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One World with Zain Asher
Ukraine Marks Four Years Since Russia's Full-Scale Invasion; Mexican President: Peace, Security, Normalcy Being Maintained; Savannah Guthrie Acknowledges Her Mother May Not Be Alive; New Protests Rock Iran Amid Tensions With U.S. Aired 12-1p ET
Aired February 24, 2026 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: Grit, valor, and diplomacy, four years into the war in Ukraine, are we any closer to the end? The second hour of "One
World" starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Whatever Putin tells himself and his people, Russia is not winning.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We must be very clear, This war will only end when Putin realizes that he cannot win.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Leaders throw their support behind Ukraine, but President Zelenskyy says one big ticket item is still missing.
Also ahead, a million dollar reward. The Guthrie family raises the stakes in the search for their beloved mother.
Plus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: my daughter saw the cartel light a car on fire right in front of us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Harrowing stories from vacation hotspots in Mexico, but the country's president insists hosting the World Cup will be risk-free.
And later, glimmering lights of hope. How these lights and lanterns are bringing a message of unity in this often divided world.
Hello, everyone. Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga. Zain is off today. You are watching "One World."
Four years of trauma and survival under fire. On this day in 2022, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelenskyy vowing to do everything to secure peace and justice.
And today, Ukrainians across the country and their allies held a moment of silence and remembrance of those killed in the war.
Behind the frontlines, Ukrainian's are enduring one of the coldest winters in years. Months of Russian strikes on their energy infrastructure have
left millions in the dark and with no heating. President Zelenskyy is calling on the E.U. to give his country a clear date for membership.
Today, the European Commission president reiterated her message of solidarity.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
URSULA VON DER LEYEN, EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT: We have seen four years of extraordinary courage from your soldiers and from your citizens,
whose bravery will echo through history. This will never be forgotten.
In those four years, the support from your friends and allies has been unwavering in Europe and beyond, and you can count on it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Our chief international correspondent, Clarissa Ward, joins us now live from Kyiv, a city, a capital that you have visited for so many
years now, Clarissa. And the last four with, of course, this larger-scale invasion.
And I know you've spoken with Ukrainians there as well as President Zelenskyy, and this message that we constantly hear from world leaders,
from those in countries that have supported Ukraine, talking about Ukrainian's bravery, resilience.
They have had enough of those words. They want this war to come to an end. And I know you raised that point with President Zelenskyy, who -- who gave
you a rather honest and self-reflecting response and interview.
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Bianna. A very somber day here when we asked President Zelenskyy about the toll
that this takes on him four years, now entering the fifth year.
He was pretty candid and almost emotional. And he said he could feel compassion and understanding for the many Ukrainians who simply feel that
they are reaching a breaking point that enough is enough. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WARD: This woman said to me, I never want to hear the word resilient again. I am so over being resilient. I am so exhausted. I am so broken.
What do you tell Ukrainian people right now who are feeling that -- that they're -- they're done?
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Very difficult. It's very understandable and painful that -- we want to end this war as quick as
possible.
[12:05:01]
And really we -- each day, we do all we can. I speak with all the partners. I try to negotiate. I'm asking different parts in different contexts, help
me to stop Putin.
But if we will give him all he wants, we will lose everything. Just everything, our houses, our lives, our families, everything. Because all of
us, people will have to run away from the country or be Russians.
WARD: As the war enters its fifth year, do you have any regrets? Do you have anything that you think, God, if I could just go back, I would do it
differently?
ZELENSKYY: Yes. Some elements. Of course. (INAUDIBLE). Yes, of course. There are some moments, yes. But I will not tell it.
WARD: Fair enough.
ZELENSKYY: Not now. Not now. I mean this -- I don't want Putin to know some my weak moments.
WARD: But you've had them.
ZELENSKYY: Of course. Of course.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WARD: We also asked President Zelenskyy what he would like to hear tonight from President Trump's State of the Union Address, Bianna. He said simply
and after a very pregnant pause, I want him to stay on our side.
