, that ability to allow its
people to have the life of dignity that they fought so hard for. And we basically know what things need to be put into place to make that happen.
If those things aren't put into place, if the money doesn't go in, if the reconstruction doesn't happen, then we know exactly what Syria is going to
turn into.
ANDERSON: I'm interested to hear you say that sort of, you know, optimism doesn't really matter because we've done a lot in Syria over the last 18
months. And I am getting a sense, and it's good -- it's good to get this sense that there is a sense of optimism both from people in Syria and from
those outside who are prepared to invest. I mean, have a listen to how the IMF's Middle East head characterized economic progress in Syria so far.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIHAD AZOUR, DIRECTOR, MIDDLE EAST AND CENTRAL AISA DEPARTMENT, IMF: Of course, inflation is picking up, and this is because of the impact of the
increase in oil price and also the increase in consumption. This is a journey. The first steps are going in the right direction.
Now, what is important is to strengthen this recovery by building institutions to manage the economy, strong central bank, strong ministries
dealing with economic issues, but also having the right legislative framework backed by strong security that allows people to invest,
circulate, and do business with Syria.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And it does beg the question, to your point, how does the government begin to meaningfully rebuild? I mean, what are you waiting for
at this point?
DAMON: I mean, and this is really the crux of it, right? Hypothetically speaking, if Syria was not faced with a certain dynamics, it's faced with,
right, the former Assad regime elements, the growing potential threat from ISIS, the Israeli bombardment, then perhaps the Syria would have the luxury
of time.
But people's patience, people can only hold on for so long. And you do get the sense when you talk to people, it's not that they aren't optimistic,
but they're not saying, yes, this is the future and we can see it in front of us. And so the government really needs to begin not just trying to build
relationships with countries along the lines of, we're going to be friendly and talk to everybody, but actually get that turned into Syria getting
something back.
And the other big challenge, Becky, is all of the countries that a year and a half ago said, yes, we'll invest in Syria, the majority of them were the
Gulf nations. They don't have that cash anymore.
ANDERSON: Well, that's an interesting point. We are still seeing, you know, significant investment going in. I mean, some of that is sovereign wealth
investment, which does still exist, of course.
[10:40:00]
I mean, but you're right to point out that things are tougher in the Gulf than they were six or seven months ago. I mean, the country's complete
rebuild while facing huge challenges, is a massive opportunity for Syrians, a huge economic and geostrategic windfall, as you rightly point out, for
the wider region. Qatar, the UAE, Saudi really instrumental as investors going forward in the U.S. and Europe as well.
This is to a degree opportunistic. Let's be quite frank about that. But still a good opportunity.
DAMON: 100 percent.
ANDERSON: Yes.
DAMON: But one that needs to be seized right now because it can't be guaranteed in a year or so. And the other thing that's also very
interesting to sort of add into that is the talks between Iraq and Syria and reviving the oil pipeline. I mean, Syria once again is sort of building
on its geopolitical strategic location, ironically, during the era of when my Syrian grandfather was the prime minister and he was assassinated in
1949, but serious finding itself in that same sort of position where a lot of countries are vying for influence. There's a lot of opportunity that's
there.
There's also, with, you know, the Strait of Hormuz shutting down, so many people looking at Syria as being an alternative transit route for oil and
other goods. And so, yes, the opportunity is there. The challenge is that reaching that opportunity is coming at a significant cost for the
population.
When we talk about reconstruction, we're literally talking about from scratch. I mean, huge swathes of Syria are completely decimated. People are
living in the rubble of their old buildings. They don't have access to medical facilities, to water, to electricity, to education for their
children. And so there's a lot that's really missing as a foundation.
ANDERSON: I'm really interested because you spent so long, you still base in Turkey, of course, but you spent so much time as a correspondent based
in Turkey, in and out of Syria. What do you make of the of Ankara's position with regards Syria today in 2026?
DAMON: I mean, it's been absolutely fascinating to kind of follow that. I mean, obviously Turkey has huge interest in what's happening in Syria, but
what Syrians -- and I was there, you know, last week when Israel bombed what it claimed was, you know, a Turkish air base and that Turkey was
building up its military presence there. Syrians are very also acutely aware of the fact that they might become this proxy battlefield between
Turkey and Israel, and they cannot afford that.
