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One World with Zain Asher
High-Stakes U.S.-Iran Talks Amid American Military Build-Up; Hillary Clinton Gives Closed-Door Deposition in Epstein Probe; CNN Review Uncovered Nearly 100 Explicit Images of Two Young Females in DOJ Release they were Later Removed or Redacted; Cuba: Four Killed in Shootout Involving Florida Speedboat; Movie Memorabilia goes to Auction Next Month. Aired 11-11:30a ET
Aired February 26, 2026 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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ZAIN ASHER, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: All right, coming to you live from New York. I'm Zain Asher. Bianna Golodryga is off today. You are watching "One
World". This hour all eyes on Geneva. U.S. negotiators race to meet with Ukrainian delegates just moments after pausing separate talks with the
Iranian delegation.
Here's what we know so far about this busy day for diplomacy. A key advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader says an immediate agreement could be within reach
if the talks are confined, to quote, non-production of nuclear weapons. U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have some firm demands,
including dismantling Iran's primary nuclear facilities, and that any agreement to halt nuclear enrichment will last for the foreseeable future.
Meantime, the U.S. Ukraine talks are taking place as Russia's war in Ukraine enters its fifth year. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says
his delegates are discussing a quote prosperity package for post war reconstruction. On Wednesday Zelenskyy says that Witkoff and Kushner joined
his call with the American President Donald Trump, while the Ukrainian President remains optimistic for today's Geneva talks.
Right now, peace negotiations with Russia appear to be in a deadlock. We have our teams tracking all of these angles. I want to start with Kevin
Liptak standing by for us at the White House. So, Kevin, just in terms of what's different?
I mean, obviously we've seen so many rounds of talks right between the U.S. and Ukrainian delegation, and also trilateral talks as well. Another round
of trilateral talks is set to begin next month. Just in terms of optimism that any kind of peace negotiation or peace deal between Russia and Ukraine
could be within reach.
We know that Zelenskyy actually spoke with President Trump. Just explain to us how likely is it that there's going to be any kind of breakthrough in
the near term?
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: I don't think that we are expecting anything in the near term. And I think the fact that today's
discussions are centering pretty much only on this reconstruction initiative, you know, billions and billions of dollars that it will take to
rebuild Ukraine once the war is over, and not the overarching questions of how to actually bring that to reality, just gives you an indication of how
sort of stuck some of these talks are.
Russia so far not backing off its demands for territorial concessions of land that Ukraine currently holds, which at the end of the day is sort of
the red line that Zelenskyy doesn't appear willing to back off of. You know that phone call yesterday between the president and Zelenskyy, it seems to
go fairly well, based on people who are familiar with its tone and tenor.
But nonetheless, President Trump has, you know, demonstrated irritation over the last several weeks, really, at both sides that they aren't willing
to come to an agreement to end the war. But in particular, Zelenskyy, he has said explicitly that Zelenskyy needs to be willing to come to a deal,
essentially in no unspoken words. I think that Zelenskyy will need to agree to these territorial concessions.
Now, I think it was interesting in the president's State of the Union two nights ago, he really only made, you know, the most cursory mention of
Ukraine. It did not form a center of even the very short foreign policy section of the speech. I think it was interesting, just compared to how
President Biden addressed that matter at the onset of the war four years ago.
It really gained, you know, this bipartisan support in the Chamber, many Republicans and Democrats both coming out to say that they supported the
cause of Ukraine. It really does lead to the question of how much support the president is willing to give going forward.
ASHER: All right, Kevin, stand by. Let me bring Nic Robertson in, because you've been following the talks with Iran. We know they're currently on a
break. But just explain to us how productive the talks have been so far this morning, because obviously, we're all watching it very closely,
because this appears to be the last chance for diplomacy to win here.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It does, certainly in the short term, appear to be that way, although we've sort of gone into
some of the other rounds of talks. This is the third round of these indirect talks under a similar sort of sense that if it doesn't make it
here, then the next step is for the President Trump's military build-up around Iran to actually be used.
