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Quest Means Business
Source: Iran Gave Qatar Advance Notice Of Attack; Trump: Trump Dismisses Iranian Attack On U.S. Base As Very Weak; Global Oil Prices Plunge After Iranian Attack; Iran Targets U.S. Base In Qatar After Strikes On Nuclear Sites; Donald Trump Responsa To Iranian Attack On U.S. Base In Qatar; Gulf Nations Begin Reopening Airspace After Iranian Attack; NATO Leaders To Meet This Week In The Hague. Aired 4-5p ET
Aired June 23, 2025 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Good evening. I am Max Foster, following breaking news for you then. Tonight, after Iran launched what it
called a powerful attack at an American military base, Qatar says air defense has successfully intercepted the missiles aimed at the Al Udeid Air
Base that's just outside Doha and it is the largest U.S. military installation in that region. One Doha resident reports hearing loud
explosions and says authorities didn't give any warning to take shelter.
This video shows the panic that ensued at a mall as people scramble to find some safety there. Authorities say the attack didn't cause any deaths or
injuries. Satellite imagery shows U.S. military planes were moved out of the base just last week.
Nick Paton Walsh is in London. What do you think the message was here, Nick? And how will America respond?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, in terms of America's response, we've actually just seen a social media post
from President Trump where he says that the very, very weak response of Iran, which we expected has been very effectively countered. He says there
were 13 missiles, sorry, 14 missiles, 13 of which were knocked down and one was "set free" because it was heading in a non-threating direction. He says
there are no American casualties, and that I paraphrase here, he hopes the Iranians have got it out of their system, and there will be no further
hate.
He also thanks Iran for the advanced warning, he says that they gave them of this particular attack. Unclear if he means a phone call or an actual
message, or just that the fact the Americans were able to observe missile launches getting into place.
But look, lets wind back to what actually happened. Earlier on today, U.S. embassy in Doha told U.S. citizens in Qatar to shelter in place. Iran
closed its airspace, leaving a sense something might be imminent. And then explosions were reported over the skies of Doha near where Al Udeid Air
Base is. That is the central hub, the central air base for Central Command, the U.S. part of the Pentagon that deals with Syria, Iran, Iraq,
Afghanistan, its busiest district, frankly.
Then these multiple explosions occurred. Qatar said that they intercepted all the missiles. There were no dead or injured as a result. There were at
the time, confused elements of reporting, suggesting perhaps other bases in the region might have been under threat. We've since learned, it doesn't
appear to be the case, that it is all focused on this one base, Al Udeid in Qatar.
Now that had been evacuated, as you said, Max, days ago, a personnel aircraft removed, an empty base, a very important part of America's
military infrastructure there certainly, but not one with any Americans who could be injured on it and the interceptions clearly quite effective as
well.
It was clear from one source familiar with the conversation that Iran warned Qatar this might be coming, indeed, there are people on our news
channel, elsewhere warning of the possibility of this threat before it even happened. And it seems as though we are seeing a familiar Iranian tactic
emerge here yet again.
When Qasem Soleimani, their top military personality, was killed in 2020 by a drone strike ordered by Donald Trump at the time for reckless by some
critics, certainly unprecedented, many wondered what would Iran do to strike back? It did comparatively very little. A telegraphed attack against
a U.S. military base that ended mostly in concussions in the troops there.
Then key guests assassinated in Tehran last year led to a response from Iran that, again was telegraphed and relatively ineffective. Again, we see
Iran challenged, I think, in a way we've not imagined in past decades, its military hierarchy and infrastructure taken out by Israel over
extraordinary attacks, which Israel actually say peaked in their biggest wave yet today, not when this all began 10 days ago and then finding its
nuclear facilities hit with exceptional force by 14 bunker buster bombs early on Sunday morning by the United States.
[16:05:01]
These taboos, unthinkable, frankly, that either Israel or the United States would break just two weeks ago, and now Iran's retaliation to some degree
feared because the possibility of a conflagration or U.S. casualties, or this spiraling out-of-control, but ultimately, and I am basing this on
early information, what we see over the skies in Doha intercepted missiles and a sense, perhaps, of something so heavily forewarned that it forms more
of a performative role, necessarily, than a genuine bid to try and hurt Americans. And now, perhaps with this message from U.S. President Donald
Trump, an off ramp where Iran can ask for diplomacy, but asking for diplomacy about a nuclear program that's unrecognizable in the way it was
when talks were happening two weeks ago, and even its ballistic missile program so heavily depleted by Israeli military strikes that were talking
about a transformed region, frankly -- Max.