A personal plea from President Zelenskyy, who is firmly of the belief that ultimately the U.S. is the only power that can put the pressure needed on
President Putin to make compromises to end this war. And he does understand, of course, that Ukraine will also have to make painful
compromises. Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. Stay on our side. Those are words that would have, at one point, been viewed as a given in terms of the United States stance and
position to this war.
And now the president, when asked so many times, can't even answer the question who he wants to win this war, this unjust war.
Clarissa Ward, thank you so much.
Our next guest is the President of the Kyiv School of Economics. Tymofiy Mylovanov joins us now. Tymofiy, it is good to see you again.
So, you heard my conversation there with Clarissa. You heard the statements there, the introspective moment from President Zelenskyy about his regrets
and the sorrow he feels for Ukrainians having to bear the cost of this war. And yet, you believe the chances of near-term peace are slim.
What specifically needs to happen at the negotiating table to change that?
TYMOFIY MYLOVANOV, PRESIDENT OF THE KYIV SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS: I think negotiation is great. It's great that it's ongoing, but the mood in Ukraine
is indeed that of exhaustion, but also that of determination and expectation that's not going to lead to too much progress, unless there is
real pressure on Russia.
And so, you know, this words, the real pressure, have become, you know, they -- have become formalistic now, you know.
What is that pressure? That pressure basically is funding, scaffolding for defense tech, real sanctions, enforcement, you know, a lot of very specific
actions, which have to be done. Less talk, more action. I think that's what has to happen.
GOLODRYGA: And most Ukrainians, you say, are bracing for more years of war. Obviously, it's a large country. Not everyone views the politics of this
war and its outcome, the same. And it's not a monolith.
But in terms of where Ukrainians are today and what they are willing to settle or negotiate versus even just a year ago, what has changed?
MYLOVANOV: Well, I think basic issue is if there is some kind of ceasefire compromise, a negotiated settlement, something which comes out of
diplomacy, how long will it last?
The fear is among Ukrainians, it's going to be a pause of two weeks or two months, and then we'll be bombed again. So, I think that's the real
concern.
And so people are preparing for the continuation of the war. Even after a ceasefire, people are preparing for the next winter already. People are
preparing their businesses, their families, planning their livelihoods, thinking about how to raise children. So that's basically the mood.
Whether this mood is realistic, whether it's just a perception, I don't know. But that's how people live. So, they are prepared to live in Ukraine
in the current conditions.
GOLODRYGA: As an economist, I believe you are an economist by training. You have said that the economy has held up rather resiliently thus far. So much
has been focused on the defense sector, which you say at this point is existential for Ukraine.
[12:10:03]
And it comes at a time where there are many more cracks in Russia's economy. No one's saying that they will need this war to come to an end. It
won't be able to fund it within the next few months, but they are starting to feel the effects of this war.
Just talk about where you see strength in Ukraine's economy as opposed to what we're seeing are real cracks in Russia's.
MYLOVANOV: So, it is true that Russia is under stress. And in that sense, the tone, the background, the context is created for a potential panic or
crisis or loss of trust in the economy and leadership, but that requires a trigger. And that happens, Russia will be in a very tight spot and it will
happen one day.
Ukraine, on the other hand, you know, doesn't have a choice. So, it is true that economy has adapted, basically even in Kyiv, even without electricity
and without heating, businesses continue to operate. Production is happening. Manufacturing is working. And, you know, shops are open and
people go to cafes (ph).
It's a bit surreal how it can exist. People are almost freezing in their apartments and then having coffee in a hipster coffee shop. I think, you
know, I basically think economy is -- no matter what.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. Interesting that -- that you remain bullish on Ukraine's economy, just speaks to the country's resilience now in its fifth year into
a full-scale war.