And actually, in the coming day or so, it appears as if the major pieces of that build-up will be in place. I think one of the takeaways has to be from
this round of talks, and they met in the sort of through the Omani mediators for a couple of hours in the morning, and they should be back
again through the Omani mediators, separate meetings in about an hour or so's time.
I think the rhetoric around it has been perhaps more realistic and more serious, and that's the language that's being used by the Iranian Foreign
Minister saying that they have been these meetings today with great seriousness.
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Had come out of the meetings in the first round, second round, sort of being quite upbeat and positive, but there are real potential strain
points. And the Omanis say that both sides are ready for sort of new and innovative ideas. But for example, we understand the U.S. side is going in
here with the demand that Iran dismantle its key nuclear facilities four door Isfahan Natanz.
And Iran is saying, and this will be a permanent dismantling. And Iran is saying, well, we're not going to permanently get rid of our enrichment
facilities. That's not something we're going to do. And then I think if you just sort of park the nuclear issue, because that is the central issue
that's being talked about here.
We've also heard President Trump in recent days talk about the importance of dealing with Iran's missile technologies, the ballistic missile
capability that they have. The indication from the Iranian side is this is something that they could discuss if this current phase is positive, but
yes, there is a sense that this is make or break.
Both sides will have had the chance now to go back report the morning's discussions back to their capitals. Have new instructions. Let's see where
this next phase of today's round goes.
ASHER: Now we'll see what happens. Nic Robertson, live for us. Kevin Liptak, thank you both so much. Right at this hour, history is actually
being made in Chappaqua, New York. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is being questioned behind closed doors by the House Oversight
Committee.
The subject of the deposition, Jeffrey Epstein files. Her husband, Former President Bill Clinton, testifies tomorrow. For her part, Hillary Clinton
says that she never met Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender. Bill Clinton, although actually is another story entirely. He flew on Epstein's
jet at least 16 times it appears in a lot of photographs with the sex offender.
The Republican Chair of the Committee, James Comer, has made it clear the Clintons are not accused of any wrong doing. The members simply have a lot
of questions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JAMES COMER (R-KY): How did he accumulate so much wealth? How was he able to surround himself with some of the most powerful men in the world?
Was he an asset for our government or any other government? These are the questions that we're going to ask over the next two days, and hopefully
we'll be able to get some answers.
And as always, we're going to release the transcripts. We're going to release the video as soon as everyone has approved it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Our Annie Grayer is in Chappaqua, New York for us. She joins us live. So, Annie, just in terms of all of this from Hillary Clinton's
perspective, her argument is, look, I didn't really even know Jeffrey Epstein. You know, I had nothing to do with him. The only reason why
Republicans want to talk to me is because they're trying to deflect from Donald Trump. Annie walk us through it.
ANNIE GRAYER, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: So, we have just learned from sources that the deposition of Hillary Clinton is beginning. It is now under way.
We are expecting it to go for hours where the Former Secretary of State is going to face questions from both Democrat and Republican lawmakers.
This deposition is going to be transcribed. There will be a video tape. But so far, what we know is there's at least five categories of questions that
Hillary Clinton is going to be asked about. And they include alleged mismanagement of the federal government's investigation into Epstein and
his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell.
The circumstances and subsequent investigation of Epstein's 2019 death. The ways the federal government could effectively combat sex trafficking rings,
how Epstein and Maxwell sought to curry favor to protect their legal activities and potential violations of ethics rules related to elected
officials.
Now it has been a long road to get here. Hillary and her president -- and her husband, Former President Bill Clinton, did not want to have to testify
as part of this investigation. They argued they were being unfairly singled out for political purposes because they were not able to just submit
written statements like some of the other witnesses who were subpoenaed in this investigation.