FOSTER: Yes, it is interesting, isn't it? You use the word off ramp. It feels like both sides were looking for an off ramp here. If you look at the
way both sides have responded, a measured response from Iran, but also what you just said that President Trump was writing there that, you know, he
hopes they've got it out of their system, doesn't feel like it is going to escalate from here if they can get some sort of negotiation back in on the
table.
WALSH: Things we don't know. We don't know if this is Iran feigning weakness while it races for the nuclear weapon, the materials of which it
has managed to actually keep safe regardless of these American airstrikes. That's a big unknown still in all of this.
But remember, there are two very different actors here. There is the United States that's done things that were unthinkable two weeks ago to Iran's
nuclear program, has exercised the most -- the largest conventional explosive weapon ever, 12, sorry, 14 times against these nuclear facilities
and has tried to downplay the significance of that and says it doesn't want war.
Iran heavily damaged and now going through with this deeply symbolic, but ultimately performative strike against that large military power of the
united states, using shorter range missiles because Qatar is so much closer than Israel, of which it has a larger amount, and then trying to suggest
that that's more significant than it is and trying to draw a line and move on. It is one side trying to suggest they are small when they're frankly
massive militarily; it is another side trying to say, they have large military heft here, but ultimately they've been weakened like never before.
It is a volatile moment, certainly, because when dynamics like this change so fast, so unpredictably, that can usher in uncertainty and great risk,
too. But I think it is important to point out here, we are not dealing with an Iran that suddenly became stronger because of the American strikes at
the weekend. It got weaker still, and what we saw in the last few hours is a reflection of that -- Max.
FOSTER: Okay, Nick, thank you.
CNN military analyst and retired Major General James "Spider" Marks was listening to that joins me now. Thank you so much for joining us, Spider.
In terms of the statement that we just got from Donald Trump, it seems pretty positive, doesn't it, in terms of where this is going. He is
suggesting it was Iran getting what it needed to out of its system. So, it feels more settled, not necessarily something that President Trump is going
to counter respond to.
MAJ. GEN. JAMES "SPIDER" MARKS (RET), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yes, absolutely. And I think Nick just laid it out wonderfully, all the dynamics
and the parameters involved. This response by Iran clearly was symbolic. It was unintentionally telegraphed a priori. There was an opportunity for
Qatar to let the American presence at Al Udeid become aware of what was going on. There were some movements that took place to further protect the
assets, both American citizens and military personnel and contractors so there would be no damage.
Iran knew they got the message. It was crystal clear that if there was damage to American citizens, if there were casualties, the United States
was to respond. And so you go back to the strike that took place on Saturday. That was clear that the United States was intending to do a very
narrowly defined mission with incredible importance and significance and effect against Iran's nuclear development, had nothing to do with regime
change. That narrative is a political discussion that could be a derivative from this operation.
But this was very narrowly defined, and the strategy of this can be aligned with the policy. And very often, you know, the United States has a very
sketchy past in terms of getting involved in remaking or trying to develop or alter regimes wherever they are.
This was not about that, and so Iran had to demonstrate to their internal audience that they cared, that they were going to respond. And so this was
internal messaging, this response against Al Udeid was internal messaging. Could there be additional strikes? Of course. The IRGC and that capacity
still exists. There could be sleeper agents, there could be attacks against other facilities, American Embassies and consulates and military personnel
throughout the region, they are well prepared for this, but we could see more.
[16:10:24]
I probably am looking at the one and done in terms of Iran's response. Now, diplomacy hopefully has an opportunity to play out.
FOSTER: Yes, the question there is whether that's what Israel wants and whether they're done with their campaign.
MARKS: Well, I think not. That's exactly correct, Max. What Israel did in advance, was it set the conditions for this incredibly precise and
successful operation. The risks had been mitigated or had been completely removed from the board. No Iranian air defense capability, no Hezbollah, no
Hamas. Houthis down in the southern portion of the Red Sea, they've been damaged.
There was no capacity on the part of the Iranian leadership to do anything, and so the United States, with great impunity, was able to conduct this
operation.
Zero casualties from the U.S. perspective, and this this operation, it was quite phenomenal. So can diplomacy at this point move forward? I would
certainly, certainly hope so. And I would think Israel would be okay with that. I think the lead, I think it is fair to say, the lead still resides
with the United States, but the implementation of what that directive looks like will be the practical solution will come from Israel.