We continue to hear from President Trump's top advisors that the main sticking points here are territorial. This that at the end of the day is
all about land.
And those who know and study Vladimir Putin and his goals disagree that they know that this is far beyond just territorial gains or the Donbas,
that this is full control of Ukraine's democratic independence.
So when you hear these points from the president's top advisors, how optimistic are you that they have a full grasp, that he has a full grasp of
really what's at stake?
MYLOVANOV: Well, I don't think that anyone is naive. You know, there's a lot of public rhetoric, but I don't think the U.S. administration or
Ukrainian administration or Russian administration are naive about what's happening.
I think, of course, Putin has the ultimate goal to subdue the entire Ukraine, but he can't. you know, even in these four years, he has been able
to get a couple of percent of the territories. So, you know, he can continue to do it. And we're going to be talking about, you know, kind of
more or less percentages, but not really all of Ukraine.
It is true that Ukrainians are afraid that if they give up Donbas, there are basically no security guarantees.
I think the real sticking point is whether Ukraine gets serious security guarantees. So in case there is some compromise, the war is over for good.
GOLODRYGA: Right. And this is why Ukraine is so focused on reinforcing and rearming their military as well, because a strong military will be key in
any sort of ceasefire that we hopefully will see sooner rather than later.
Tymofiy Mylovanov, thank you so much for the time. It is good to see you even on this very grim milestone.
Turning out to Mexico, where a shelter in place order remains in effect for some U.S. citizens that are stranded there. This after the death of a
notorious cartel leader triggered widespread violence over the weekend. Other countries have issued similar travel warnings to their citizens
inside of Mexico.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum insist that peace, security, and normality are being maintained in her country. But many tourists and locals
alike remain on edge and terrified.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TANIA KIDSTON, CANADIAN TOURIST IN MEXICO: We were hungry yesterday. We had no food yesterday. Nothing. Nothing was open. It was a terrifying day
yesterday.
My daughter saw the cartel light a car on fire right in front of us. There was fire all around us. It was -- it was terrifying.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: We've also learned that flights to and from some areas in Mexico continue to be disrupted, while others are restarting today.
CNN's Valeria Leon is following the story for us from Mexico City. So, Valeria, on the one hand, it's understandable why the president, Claudia
Sheinbaum would want to try to reinforce calm, saying that things are stable and returning to normal in the country.
But at the same time, we're hearing from some of these stranded tourists who are frightened. So, what -- what is the situation right now?
VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The situation is exactly what you described, like, for one hand -- on one hand, we had the president saying
that her government has already regained control of this area.
And on the other, these tourists that left stranded not only in Puerto Vallarta, but also in Tapalpa Jalisco, which is actually the town where the
military operation took place, a tourist, small, but a tourist town at the end.
[12:15:12]
And there's another pressing issue, Bianna, with the World Cup just months away. Jalisco is preparing to host four matches and welcome nearly three
million visitors to this state.
And President Claudia Sheinbaum said this morning that the tournament will be carried out without risk, insisting precisely that security guarantees
are in place despite what we've saw -- we've seen in the last two days, waves of violence, followed the operation against one of Mexico's most
powerful cartel leaders.
And even as officials project confidence about the World Cup, the immediate focus is on the violence that followed the takedown of Nemesio Oseguera
Cervantes, better known as El Mencho. And when a figure as influential as El Mencho is killed, the consequences can unfold quickly.
And Mexican security forces say they have regained this control in most of the affected areas, and they are working to prevent further violence after
this operation that killed the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
The wave of violence also reached Puerto Vallarta, one of Mexico's top destinations, the third most visited in the country, welcoming more than
six million international tourists last year, and many of them Americans.
There, in Puerto Vallarta, flights were suspended in the international airport. But this morning, President Sheinbaum addressed that situation.
And this is part of what -- what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM, MEXICAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Yesterday, I spoke personally with the governor of Jalisco and with the governor of
Michoacan.