House Oversight Chair James Comer wanted the Clintons to testify under his terms, even though Hillary Clinton specifically says she's never met
Jeffrey Epstein. Take a listen to how the Former Secretary of State frames all this in a recent interview with the BBC.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: You know we have no links. Why do they want to pull us into this? To divert attention from President
Trump. This is not complicated. This is so obvious, and they keep trying to divert.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRAYER: Now, the Clintons ultimately caved and agreed to depositions once the House Oversight Committee was moving forward with holding them in
criminal contempt of Congress in a bipartisan manner. The Clintons then agreed to hold these depositions.
We're here in Chappaqua because of an arrangement made between Clinton's attorneys and the committee's lawyers. And Clinton has been hunkered down
with her lawyers for days in preparation for this.
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Not only to familiarize yourself with what was going on in her life around the Epstein years, but also to prepare lines of attack, because we know
Republicans have a history of going after Hillary Clinton.
ASHER: All right, Annie Grayer live for us there. Thank you so much. All right, meantime, the Justice Department says it is reviewing whether
documents mentioning Donald Trump were improperly withheld from public release. The records apparently missing from the released Epstein files
include three interviews related to a woman who accused Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her decades ago.
President Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with Jeffrey Epstein. The woman had also accused Epstein of sexual abuse as
well, starting from when she was 13-years-old. The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee wants to know why the documents are not in the
released files.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ROBERT GARCIA (D-CA): The documents related to her testimony with the FBI are not there. It's our question to the FBI and the DOJ is, why aren't
the documents there? Why have they been removed? And Congress under the under the Transparency Act and the subpoena have a right to see them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: All this as CNN's new analysis finds that for nearly a month, the DOJ failed to take down more than a dozen images in the files that actually
should have been redacted. CNN's Marshall Cohen joins us live now from Washington, DC.
So, Marshall, this idea that some key materials at all the released Epstein file, some key materials related to a woman who made an accusation against
Donald Trump, were not actually in the latest batch. They were not actually released properly. Just walk us through that. And also, what are you
finding about all of the sort of redaction problems overall in the Epstein files?
MARSHALL COHEN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Right, Zain. We've got a situation here where there's some materials that probably should have been included
but weren't, and then there's other materials that were posted un redacted that shouldn't have been so it's just a mess.
But we've known for a while about redaction problems, but it's much worse and much more widespread than we thought. We worked with an AI company
called Visual Layer to examine more than 100,000 images Zain that the DOJ posted to its Epstein files website.
We found more than a dozen photos that should have been redacted but weren't, and remained on the public DOJ site for nearly a month. I'm going
to show you some of these pictures right now. CNN blurred the versions that you're about to see, but remember, they were available fully, un redacted
on the DOJ site for weeks.
And perhaps most startling was this picture of a young girl kissing Jeffrey Epstein on the cheek. There were also non sexual but un redacted images of
other young children and toddlers who are obviously minors and should have been protected.
And there were several pictures of passports and drivers' licenses revealing private data like ID numbers, addresses and dates of birth. CNN
asked the DOJ about these images on Monday. And by Tuesday, they were all taken down and replaced with properly redacted versions.
Zain, let me read for you a statement that we got about this from the DOJ. A spokesperson said, quote, our team is working around the clock to address
any victim concerns additional redactions of personally identifiable information, as well as any files that require further redactions. That was
the explanation from the DOJ Zain.
ASHER: And Marshall, you're actually also hearing about more specifically explicit photos that the DOJ posted online. What happened there?
COHEN: Yeah, it's startling. It's stunning. It's disturbing. We found more than 100 sexually explicit photos that the DOJ actually posted online to
doj.gov last month. They took these down pretty quickly, and some were later replaced with redacted versions, which is what we are now showing you
on the screen the redacted versions.
There were dozens of photos showing what appeared to be two naked teenagers on a beach. There were also multiple uncensored nude selfies, like the ones
you see here, and at least one image showing Epstein with an undressed female. We spoke to legal experts and advocates for survivors of sexual
abuse. Everyone is stunned.
Photos like these made it through the DOJ review. Remember, top officials at the DOJ were adamant that they redacted every single woman in the
Epstein files. And advocates that spoke to us told us that this situation will almost certainly re-traumatize the victims. Zain, as you know, even
though the DOJ took this stuff down, once something is on the internet, it's basically impossible to truly wipe it away.