FOSTER: But the Iranians would have a legitimate claim, wouldn't they? America needs to stop Israel firing at them if they enter negotiations? Or
how would that normally work? Would Israel be able to carry on and finish off its campaign whilst those talks take place?
MARKS: Well, I think, and again, that's the question, has Israel now defined, based on what they were able to accomplish and what the United
States was able to accomplish in concert with the Israelis, that there is now a tactical, maybe an operational and tactical instinct? The strategy
still needs to be determined.
No weaponization -- nuclear weaponization for Iran, all stop, nothing more. If that can be -- that's kind of a longer, longer determination, that
horizon is out there. BDA, the Bomb Damage Assessment will start to come in through imagery and human intelligence sources in terms of what happened in
Fordow and what is the state of the Iranian nuclear weaponization program.
Israel needs to be able to declare at this point in its up -- it is totally up to them where they think they are marching in the direction toward being
satisfied that that end state, no nuclearization -- not regime change, but no nuclearization, no weaponization can take place. And I would suggest we
should hear something in the very near term, and I would think that this admin -- our U.S. administration will be in contact with Netanyahu and his
team to say, okay, guys, when are we going to box this thing up in terms of where we are right now? And then allow diplomacy to then now take the lead
as we determine what is the state of the nuclearization program?
It is fair to say, it has been set back considerably. There are terms -- in military terms, Max, without getting inside baseball, but something is
either destroyed, which means its turned into ether and its gone away, it is blown away, or it has been damaged or it has been defeated.
Now, in warfare, there is always damage and you can defeat a foe, but a defeated foe can come back. So are we prepared to acknowledge it is not
destroyed, but we now have a much longer window to continue to monitor and make it difficult for the Iranians, or are we at the point where we have to
say, it has got to be destroyed -- I mean, it has got to be completely destroyed, not just defeated?
FOSTER: Yes, okay, it is fascinating. Thank you so much for joining us, Major General James "Spider" Marks.
Now Iran's Supreme Leader says Iran hasn't violated anyone and should not accept violations from others. He made those comments in a statement on X
with an illustration of a burning American flag. Meanwhile, in Tehran, a CNN team witnessed outgoing surface-to-air missiles over the city. This
video shows anti-aircraft fire in the sky. The country continues to be on edge as it remains under threat from Israeli attacks.
Fred Pleitgen is in Tehran.
A huge amount of pressure on the country right now, but the Supreme Leader has to show, doesn't he, that he is standing up for Iran and that appears
to be what he showed tonight.
[16:15:02]
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, he certainly did. And I think it was very important for him to come out and
said that Iran will not tolerate, as he puts it, any violations, of course, in this case, meaning the violation of Iranian airspace.
And generally, the violation of Iran's territorial integrity by the U.S. attacking those nuclear sites. So I think it was very important for the
Iranian Supreme Leader to come out tonight, and the Iranians themselves, Max, are portraying this retaliation as very strong and very destructive
ones against that main American military base or one of the main American military bases here in the Middle East.
It was a couple of hours ago that Iranian state media, and then the Supreme National Security Command of the Iranians announced that they had fired
those ballistic missiles at the Al Udeid Base in Qatar. Iranian state media, as of right now, we've been monitoring Iranian state T.V. claiming
that six of those missiles hit the target. It is obviously impossible to independently verify that from here, but the Iranians are saying that this
was a robust and successful answer to what they call U.S. aggression.
It has been quite interesting to see sort of what we've been seeing and hearing on Iranian state media, but also around the city here in Tehran
throughout the better course of the day. Since that retaliation took place, there have been videos shown of people in squares here in Tehran
celebrating Iran's retaliation. Iranian officials calling this a very strong retaliation. In fact, there was a general who was an adviser to the
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Command who said that this was the main base from which Iranian airspace was violated, and that it was one that was
very important for the U.S. Forces here in the Middle East.
So the Iranians clearly portraying this as a very strong response from their side. And there was one thing that really stood out to us, Max, when
we read the response coming from Iran's Supreme National Security Council, they said that the amount of missiles that were fired at the Al Udeid Base
matches exactly the amount of bombs that were dropped on Iranian nuclear installations, possibly indicating that this was a tit-for-tat response
with everything that that could entail.
So right now the Iranians are saying that they gave a strong response. It is unclear whether or not that could end things, at least in the short
term, between the United States and Iran. The Iranians certainly have been saying that they are ready for a longer, protracted conflict with the
United States, even though they also say it is not something that they want.