Turkey relationship with Syria is also shifting slightly because remember this is the government that was in Idlib. And back in the Idlib days,
Turkey exerted a lot of influence over the HTS government through the economy. The currency that was used there was actually not really the
dollar, not the, you know, Syrian currency. It was really the Turkish lira that was circulating the economy.
And so Turkey went from having this massively influential role to one that to a certain degree is slightly more diluted. I mean, obviously Damascus is
still very close to Ankara, but it's still slightly more diluted because Damascus is finding other allies as well. But the definitely have very key
interests that align.
ANDERSON: Before I let you go, because we're going to run out of time unless I do this. We could talk for hours. I do want to discuss the
humanitarian work that you do across the Lebanon. What did you see on the humanitarian level in your recent travels then?
Can you also just get us, you know, we shouldn't be doing this as a brief update, but it's all -- all the time I've got today. You know, as quick an
update as you can give us on Gaza, which of course you've been in and out of over the last couple of years as well.
DAMON: I have been and I was actually denied entry to Gaza by Israel after going there four times in February of 2025. But the team is still there,
still work. I mean, here's the thing with Gaza is people really focused on, you know, the hunger. And yes, that has gotten better.
But the way that Israel is squeezing the population and kind of still imposing death has changed from being very heavily focused on bombings and
food to now it is still scarcity and lack of medical supplies and the inability to keep clean, which means the spread of disease. There's rat
infestations everywhere.
And of course the big fear for the population is that this is going to become the accepted status quo and that the world focus has shifted and
attention is being diverted. And again, even in Gaza we're actually struggling to fund some of our projects.
And so that's Gaza. And then you need to look at Lebanon too. Right? And Lebanon normally, historically, who rebuilt Lebanon? It goes back to our
conversation about the Qatar is there historically, the country that really poured the money in to rebuild Lebanon. That's not there right now.
And so there's a lot of, you know, similarities. But also Gaza remains unique in its own way because you could only access Gaza through Israeli
permission. And that barricade of access is still as tough as it ever was.
ANDERSON: Always good to have you. Thank you very much indeed. Your analysis and insight, so valuable to us. It's good to have you so quickly
after that trip to Syria. It's good to have you just in the studio with me. Thank you, Arwa.
[10:45:00]
Well, coming up on Connect the World, just how much sway does President Trump have at this point with American voters? A Senate runoff election
today could tell the tale. We are on the scene. That is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: It's Election Day in two U.S. states, each with national implications. In Georgia, voters are filling a vacant Democratic House
seat, which will further diminish a slim Republican majority. And in South Carolina, a closely watched primary runoff is underway. Republicans,
choosing a nominee to replace Senator Lindsey Graham, of course, died In July, Graham's sister, Darline, a political newcomer, has the backing of
President Trump. Who says, he says, just trust him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Darline is somebody I've known for a long time. I asked her to do this. I said, Darline, you got to do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: It's back. Yes, yes. I had nothing from you. Well, it's seen as a risk for the president with his party fiercely trying to keep control of
Congress in November's elections.
CNN's Dianne Gallagher joining us now live from a polling station in South Carolina. And Dianne, tell us exactly what is at stake with this election
today, particularly for President Trump.
DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: -- versus Congressman Ralph Norman, an ultraconservative vice chair of the Freedom Caucus. And a
lot of people are looking at this as a test of Trump's influence in these races, especially here in the south, because he's had some losses on those
endorsements.
He has given this full throat, throated support to Darlene Graham. In fact, one of the strategists that I've been speaking to here in South Carolina
told me Trump created Darline Graham the candidate. So if she loses, he loses. And look, you can see that voting is kind of taking place here in
between. This is a run-off election from a special primary. So, turnout is going to be the key in this situation.
Some of the criticism has been the fact that Graham is a political newcomer and the fact that she's never held political office and that the only way
most people in South Carolina even knew who she was that she was the sister of the late Lindsey Graham. President Trump asked her to run, he admitted
as such on a tele-rally last night, saying, look, I got her into this, so I've got to see her through this.
