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The Brief with Jim Sciutto

CNN International: Iran threatens retaliation after U.S. Strikes; Iran Repeatedly Accuses U.S. of Violating Ceasefire; Israel Repeatedly Strikes Road Near Lebanon's Largest Dam; Ukrainian Ambassador: "No Words" To Describe Weekend Attack on Kyiv; Iran Says it Will Charge "Fees" for Hormuz Passage; IRGC: 25 Vessels Passed Through Hormuz Strait Tuesday; Humanitarian Group: Ebola Outbreak Could Be Deadliest on Record; Ferrari's First Electric Vehicle Draws Backlash. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired May 26, 2026 - 18:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[18:00:00]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR, "THE BRIEF": Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington, and

you're watching "The Brief."

Just ahead this hour, Iran is threatening to retaliate against the U.S. for its strikes around the Strait of Hormuz. I speak to Ukraine's ambassador to

the U.S. about Russia's unprecedented airstrikes on Kyiv and the delays in receiving U.S. weapons. And Ferrari's first fully electric sports car

disappoints investors and divides its fans.

We do begin with two fragile ceasefires, one between the U.S. and Iran, another between Israel and Lebanon. Tehran is accusing the U.S. of repeated

ceasefire violations and of attacking Iranian commercial shipping. The U.S. had said earlier it had targeted only Iranian missile launch sites in,

quote, self-defense, as well as boats that were trying to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

Senior Iranian officials have now returned home from what they described as intense talks in Doha as Qatari mediators work towards a memorandum of

understanding between the two sides. Not quite an agreement, but an MOU. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the document's wording is a big

reason it hasn't been signed yet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: I think like anything with something like this, it's going to take a couple days to settle on even down to the

disagreements over a word, a sentence. So, we'll have to work through that. If there's going to be a deal, we're going to have to work through that.

But this is a -- you know, it's either going to be a good deal or there isn't going to be one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: In Lebanon, the Israeli military is pushing north of a self- declared security zone while repeatedly attacking a road near the largest dam in Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under growing

pressure after a Hezbollah drone strike.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We are deepening our operation in Lebanon. The IDF is operating with large forces

on the ground and is taking control of strategic areas. We are fortifying the security zone in order to protect the communities of northern Israel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Alayna Treene is at the White House. And it's really hard to keep track of the substance of these negotiations between the U.S. and Iran,

because every day or every other day, you hear that they're making progress. And then you have blowups, like we saw this weekend with the two

sides exchanging fire. Do White House officials believe they're moving closer to something, some sort of MOU?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: They do. And I would say even despite, Jim, the exchange of fire we saw yesterday, you know, the

White House and Trump administration arguing that those strikes were in self-defense, that it was because the Iranian ships were laying mines. You

hear a lot of tough language, as you mentioned, from Iran on all this.

But despite all of that, they are still very optimistic. And I will say, you know, we do know that, as you mentioned, there's a lot of times when

we've heard from the president, from the secretary of state, from others who have been involved in these negotiations, putting forward this kind of

rosy picture of where negotiations are and calling that, you know, everything that is happening in these talks as being optimistic. This time,

they argue it is different.

And that is because, one, I would say, you know, a big change in this time around is that there are a lot of regional allies, not just Pakistan, who

are being -- serving as mediators right now, but other allies like the Qataris, the Saudis, the Egyptians, Turkey, a lot of them coming here and

making, you know, a lot of different demands of the Iranians, trying to mediate with the United States. And that's something that officials say

have also brought this much closer to the finish line.

Again, you have to read between the lines here, because we could be hearing a lot of this optimism just to see these talks fall apart. But they argue

that, really, they are close to a framework and that a few sticking points remain, of course, one of the biggest being the highly enriched uranium

that is still in Iran's possession.

Now, one thing I would want to note on that is that the president did seem to kind of move a little bit off one of his hardline stances on that in a

social media post from this weekend.

[18:05:00]

He argued that, you know, unlike before, where he demanded that the United States had to go and retrieve that enriched uranium and bring it back to

the United States, he's now saying that perhaps the United States could work with the Iranians to destroy it on site, or perhaps another third

country could retrieve it and destroy it.

So, there seems to be some movement there. But all to say, we have to really see where this week leads, despite the optimism we are hearing both

publicly and privately now from top officials on this.