And just one more word, Max, from the scenes, because you were showing some of that video of the anti-aircraft fire going out, we did see a lot of that
tonight. There was, I would say, for the better part of an hour, a lot of outgoing anti-aircraft gunfire, especially over the eastern part of the
city. And of course, throughout the day, we did see a strong uptick here in Central Tehran of Israeli airstrikes as well -- Max.
FOSTER: Okay, Fred Pleitgen in Tehran, really appreciate you joining me tonight. Thank you so much for your reporting, of course.
Coming up, a White House source says the Trump administration was anticipating that retaliation by Tehran. We will be at the White House to
get the inside track.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:20:42]
FOSTER: Donald Trump responding to the attack on Truth Social a few minutes ago. As we've been mentioning, he wrote in part, "Iran has officially
responded to our obliteration of their nuclear facilities with a very weak response, which we expected," and "... we expected rather." And he
countered, most notably, "they've got all this out of their system and there will hopefully be no further hate. Perhaps Iran can now proceed to
peace and harmony in the region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same."
Jeff Zeleny has been looking at that. I mean, that's the response many people really wanted here. It feels like de-escalation.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: It certainly feels like and looks like and sounds like de-escalation. Of course, the question
is, does it lead to that and when that will be. But Max, I think the very final words you were reading there, maybe the most important of all, it is
the first time the American President is saying that he will encourage Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to effectively stop or pause
the bombing, and we have not heard that; in fact, the opposite.
Just a few days ago, on Friday, I believe the U.S. President has said that he would not tell Israel that. So we will see, obviously, the intervening
time period was the strike on Iran, but it certainly feels like a de- escalation. But there are many questions that come with that.
Is Iran finished? Was this the one missile attack to the Al Udeid Base the only thing or is something more coming? There is still obviously a worry
and fear of sleeper cells, so the U.S. is on high alert, but hanging over all of this, as we sort of get through the day here on this Monday, there
is still not an answer to the question, to the President's defensiveness over actually what happened with the military strike, with the strike in
Iran on early Sunday, how degraded is the nuclear program?
President Trump has been using the words "obliterated" over and over. His Defense Department has not gone there at all, ad there still is not a full
Bomb Damage Assessment of actually, the state of the program, and the fact of where the nuclear materials may be.
So despite all of this today, there is still a central question hanging over all of this, is Iran less capable now in their nuclear program? We do
not know.
But for now at least, it certainly feels like de-escalation here from President Trump -- Max.
FOSTER: Will the red line still be there, do you think on nuclearization, because this is also a red line for Iran, but presumably Donald Trump feels
like he has pushed them to the point where they have to accept that they have to cross their own red line.
ZELENY: It certainly feels like that he is opening the door to more diplomacy and we know that Steve Witkoff who is the President's envoy has
been having back-channel communications with Iranian officials throughout this. So there is certainly a diplomatic exit ramp or off ramp, if you
will. But I think, we are not to that point at all, it is far from certain whether that actually will happen. But I do think that Iran has said it
would not negotiate or even speak to the United States as long as Israel was engaging in its bombardment.
So should that stop then perhaps diplomacy can give way, but many things have to happen to that. But I do think it is very significant that
President Trump is saying for the first time that effectively urging Israel to end its bombardment campaign.
FOSTER: Okay, Jeff, thank you so much for that.
Global oil prices plunging after the Iranian attack, which some people were surprised about. Of course, Brent crude has fallen to around $71.00 a
barrel. It is down more than five percent in just the past few hours. Looking at the U.S. markets more broadly, the Dow closed nearly 400 points
higher. The S&P 500 and the NASDAQ also finishing in the green. Investors are hoping this attack was mostly for show, and that Iran may be looking to
cool hostilities with the U.S. So they are really making a big punt on what happened today.
Richard Quest now joining us from Luanda, Angola, where he has been speaking to top energy executives -- Richard.
[16:25:01]
RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST, "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS": You know, when you look at why the market has fallen, the energy market and the stock
market rose, you were saying about how they believe it is all over, or at least it is not going to get worse.
And if you now take President Trump's Truth Social message, that is justified as a reaction because all sides do at least appear to be trying
to put something of a quasi-lid on it.
The U.S. acted the performative, as John Kerry says, response from the Iranians, and now President Trump essentially saying, "This is it ... isn't
it?" And the market is banking on the fact that it is it, that both sides have done what they need to do for the time being.
Now, don't get me wrong, Max. If either side were to wind it up again or the Israelis made it clear that this was not all over and done -- one and
done, as they say, then I think you would be seeing a much steeper, sharper reaction in the market, but that's in the days ahead.