Today, there are still no classes, but tomorrow, they are hoping that activities will return to normal at the Guadalajara Airport.
Almost all flights have already resumed and things are also gradually returning to normal in Puerto Vallarta.
And the most important thing about this is that our objective, as I said yesterday, is security and peace. And that is what we are working on and
the (INAUDIBLE) we have set for ourselves.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEON: So, as we're hearing from the president authorities insist the situation is under control and say thousands of security personnel remain
deployed across the region.
But even as flights resume and roads are now clear, most of them, the economic impact is already being felt just weeks before spring break and
for a state preparing to host one of the world's biggest sporting events, the stakes are especially high. Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Very high indeed. Valeria Leon, thank you.
Well, U.S. President Trump is preparing to give his State of the Union Address in just a few hours from now.
Theme of the president's speech is America at 250, strong, prosperous and respected. And now to the country's 250th birthday. Americans, however,
want to hear about the economy. That is according to a new CNN poll.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt offered up some key points that the president might touch on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: He'll obviously tout the administration's accomplishments over the past year. And he will, of
course, lay out a very ambitious agenda, I think, for the working people of this country to make America more affordable and prosperous and safe and
make the American dream more attainable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Well, what we can count on is Trump's speech is expected to be a lengthy one surpassing his predecessors.
CNN's Harry Enten has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Hey, Bianna, the night is finally here, Donald Trump's State of the Union Address, the first one of his
second term.
And Trump has promised that this will be a long spiel, a long spiel. And you know what to quote my cousin, Vinnie (ph), or at least paraphrase it,
what a freaking surprise. No one should be surprised at all. Why do I say that? That's because Trump pretty much always goes long when he's talking
to Congress.
Let's take a look here. All right. Pres addresses to Congress to a joint session of Congress. Look, the term average since 1964 is 54 minutes, 54
minutes.
Look at Trump. Look at Trump over the course of his two presidencies. He goes 80, 80, 80 minutes on average, well over an hour. We're talking about
an hour and 20 minutes on average, more than 25 minutes longer than the average president.
Apparently, the president of the United States, like myself, likes to hear ourselves. We like to hear ourselves talk.
Now, the question may be, OK, has Trump at least been getting shorter over time, right? Has he been perhaps becoming more concise? Something I would
know nothing about. As it turns out, no, like me, he likes to bloviate.
Because let's take a look here. OK. Pres addresses to Congress. The average speech since 1964 to a joint session, 55 minutes. Look at the longest of
all time. Look at the longest of all time. My goodness gracious. Last time around in 2025, Trump spoke for over an hour and a half. We're talking 99
minutes, one hour and 39 minutes to Congress. He just went on and on.
[12:20:22]
The question, of course, for tonight is will he continue to go on and on and on? Will he potentially even break his own record, a record that
perhaps he wants to break? But, of course, those on the Democratic side probably like, you know what, enough, Mr. President, we don't need you
anymore.
Now, of course, when you're addressing a joint session of Congress, when you're talking during the State of the Union, are you actually able to
convince anybody that their state of opinion going in is somehow wrong that has changed people's minds? The answer is not really.
You know, you look at the polling over time, there isn't much of a change after a State of the Union Address. And -- and why is that? Well, it turns
out that when you address a joint session, Bianna, you really -- you're really just talking to your own crowd.
Because take a look here. Share in 2025 who identified as Republican, those who watch Trump's speech to Congress, get this, 48 percent of them, 48
percent of them were Republicans. Compare that to the electorate overall, just 32 percent of Americans overall were Republican last year.
So, a significantly larger portion of the folks who are going to tune in tonight and historically are on the president's own team. That is their own
side. In this case, Republican with the Republican president being Donald Trump.
So look, there are not a lot of persuadable voters who are going to turn it tune in. So, I'm not really quite sure that there's really going to be much
changing of the minds. But the Republicans who do tune in, well, they're going to get a lot of Donald Trump. As he said, it's going to be a long
spiel, which is not unusual at all.