SCIUTTO: Yes. If it were to go to a third country, that would be something in common with the JCPOA negotiated under the Obama administration, when it

was brought to Russia. Alayna Treene, thanks so much.

Iranian authorities appear to be easing the country's internet blackout. The Internet Monitoring Group, NetBlocks, says that access in the country

is returning partially. Iran's president ordered authorities to lift an 88- day internet blackout on Monday. It is the largest blackout in Iran's history.

Joining me now is Mara Rudman, executive director of the Vital Network -- Vital Center Network. She's a former deputy Middle East envoy and deputy

national security adviser to both Presidents Clinton and Obama. Good to have you here.

MARA RUDMAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VITAL CENTER NETWORK AND FORMER U.S. DEPARTMENT NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Good to be here.

SCIUTTO: So, when you look at these ongoing negotiations, you know, when you hear that, well, they haven't quite figured out the enriched uranium,

I'm thinking that's the main issue, right?

RUDMAN: Exactly.

SCIUTTO: In fact, going into the war, that was certainly one of Israel's main goals was to control that, but also President Trump at different times

had said that. Do you get the sense here that they're punting on the tougher issues?

RUDMAN: Yes.

SCIUTTO: OK.

RUDMAN: Absolutely. And I think the question is how it will be characterized. So, I think that what we may be close to -- what I hope

we're close to is some, as you described it, memorandum of understanding, but that's really putting off the biggest, toughest issues for discussion.

I would still take that over the ceasefire falling apart completely.

SCIUTTO: OK. Now, the trouble is you still have to eventually get to those big issues. I mean, it says 60 days, but if you look at the Gaza ceasefire,

I mean, we haven't gotten beyond that phase one many months after the fact. I mean, what are the guarantees that you have the circumstances and the

conditions to actually address those deeper issues at some point in the near term?

RUDMAN: There are no guarantees. We can hope that in most administrations, you'd say they'd learn from their past mistakes and look to do things

differently or look to see what's happening in Gaza and how you go forward to better outcomes. I haven't seen that learning pattern evident with

President Trump's second term.

SCIUTTO: OK. So, tell me about the newer term issues, primarily opening the Strait of Hormuz, stopping the gunfire too. Who has the upper hand

here? Because it does seem that President Trump cannot end this war immediately on his own terms, which is something he claimed, you know, the

war allowed him to do because he'd so decimated Iran's military capabilities. But is the reality different?

RUDMAN: The reality is different, but that's -- and that is no slam on the extraordinary military power in the United States has. But what we've seen

is how Iran has been, Iran strategically has been very smart about maximizing asymmetric warfare, seeing where we're vulnerable arguments on

why we weren't better prepared on things like drone warfare, given exactly what Ukraine has done in the Gulf countries, bringing in Ukraine. We've

been slow to respond on those, to be able to know how to respond on those things. And we should have been better prepared there.

But you're seeing Hezbollah do the same thing with respect to Israel. I mean, the power when -- what interests are differ on the two sides and for

major powers like -- great powers like the United States, we need to be much better at anticipating what the adversary is going to do.

SCIUTTO: Yes. It's interesting. When I was in Northern Israel, just a few weeks ago, it was the drones from Hezbollah that had the least advanced

warning. Those are the ones that -- I mean, shells, you know, by the way, not a lot of advanced warning for anything up there because the firing

ranges are so short, but the drones really struck fear.

I wonder, just when you see the Iranian regime lift this internet blackout, I mean, clearly there's a lot of demand in that country to be back on the

internet, but does it in some ways demonstrate that the regime is more confident now in its position that it could survive the public's access to

the internet?

RUDMAN: That's probably a fair interpretation. Listen, they've clamped down horribly on their population. And there's also a question on whether

the United States actions have further solidified their hold over a population that was not all happy with its -- with the regime and with the

leadership. But that population doesn't have a sense that president Trump, the United States are there to rescue them despite the statements that were

made early on.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

RUDMAN: So, may well indicate that. There's also some splits among Iranian government officials on the internet lift and whether it's the more

moderate forces that were pushing that through. And it's gotten through even though I think others were trying to bring it to the court system to

shut it down.

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SCIUTTO: If you were looking at how the Kremlin or how Beijing were viewing the outcome of the Iran War, would they be looking at the as

stronger or weaker in the wake of it?