For the moment, at first blush, it looks like a perverse reaction from the markets makes perfect sense -- Max.
FOSTER: Okay, Richard, in terms of all the uncertainty we have around in the global economy, I mean, this is just adding to it, right? But do you
think people are getting used to this new vibe in investing?
QUEST: No, I don't think so, I think people are used to volatility and they are used to having to have difficult decisions, but actually making a
decision in times of war, at times of aggression, that becomes much harder because of the unknown, the exogenous events, the unknown unknowns, if you
will.
What I think is going to be very difficult is for monetary policy, what interest rates happen because on the -- you know, to a certain extent now,
the ground is being set for lower rates. If oil stays under control and things do not get worse in terms of the fighting, then yes, then you -- to
put it another way, Max, then we are back to our meat and veg every day of tariffs and trade policy and what all of that means, which would be
somewhat, considerably thicker ice than the uncertainty that arguably we are facing now with all these issues.
If this goes on, all bets are off.
FOSTER: Okay, Richard in Angola, thank you very much indeed for that with some leading executives who have been talking about this, of course, all
day.
Still to come, countries across the Middle East are condemning Iran's attack on a U.S. Air Base in Qatar. We will have reaction from Israel for
you next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:30:55]
FOSTER: Hello, I'm Max Foster. There is more QUEST MEANS BUSINESS in just a moment when we'll discuss the status of Iran's nuclear sites after this
weekend strikes by the U.S.
And several Middle Eastern nations have closed their airspace as well as tensions flare.
Before that, though, the headlines this hour, Iran launching what it calls a powerful attack on U.S. Air Base in Qatar. Qatar's defense ministry says
its air defenses intercepted the missiles. No deaths or injuries have been reported. The government of Qatar has condemned the Iranian attack. A
source says Iranian officials gave Qatar advance notice.
NATO leaders are meeting this week in The Hague amid the growing conflict in the Middle East. The head of NATO says he doesn't believe U.S. strikes
on Iran will weaken its commitment to the alliance. The focus of the summit remains Ukraine and defense spending.
And the Oklahoma City Thunder have won the NBA championship. They beat the Indiana Pacers 103-91 on Sunday in a decisive game, game seven. It is the
team's first title since moving to Oklahoma from Seattle in 2008.
Qatar says the security situation remains stable in the country after the attack on a U.S. base located there. A U.S. defense official says the air
base was targeted by short and medium range missiles. Qatar says its air defenses successfully intercepted those missiles, no deaths or injuries
have been reported.
Clarissa Ward is in Tel Aviv, it does feel as if there's an opportunity here, Clarissa. Everyone's talking about off ramps. Can you explain?
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, I think you know when you speak to people in the region here, Max, the general
consensus seems to be that this was the least escalatory option that Iran could have gone with, if this is indeed a one and done, very deliberate,
very calibrated, very much tit for tat down to the number of missiles fired. The clear signal that many people are taking from that is that Iran
is ready to put a line under this and that it is time to get back to the negotiating table.
Now, the question mark that still remains, because we've already heard from President Trump, who is indicating as well that he's ready to move beyond
this latest round of hostilities. The question mark is, of course, Israel, and what Israel intends to do.
I should say that we have heard some indications from the Israelis that they are also preparing, potentially, to wind down their operations. We
heard Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just yesterday saying they are very, very close to achieving their objectives.
I will also mention that it was a very heavy day of strikes of Israeli strikes on Iran, but there's a sense on the Israeli side, they're feeling
gratified by Iran's response, because they believe it shows that Iran has been significantly degraded in terms of what it is capable of doing right
now, and also the fact that Iran doesn't appear to continue to want these hostilities.
And regionally, you're seeing a lot of statements condemning Iran's act, but privately acknowledging that this was probably the best of a lot of bad
options, and that it does open the door, it does finally allow for that much needed off ramp, which up until today, honestly could not be clearly
seen, Max.
FOSTER: All right, Clarissa, thank you so much. Listening to that, Ali Vaez is the International Crisis Group's Iran project director. Thank you so
much for joining us.
When you look at Iran's response today, do you think it was strong enough to convince the Iranian people that this was a decent counter attack, and
what do you think they're planning to do next?
ALI VAEZ, IRAN PROJECT DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP: It's good to see you, Max. This was an air punch, basically, Iranians really did not
retaliate. What they tried to do was to warn, this was a warning shot to the United States, that if it continues to engage in this war that Israel
has waged against them, there will be an expansion of this conflict threatening U.S. allies in the region, threatening U.S. economic interests
in the region.