He has put a lot more effort into supporting her than he has many of the other primary candidates he's endorsed, including holding an in person
rally here a few days ago. And also his super PAC, MAGA Inc. Making a rare drop of nearly $830,000 and get out the vote efforts here in South Carolina
for Darline Graham.
[10:50:05]
A lot of that has come because she had a very difficult debate one week ago today where she was asked about Taiwan. And she gave this answer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are Taiwan and the South China Sea national security issues for the United States and if so, why or how?
DARLINE GRAHAM, U.S. REPUBLICAN SENATE CANDIDATE: I'm just going to be honest here. I'm not on national security. I'm not that informed on
national security. So. But I do support the military. My brother was in the Air Force for 33 years. So I will do everything I can to support the
military.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GALLAGHER: And Becky, we've talked to voters today who said that watching that debate performance, there were some other gaffes in there as well that
made the decision for them. They said that was, in their opinion, a display of inexperience. And someone who just wasn't prepared to be a U.S. senator
for the next six years.
Ralph Norman, who actually endorsed Nikki Haley back in 2024, running against President Trump in the presidential primary, has said, I'm an ally
of President Trump even though I didn't get the endorsement. I'm very conservative. You can trust me in the Senate if you vote for me. But I will
tell you that there are plenty of voters we've spoken to that President Trump's endorsement was enough.
And also the fact that Darline Graham, if she were in office, they believe would have the same people around her that Lindsey Graham had an office.
And they said that was enough for them to cast their ballot for her today. It is expected to be very close and it is the only race on the ballot here
in South Carolina tonight. So once we get those in, we will see how President Trump's candidate fares.
ANDERSON: Yes. Yes, fascinating. We wait for that. Thank you. With just over two months to go until the midterms, Democrats struggling with an
identity crisis, that party split on whether leaning left is the way to beat Republicans or if moderates are a safer choice.
That debate came to the fore on Monday when a progressive Democratic nominee for Senate appeared on Fox News and pushed back against the focus
on so called culture war issues. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABDUL EL-SAYED, U.S. DEMOCRATIC SENATE CANDIDATE: Jesse, you have not asked me one time about the issues that people actually care about in Michigan.
You don't want to talk about gas prices. You don't want about groceries. You don't want to talk about health care. You don't want to talk about the
stupid trade war. That's about the destroy our own military.
JESSE WATTERS, FOX NEWS HOST: We spent the whole interview talking about that stuff.
EL-SAYED: That's destroying -- that is destroying our own military. You don't seem to want to talk about any of those things. You want to bring up
all this culture war, whether you think men should play the next U.S. senator in Michigan. It's a big issue. Interested in getting money out of
politics, putting money in your pocket and passing Medicare for all.
WATTERS: You're filibustering, Abdul.
EL- SAYED: What sports kids play.
WATTERS: You're filibustering. It's a big issue.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, refocusing the interview several times, Abdul El-Sayed zeroed in on a theme that's been resonating with Americans this year and
that is affordability.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
EL-SAYED: If the only answer that Mike Rogers and Donald Trump and JD Vance have to this economy is to point to me and say there are scary words
associated with him, I'm just going to tell you those scary words are not raising gas prices or keeping you from seeing your doctor. I'm interested
in getting money out of politics, putting money in your pocket, passing Medicare for all. And I think that actually will solve problems in
Michigan.
WATTERS: I'm not scared of you, Abdul.
EL-SAYED: I just want to get misguided or running against my faith is going to fix problems. Go ahead.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, of course, he's just one of the many candidates on a wide political spectrum trying to get their message to voters ahead of the
pivotal elections coming up this November.
And stick with CNN as we continue to cover that in the next couple of months. We are back after this quick break. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:55:34]
ANDERSON: Finally, we end our show by paying tribute to renowned Palestinian artist Sliman Mansour, who has died at the age of 79. Mansour,
known in the Middle East art scene as a core contributor to the modern Palestinian art movement, using symbols from nature like orange and olive
trees to capture palm trees, Palestinian struggle and attachment to land.
The painting you are seeing right now, the Camel of Hardships, is one of his best known works. To many, it is a symbol of Palestinian endurance.
Sliman Mansour, artist of the Palestinian resistance, was 79 years old. And that's it for Connect the World. Stay with CNN. One World is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