And after this long spiel, Bianna, back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: Yes. Three minutes is not 90 minutes. It's going to be a long night as we are going to be covering here on CNN of our special coverage of
President Trump's State of the Union Address. That's 9:00 P.M. Eastern here. 8:00 P.M. Eastern, excuse me, in New York and 9:00 A.M. Wednesday
morning in Hong Kong.
Well, we have new details about the abduction of Nancy Guthrie. After the break, we'll look at the new clues that her doorbell camera has revealed.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: Well, for the first time, NBC anchor, Savannah Guthrie, acknowledges that her kidnapped mother may not be alive.
[12:25:01]
In a new video released earlier on Tuesday, she says her 84-year-old mother, in her words, may already be gone.
Guthrie added that her family is upping to reward for information about Nancy Guthrie's return.
The family just wants answers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, NBC ANCHOR: You can call the 1-800-TIP-LINE. You can be anonymous if you want.
Someone out there knows something that can bring her home. Somebody knows. And we are begging you to please come forward now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: This comes as new details emerge from doorbell camera footage retrieved from Nancy Guthrie's Arizona home.
Let's bring in our Ed Lavandera reporting from Tucson, Arizona.
So, Ed, the morning began with this new information that perhaps the suspect had visited the home not once, but several times prior. And then,
of course, now this video, this heartbreaking video from Savannah Guthrie announcing that they've upped the reward to $1 million, but also that's
just given the amount of time that's passed. They've -- they've realized that there is a chance their mother may not be alive anymore.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. You know, that difficult video is excruciating. It is arduous to watch. It's just -- it's just -- you can
just see the -- you can feel the pain, you can feel the anguish that not only Savannah and the rest of her family have been going through for an
investigation and a search that is now on its 24th day, more than three weeks, Bianna. So, this is definitely very difficult to endure.
But, you know, I was in the 911 call center a few days ago here in Pima County. And they told us that now that the investigation has gone on this
long and the search has gone on this long, that the number of tips and calls was starting to slow down.
So, perhaps this is a realization from the family that there needs to be another jolt of energy, another jolt of trying to convince somebody out
there to make the call that leads them to finding 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie.
Because investigators do believe, and the family does believe that there is someone out there who recognizes the suspect in that dramatic video that
was released by investigators now more than about two weeks ago. And they believe that someone knows where she is and what has happened to her.
But it's also significant, Bianna, that the family is talking the way it is. It's been more than a week since we last heard from Savannah in an
Instagram video. So, this acknowledgement that they are preparing and bracing for the very worst of news, despite all of their hopes and prayers
that have gone into all of this the last 24 days, that that could very well be, you know, the -- the reality here, that this does not end well for the
family.
But we don't know -- we don't know the answers at this point because, so far, investigators said they have no idea where she is. They have no idea
who the suspect is.
But we have some interesting developments on that dramatic video. And if you've noticed any, if you remember, when that -- the videos of the suspect
at Nancy Guthrie's front door was released, one of the pictures in that, that showed the suspect without a backpack, without the gun holstered
around his waist. And we were asking questions, where does this picture fit in the timeline?
Now, a source tells CNN that that video comes from days before, it's unknown which day, I should be clear, before the early morning hours of
February 1st when investigators say the rest of those videos that show the -- the -- the man with the backpack and the gun and the gloves and the --
and the -- and the mask, that that was taken in the early morning hours of February 1st when Nancy Guthrie was disappeared.
I should also point out that the sheriff here who we've asked about this is -- is cautioning this reporting on the -- the video saying that it is --
the -- the video does not have time stamps. It is not 100 percent clear and it's speculative to suggest that we know exactly when these videos were --
were -- were captured from.