[16:35:26]
And they have done it in a calibrated way, thankfully, without any American casualties, so that there is an off ramp that President Trump can take. And
both sides have a narrative of victory.
But of course, this is only the U.S.-Iran conflict that both sides are now drawing the line under. The Iran-Israel conflict can still go on.
FOSTER: Donald Trump no longer talking about regime change. That will obviously be received positively in Iran. But there is this debate about
where any negotiations would go, because Iran has this red line that it's not going to give up nuclear enrichment, but that's also the red line for
the U.S., isn't it? So, someone's got a budge.
VAEZ: Yes, currently there is no overlap between the Venn diagram of what President Trump wants, which is no enrichment in Iran, and what Iran is
willing to accept, which is no nuclear weapons.
And I feel that after 10 years -- after 10 days of this conflict, after U.S. bombing Iranian nuclear facilities, after years of sanctions and
diplomatic off and on, probably everybody has to come to some sort of a compromise, that the best solution is maybe to allow Iran to be part of a
consortium in which other regional countries are also involved, and therefore Iran can say it still has the right to enrichment. It is still
involved in enrichment, but it no longer has sovereign enrichment.
And that was a plan that Steve Witkoff had put on the table. But I think if everybody steps aside from maximalist positions, now there might be an
opportunity for a much more durable solution.
Because Max, at the end of the day, we know and U.S. intelligence community had said for a long time that even a military option would only set back
Iran's nuclear program for two years. Let's remember that the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran set back the program for 15 years without firing a single
shot.
FOSTER: OK. And Ali, thank you so much for that. A bit of a delay on the line, but it's great to hear all of your thoughts as usual.
When we return, Israel has been carrying out new attacks on Iran's Fordow nuclear site. We'll tell you about the critical access roads that were
targeted and the damage the site sustained after U.S. strikes over the weekend.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:40:39]
FOSTER: An Israeli official says the country might achieve its military objectives in Iran in the coming days.
At the news conference that aired on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Israel will not be dragged into a war of attrition. He also
said Israel is very close to achieving its objectives, which include denying Tehran a nuclear weapon.
Israeli forces struck access routes to the Fordow nuclear facility on Monday. It's an additional blow to the site, which was hit by the U.S. over
the weekend.
Jeremy Diamond is in Tel Aviv. I'm just wondering what your sense is from the Israeli authorities, after, you know, those comments we heard about
reaching the end of the operation potentially, but also what we heard from Donald Trump about him wanting to convince Israel to potentially dial
things down.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Max, I think, in the wake of this latest Iranian attack on that U.S. base in Qatar, one that was
carefully telegraphed and clearly not as explosive as it perhaps could have been, we are watching and feeling the temperature in this region slowly
coming down, whether it is from President Trump's tweet, from what I'm hearing from Israeli officials, from the messaging coming from Iran as
well, it certainly seems like there is now an opportunity for this region to take an exit ramp and to head for that much needed de-escalation
following 10 days of conflict between Israel and Iran.
Indeed, you have, on the one hand, that carefully telegraphed attack by the Iranians on that U.S. base, President Trump, signaling now that there is
not going to be any kind of U.S. military response to that, and the Israelis, Israeli officials who I've been speaking to, telling me that they
believe that they can now achieve their remaining military objectives in Iran in the coming days, that bank of targets that Israeli intelligence had
been gathering for years before this operation is now rapidly being exhausted, I'm told.
And the Israelis, you know, the feeling from the Israeli officials I've been speaking to is that they would like to head for some kind of a cease
fire, for some kind of an end to this conflict, quite quickly, soon thereafter.
That will, of course, depend on some kind of diplomacy between Israel and Iran, obviously not directly, but perhaps mediated through European
officials or through these conversations that the channel that seems to exist between the U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and the Iranian
government.
So, there's going to be a lot to watch in the coming days in terms of how that de-escalation actually unfolds. And always important to keep in mind
that in this region at this moment, there is always the potential for things to change.
But again, the feeling right now is certainly that things are all headed in that one direction.
FOSTER: It really feels as though regime change is off the table right now as well. They're not looking at that because they're looking to do a
negotiation.
DIAMOND: That's right, and that is notable, given that we have heard the prime minister, the defense minister, other Israeli officials, increasingly
talking about this notion of removing the Iranian regime from power.
Now, whether that was a real goal that they were seeking to achieve, or perhaps a pressure tactic to make the Iranians think right now, you know,
do we really want to carry out a more significant retaliation that could risk further strikes from the United States and Israel? You know, there are
so many factors, of course, to consider here.