ASHER: Right. Marshall Cohen, live for us. Thank you. And we do want to remind viewers, just sort of simply appearing in the Epstein files doesn't
necessarily indicate a crime, but it is costing a growing number of high- profile leaders their careers.
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The President and the CEO of the World Economic Forum, which organizes the annual gathering in the Swiss Alps, says that he is stepping down. This
follows an independent investigation into his relationship with Epstein. Borge Brende is a Former Norwegian Foreign Minister. He interviewed U.S.
President following his address in Davos just a month ago.
Meantime, "The Wall Street Journal" reports that Bill Gates has actually now apologized to his foundation staff over his own ties to Epstein during
a town hall on Tuesday. Gates, the Microsoft Co-Founder, admitted that he made some mistakes. He reportedly admitted that he had two extra marital
affairs that Epstein later discovered, but that they did not involve any of Epstein's victims.
And Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers says that he plans to retire from his professorship at Harvard University at the end of the academic
year. The Former Harvard President said in a statement that it was a difficult decision. The announcement comes after documents released in the
Epstein file suggests that Summers has had a closer relationship to the convicted sex offender than previously known as well.
All right still to come here, Havana says that six Cuban residents of the U.S. are hospitalized in Cuba after a boat they were on was involved in a
deadly shoot out with the Cuban border guard. We know about the incident next. Plus, North Korea puts on a massive military parade on Wednesday, but
this one looks a little different compared to usual.
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ASHER: All right, Cuba says its forces shot and killed four heavily armed people attempting to infiltrate its territory on a speed boat registered to
Florida. According to a statement from the Interior Ministry, Cuba's border guard approached the boat after it entered its territorial waters, just
over 100 miles from Florida. A person on the boat then fired at Cuba's border guard, wounding a Cuban Commander, and leading to a shootout.
Six other people on the boat were wounded and taken to this hospital for treatment. U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio is vowing to find out
exactly what happened. CNN's Stefano Pozzebon is following all of these developments. So, Stefano it was interesting because we're only really
getting Cuba's side to the story here. What more do we know for sure about what took place?
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, that is actually the main aspect of this story. This concerning situation that we're monitoring really closely,
because it has the potential to escalate into a very nasty geopolitical crisis.
However, you are absolutely correct Zain, we're only hearing from the Cuban side of the story, who are telling us that the speed boat was carrying ten
people. That occurred in a -- that triggered a shoot-out with their border guards. Cuba accuses these ten people of trying to and including them,
infiltrate the country with terrorist purposes.
Presumably, we understand it would mean to raise some discontent. And raised some sort of uprising in the streets of Havana, perhaps the incident
occurred about two kilometers or one mile of the coast of Cuba in the Northern most tip of the Island.
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The part of the island that is the closest to Miami, and that's where the United States come into place. We understand that these ten people were all
Cuban citizens, but residents in the United States with authorities on both side of the aisle asking for an investigation. This is what Marco Rubio,
the Secretary of State, said late on Wednesday, for example.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Yeah, I'm not going to speculate on what the U.S. will do, or I'm going to -- what I'm telling you is that
we're going to find out exactly what happened and who was involved? And then we'll make a determination on the basis of what we find out. And we
are going to find out, but we're not going to just take what somebody else tells us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
POZZEBON: And it's interesting to note Zain that Democratic politicians such as, for example, the Mayor of Miami, Eileen Higgins, have also called
for a similar investigation under the same premises that we cannot trust what is coming out of Cuba. We cannot trust what the Cuban government is
telling us.
Perhaps the Cuban situation is one that puts Democrats and Republicans on the same side in a very polarized year. We know that the Florida Attorney
General has ordered his investigators to work with federal and state authorities to provide further information. We understand that there will
be probably closer links between Cuba and the U.S. around the story, especially as the investigators come out with some of their findings.