So, we should be clear about what the sheriff here is saying, but the source saying that they believe that -- that one -- at least that one image
comes from days before Nancy Guthrie's abduction which is significant because investigators, Bianna, have been asking for video dating from
January 1st to February 2nd.
There's also been other requests in -- in neighborhood forums asking for specific videos on other specific days. So that kind of tracks with the
idea that they believe that this suspect targeted Nancy Guthrie and it stands to reason that they would have come here perhaps in the days before
to case or to do some reconnaissance and prepare for what unfolded in the early morning hours of February 1st. Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Just to quote Savannah Guthrie again, somebody out there knows something. And our hope is that that person comes forward.
Ed Lavandera in Arizona for us. Thank you so much.
And this just into CNN, the head of the Louvre Museum in Paris has resigned. Laurence des Cars stepped down four months after the brazen heist
that saw the theft of some of the crown jewels of France.
[12:30:06]
President Emmanuel Macron accepted her resignation and called it an act of responsibility as the museum works to carry out major security projects.
Still to come for us, student protesters clash with security forces in Iran as a new phase of demonstrations reaches a fourth day. We speak to Iranian-
born actress Nazanin Boniadi to get her response as an artist and an activist.
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GOLODRYGA: Welcome back to "One World." I'm Bianna Golodryga.
As the U.S. president says that he's weighing up whether to launch attacks on Iran, the Pentagon is pushing forward with the largest military buildup
in the Middle East since 2003.
The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, made a stop at a NATO base in Crete before heading to the Middle East.
And U.S. and Iranian negotiators will meet in Geneva on Thursday for further nuclear talks. Iranian officials saying Tehran is ready to do
whatever is necessary to reach a deal. A source says Tehran may offer to put limits on its uranium enrichment.
And in Iran itself, university students have clashed with security forces in a fourth day of new protests.
It follows major anti-government rallies in January, which triggered a brutal crackdown by the authorities, killing thousands.
President Trump said in a Truth Social post Monday that his military leaders think the U.S. would easily win a war with Iran. One Republican
lawmaker says putting pressure on Tehran is the right thing to do.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MIKE LAWLER (R-NY): The president is right to apply pressure to move assets and resources to the region. As he did back last summer, when he
gave the Ayatollahs 60 days to negotiate over their nuclear program, as he did with Nicolas Maduro when he gave him numerous opportunities to leave,
he is giving the Ayatollah and the regime numerous opportunities to negotiate.
[12:35:07]
There's going to be further negotiations this week. Hopefully they prove fruitful, but in the event they don't, the president needs to be prepared.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: So, let's focus more on the situation inside Iran. It's time now for "The Exchange." Joining me -- joining me now is Nazanin Boniadi, an
Iranian-born actress and activist. She's known for her roles in "Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" and "Hotel Mumbai," as well as her work with
Amnesty International. Nazanin, welcome back to the program.
When we last spoke, and this was just days after those deadly protests where we saw thousands of Iranians killed, you came on our air. And you and
I had a conversation that still lingers with me, and this is what you said. You said a government that cuts off communication has lost its claim to
legitimacy.
So, after those three nights of bloodshed and the internet blackout that we'd seen throughout that time period, do the Iranian people want reform?
Or do they view this government at this point, this regime as illegitimate?
NAZANIN BONIADI, ACTRESS AND ACTIVIST: Thanks for having me back on, Bianna.
There is no doubt that the Iranian people unequivocally do not want this regime. Reform is not possible under this system. Forty-seven years of
theocratic rule has shown us that. It's a case study that proves that reform is not possible under this system.
They want overthrow. And the chance that they're saying, even today, despite tens of thousands likely having been killed by this regime, say it
all, they want this regime gone. Death to Khomeini, long live the king.
It is a slap in the face of the revolution that brought this bureaucracy into power and -- and -- and took the monarchy down.
GOLODRYGA: And according to some of the reporting, subsequently, Iranians are so desperate. Some actually told "The New York Times" they'd rather see
bombs than endure a predator prey type of dynamic in the country. And others fear that bombing and perhaps a longer ensuing war would be even
more detrimental.