I think one other thing that is important to keep in mind is, even if there is some kind of a cease fire between Israel and Iran, it doesn't
necessarily mean that that will be the end of Israeli strikes altogether. We have seen a similar situation unfold, of course, in Lebanon as Israel
and Hezbollah reached a cease fire agreement, but in the months since then, we still have seen numerous Israeli strikes being carried out in southern
Lebanon in particular, including a couple in the Lebanese capital of Beirut.
And so, as the Israelis are likely to maintain that air dominance over large swaths of Iranian territory, there is obviously always the chance,
and I'm sure Israelis will want to signal the ability to be able to continue to strike targets in Iran should the Israelis feel that Iran is
reconstituting its ballistic missile or nuclear programs in the future, Max.
[16:45:08]
FOSTER: OK, Jeremy, thank you so much for that, the Israeli perspective.
The head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog says it's impossible to fully assess the damage to Iran's nuclear sites while the fighting continues.
Rafael Grossi says his inspectors need access to account for stockpiles of highly enriched uranium. He told CNN that they last saw the stockpile on
June the 10th. He also said Iran indicated that it has plans to protect that material.
Alex Wellerstein is the Associate Professor at the Stevens Institute of Technology. He joins us now. Thank you so much.
I mean, it is impossible to know what's been harmed, but the Iranians would have had a system in place for this type of event presumably.
ALEX WELLERSTEIN, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, STEVENS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY: I would -- if I were the Iranians, I would have a system in place. So, I
presume they probably do as well, right? To smuggle out materials, have backups, things of that nature.
FOSTER: And this is where we get to the conversation about, you know, no matter how much damage you do at this point is -- you know, this nuclear
system they had in the country could be rebuilt at some point. It really speaks to that, doesn't it? You know, this is a temporary closure, if you
want to look at it looking forward, really.
WELLERSTEIN: I think that the best you can buy is maybe time, and you can use time in different ways. Hopefully time could be translated into a
diplomatic option, and not just a military option, but if conditions are poor and Iran desperately wants a nuclear weapon or believes it needs one
to be secure, bombing it won't convince it that it doesn't need one.
FOSTER: We were hearing earlier that in terms of trying to form some sort of negotiation where America gets where -- what it wants, which is no
nuclear enrichment, there may be a halfway house where Iran doesn't enrich it in a sovereign way, but works with other countries that perhaps the U.S.
does trust on a program which is purely for energy. Do you think that's workable?
WELLERSTEIN: I think we have to -- if the U.S. wants a deal with Iran, it has to come up with a deal that would be beneficial to Iran.
And I think if the deal is only going to be one sided, then the Iranians would never go for it. They would never trust it. And why would they?
So, if -- is there a route where we could make the Iranians feel that it would be better for them to not have nuclear weapons and that they would
benefit more from something else? Possibly, but if we go into it with the attitude of just punishment or things of that nature, there's no reason why
they would trust us, and they will need to trust us if they're going to sign on to something of this nature.
FOSTER: What do you think is the smart way of Donald Trump to go into these negotiations with them?
WELLERSTEIN: I mean, I'm not a negotiator. I don't know, but I think that the real flaw and a lot of the American approaches to the negotiation have
been that they've been more about trying to please a domestic American audience, and not trying to actually find a way to make the Iranians want
something.
And again, if your incentive to the other country to want something is that you're threatening them, you can't threaten somebody to not want a nuclear
weapon. That won't work.
FOSTER: The concern would be, though, if they won't agree to that, then, you know, Donald Trump starts talking about regime change again, and
they've shown, haven't they, that they have got brute force on their side, the Israelis and the Americans.
WELLERSTEIN: The Israelis and the Americans certainly have much more capability to attack Iran at the moment than Iran has to attack them back
in the same way. But as we've seen over the years, the Iranians have other ways of possibly inflicting harm, doing, you know, nefarious things.
So, I wouldn't -- I think Americans tend to see this in a very one sided we can militarily boss people around, but we're a very vulnerable country in
many ways as well, and we would do poorly to underestimate the ability of other nations to asymmetrically cause harm back.
FOSTER: Yes, absolutely. Alex, thank you so much for your insights on that one. Well, the solidity hostilities have led to serious disruptions to
regional air travel. Flightradar24 shows what the skies look like after Qatar shut down that airspace.
Kuwait and Bahrain have now reopened their race space after some brief closures. Zoom out a bit, and you can see that planes are avoiding Iranian
airspace as well. Several airlines have now canceled flights to the region. Pete Muntean is in Washington. I mean, thankfully so really. All right,
Pete.