As I was saying, this really has the potential to escalate and inflammate the situation that is already very serious, because Cuba has essentially
been under a U.S. enforced oil embargo, total oil blockade, since early January when the United States took out Nicolas Maduro, the Former
President of Venezuela. Used to be a close Cuban ally.
Cuba has been unable to receive the shipments of oil that it needs to power up its industry and its habitation. It's facing the most serious
humanitarian crisis in recent history. And that crisis, of course, could spill out in social disorder, perhaps in the year -- in the weeks and
months to come, so closely looking at the situation, Zain.
ASHER: All right. Stefano Pozzebon live for us there. Thank you so much. North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un is vowing to strengthen his country's
nuclear program. The announcement came shortly before a military parade held in the Capital Pyongyang. The show was missing high powered military
hardware normally put on full display.
Kim watched the parade with his teenage daughter, a noteworthy appearance, given speculation that she could eventually take over for her father. CNN's
Will Ripley has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Very few places can throw a military parade like North Korea just did. We saw
synchronized paratroopers lighting up the sky, landing right in the middle of Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung Square.
We saw thousands of goose stepping. Strobe lit troops marching in patterns and formations, tightly choreographed, drum majors wielding their batons.
State TV even showing shirtless soldiers training and practicing in the snow and ice.
One thing we did not see weapons. Unlike this massive military parade a few months ago, for the eighth anniversary of the ruling Workers Party, there
were no intercontinental ballistic missiles or glide vehicles or giant mobile launch trucks rolling past the cameras.
We did see North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un alongside his daughter, believed to be Kim Ju Ae, both in matching black leather. There's been a lot of
speculation in South Korea Kim may be grooming his daughter as his likely successor, but so far, nothing official from Pyongyang. State media has
never even publicly reported her name.
Kim used his closing speech to double down on expanding North Korea's nuclear arsenal, promising more warheads, stronger ICBMs, submarine launch
capabilities, drones and AI integration. He warned any violation of North Korea's independence would trigger immediate retaliation.
At the same time, he did leave conditional room for talks with Washington, saying it all depends on the U.S. attitude. It's worth noting President
Donald Trump, in his State of the Union Address did not mention North Korea at all. He did honor a 100-year-old Korean War Veteran in the Chamber. That
is a notable shift from his first term, when summit diplomacy with Kim dominated headlines.
Meanwhile, the U.S. and South Korea say their annual freedom shield military exercises will return next month, with some signs they could be
toned down from previous drills in late March and early April. President Trump is expected to travel to China to meet with Xi Jinping. So far,
there's no sign of any plans for Trump and Kim to meet while he's back in this region. Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right, Anthropic AI is at a crossroads faced by many burgeoning tech companies, how to grow without compromising its founding principles.
This week, the AI company, which made safety its guiding principle, was given an ultimatum by the Pentagon to drop their ethical regulations or
lose its $200 million government contract.
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The ultimatum also calls into question consumer trust and Anthropic's own brand identity.
U.S. Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth has reportedly issued a deadline of Friday for Anthropic to back down.
Let's take a look at the U.S. markets and see how they're doing here in the U.S. The DOW is pretty much flat right now. S&P 500 also down about a half
of little bit more than half of 1 percent. And NASDAQ down about 1.25 percent.
Investors cautious despite Nvidia beating expectations and its quarterly results, a chip maker reported $68.13 billion in revenue, nearly 2 billion
higher than expected. Nvidia shares are currently down more than 4 percent. Investors still concerned over how AI will disrupt the tech industry in the
longer term.
And finally, movie nerds, now is your chance to own a piece of history. More than 1500 pieces of movie memorabilia go out for auction next month in
Los Angeles. You can actually own a light up C-3PO Head from Star Wars, the Empire Strikes Back, or the Harpoon Gun used in Jaws as well. But of
course, they will not be cheap. The Droid Head alone is expected to sell for up to $700,000. All right, stay with CNN. There's more "One World" in
about 30 minutes from now. But CNN Creators is up next.
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(CNN CREATORS)
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