So, what is it that you are hearing from your friends and family and those still in Iran about what the international community can do that would be
most effective to address some of their concerns right now?
BONIADI: Bianna, imagine being in a position of understanding that the -- that your own government has been at war with you for 47 years and feeling
desperate enough to call for international help and saying that -- and this is what I'm hearing from distance on the ground, do something, get rid of
this regime.
You know, I think the vast majority of people I -- I talk to are in favor of strategic strikes that -- that bring down the machinery of repression
that has been waging war on the Iranian people for 47 years.
The responsibility to protect is something -- every Iranian I'm speaking to is calling on the international community to heed. This is something that
we -- we must do when the state itself is not only not protecting its people, but waging war on its people.
It needs a multilateral approach. The U.N. is absolutely failing on this front. We need to do better. We need to come together and stand
unequivocally by the Iranian people.
They want non-recognition for this regime. We don't -- they're saying to me, please tell the international community not to platform the deputy
foreign minister at the U.N., which they just did. Don't platform them in your media. Stand with the Iranian people. Use whatever tools you can to
bring this regime down and give us autonomy for self-determination.
GOLODRYGA: I know you've also pushed for the United Kingdom to join the E.U. and the United States in designating the IRGC as a terrorist
organization.
I'm just wondering from what you're hearing and what you're observing, the -- the disconnect between the focus now shifting specifically to a nuclear
deal with talks resuming on Thursday, while you and I and so many others have focused on the repression, the bloodshed, the economic collapse, the
lack of support that Iranians now have for this regime.
Would they accept an even stronger nuclear deal at the end of the day as a result here?
BONIADI: The answer is no. I mean, one person I spoke to just yesterday said to me that they feel like they're being -- the people feel like
they're being used as pawns in President Trump's personal desire to get a - a deal, a -- a strong deal. And -- and they -- they feel betrayed that they
-- you know, when the words locked and loaded were used and they don't feel any help came in any way, shape, or form.
[12:40:17]
Four hundred and ninety-two executions have been documented by Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran.
So far in 2026, of course, last year was just over 2,000 executions. That was the highest number in 30 years. And in a state that has the highest per
capita execution rate in the world.
And after slaughtering tens of thousands of people, where is the help? So, if there's an -- where -- if there is a deal in this moment in time, all
that shows to the Iranian people is that they were pawns in some kind of agenda, Western agenda, or specifically U.S. agenda, foreign policy agenda.
But I will note that we have to stress that this is not in the U.S.'s best interest. It is not in the West's best interest. It's not in the world's
best interest to keep this repressive regime in place that destabilizes not only oppressors the Iranian people, but also is trying very hard to spread
its own ideology and destabilizes the region and the world. This is not in anyone's -- to anyone's benefit.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. I -- I think that that is incredibly well said and what so many are hoping to hear from the president, perhaps as soon as tonight, if
he does address, which he is expected to, the increasing likelihood of some sort of action against Iran, given that the mass of equipment and armory
that the United States now has gathered in the region.
Nazanin Boniadi, thank you so much for all the work that you do. Thank you for joining us.
BONIADI: Thank you. Thank you, Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: And finally, a symbol of interfaith unity in a historic city. Bethlehem's major square is all a glow for the Muslim holy month of
Ramadan, bringing together symbols of two of the world's largest religions in the biblical birthplace of Jesus.
The city's mayor says Muslims and Christians worked side by side to string lanterns and hang crescents and star motifs. Residents say the decorative
show of unity reflects hope, resilience, and coexistence.
All right. Well, that does it for this hour of "One World." I'm Bianna Golodryga. Thanks so much for watching. Don't go anywhere. I'll be back in
about 15 minutes time with "Amanpour." African Voices is up next.
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(ARFICAN VOICES)
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