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you know, Max, this new attack by Iran really plunged airspace in the Middle East into disarray. The latest
right now is that the airspace over Kuwait and Bahrain now open again, according to each of the country's official news agencies.
[16:50:06]
I want to look, if you can, at the live look at Flightradar24 and the flight tracking site says some of the first flights just left Bahrain since
the airspace there closed about four hours ago. Airports in Dubai also reopening, according to the airport authority there, which is key, because
Dubai is significant global hub for airlines, though Dubai Airports Authority says still a chance of delays and cancelations.
We know this attack caused about two dozen flights headed to Dubai and Doha to be diverted. That according to airline analytics from Syria, you can see
why if you've seen the video from the airport on the ground in Doha, we know that some flights went to alternate airports. Others went back to
their departing airport. We're not out of the woods yet, though.
Today, about 40 flights from North America are bound for the Middle East. More than 200 flights scheduled to fly from Europe. Those flights are at
the risk of being canceled, though, because the situation really changing all the time. The airspace over Qatar remains closed. That country gained
control, interestingly, over its own airspace only about four years ago, Max.
FOSTER: From a passenger point of view, this is absolutely scary, isn't it? The idea that you could be hit by a missile, and that is what goes through
many people's minds. That's why the airspace is cleared as well.
But I mean, to some extent, there was some reassurance here that Qatar got the warning, they were able to clear the airspace. How concerned are you
that, you know, airlines don't have the right Intel to fly safely in this region.
MUNTEAN: Commercial airliners have hit -- been hit by ground based missiles before, and so that is the big concern here, that one could be erroneously
targeted and then shot down.
This is something that airlines, of course, very much want to avoid, and it's a big risk they take flying through the area in the Middle East, some
Middle Eastern Airlines even have ground to air missile countermeasures on board their planes to make sure that these things do not happen. It is a
big, big concern, Max.
FOSTER: Absolutely. OK. Pete, thank you so much. We'll be back in just a moment with more on this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: Our top story, Iran's attack on a U.S. military base just outside of Doha, Qatar says air defenses intercepted the missiles aimed at the air
base there. That's the largest U.S. military installation in the region. Authorities say the attack didn't cause any deaths or injuries. Donald
Trump responded on social media a short while ago, writing that Iran had got it all out of their system and that it perhaps can now proceed to peace
and harmony in the region.
[16:55:10]
Meanwhile, Trump is expected to attend the NATO summit The Hague this week. CNN's Clare Sebastian has more from The Hague on the -- on the stakes in
this huge summit.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Clare Sebastian Well, NATO leaders will gather this week for a summit here in The Hague, at least in part,
overshadowed by events in Iran, but even with what we see, E.U. foreign ministers this week talking about de-escalation and diplomacy when it comes
to the Middle East.
We expect their leaders here over the next few days, to commit to a massive increase in defense spending, that will be the big deliverable from this
summit we expect. They're expected to increase the current target from two percent to five percent as European countries try to shoulder more of the
cost for their own defense after years of relying on the United States.
But getting there is going to be a heavy lift. Number one, because even as they declare that two percent target obsolete, about a quarter of NATO
members have yet to hit it.
And secondly, because getting to consensus has already been very difficult, Spain's prime minister last week threatening to derail the whole plan by
openly objecting to that five percent target. He now says he's agreed on an exemption with NATO.
But this is not just about deterring Russia. Even as we see attacks on Ukraine escalating another massive overnight barrage with drones and
missiles targeting the capital of Kyiv. This is also about placating the United States.
The five percent target is something President Trump has called for. He is expected here this week, and NATO hopes to hand him this big foreign policy
win.
But I think the big question hanging over the summit is how committed the U.S. still is to NATO, even with that five percent pledge. And I think
everyone here will be watching for clues as to the answer to that question.
Clare Sebastian, CNN, in the Netherlands.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Wall Street closing higher after Iran launched a modest response to U.S. air strikes. The Dow surged after it was reported that a missile
attack on a U.S. base was easily thwarted. Sounds counterintuitive, but the feeling is it could have been a lot worse.
Let's look at the Dow components. Chevron down 1.8 percent after oil prices fell. Amgen down sharply after presenting new obesity drug findings at a
diabetes conference. IBM shares an all-time figure there, its stock just got an upgrade from analysts at Wedbush, and that is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS.
I'm Max Foster. "THE LEAD" with Jake is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