RUDMAN: Weaker. Absolutely. I mean, it's hard to imagine what the United States could have done to more -- to make ourselves seem less of a threat

to China and to Russia.

SCIUTTO: Tell me how.

RUDMAN: And it's really devastating to think that. Well, in terms of Russia, what we've done is take the attention off Ukraine. We -- by the

way, in terms of our oil and gas demands for the skyrocketing process, we lifted sanctions against Russia and Iran which is incomprehensible in terms

of why those sanctions were put in place, but also put Ukraine in a more vulnerable position. We've made it harder for Europeans to continue to

support Ukrainians. So, they're doing it because of their -- the impetus of the energy flows they don't have.

And in terms of China, they're watching us and trying to anticipate what this means in terms of Taiwan. Never mind how that summit went and who I

think got, had the upper hand coming out of that. And it was not President Trump.

SCIUTTO: Yes. President Trump certainly did not commit himself to continuing the Taiwan arms sale. Mara Rudman, great to have you on as

always.

RUDMAN: Thanks.

SCIUTTO: Thanks so much. Well, diplomats from the European union are refusing to abandon Ukraine. This as Russia threatens new strikes on

Ukraine's capital demanding the foreigners leave because of the risk Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, and the broader E.U. have all

summoned their Russian representatives.

Russia fired an advanced nuclear capable multi warhead missile at Kyiv over the weekend, citing what it says was a Ukrainian attack on civilians.

Russian officials say they will begin targeting Ukrainian command centers in response and how they define that is well, frankly, quite broadly.

The reality is however, that Russia has made targeting civilians, it's explicit strategy for years and its use of this new weapon comes as

Ukrainian drone attacks are sapping Russia's economy, and therefore, it's ability to fund and deploy more troops on the front.

U.S. secretary of state Marco Rubio is weighing in on the escalation after he spoke with Russia's foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUBIO: Well, they sent a notice to all the embassies and I think he was just calling the person that told me. They told all the embassies to --

Kyiv's going to be a very dangerous place. But Kyiv has been a very dangerous place now for a number of years. But the danger in all of these

wars as they continue and they go on is that they always have the threat of escalation, spreading into something new.

So, I spoke to him yesterday about that and a couple other topics. And obviously, Putin wanted -- I'd asked him to call me to relay the message

directly to the president, which I did. But obviously --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Well, Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S. tells me there are simply no words to describe the scale of last week's barrage on Kyiv. In a wide-

ranging interview, she tells me that Russians have been benefiting from the war in Iran, not only because it distracts the U.S. and the coalition, but

also has reduced U.S. weapons deliveries.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OLGA STEFANISHYNA, UKRAINIAN AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: It was not only the one of the most brutal attacks to Ukrainian cities, it has also has been

attacks with the unprecedented amount of ballistics used. And this is done exactly because Russians are count on the further shortages in ammunition

we would face because of the operation in Iran. And they know very well, you know, some of the elements of the air defense, which are

unsubstitutable with any other means than that. And I think we should really have it in mind and take it into account.

So, basically, these are not only the attacks on the Ukrainian cities, but this is also the clear element where Russians benefit from the war in Iran.

You know, they understand that they are able to distract the capabilities of the global coalition, you know, and disrupt the planned purchases under

the Pearl Mechanism.

So, this is not a very like black and white situation. But of course, I think there's literally no words that couldn't describe the attacks we

faced, you know, just a couple of days ago. You know, and this is not only the buildings and the civilian elements which were attacked.

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This is like our life I spent at this, you know, market, you know, all of my life since childhood, you know, all of my memories there. And, you know,

my college was very, very near. But of course, the lives of the people we've lost will never be brought back.

And actually, the saddest part of this understanding that it's -- you know, it's the language Russians talk to the U.S. government as well.

SCIUTTO: This happened as Ukraine has a shortage of air defense missiles. The U.S. delayed some promised missiles to Ukraine?

STEFANISHYNA: Well, there was some decisions which have been taken. And basically, we have faced, you know, delays in deliveries of some essential

elements of the air defense. And basically, these attacks, we survived without something we had planned to be at our disposal, you know, available

in Ukraine.

SCIUTTO: Specifically, Patriot missiles?

STEFANISHYNA: Yes, interceptors for Patriot missiles.

SCIUTTO: Was there any warning? Did the U.S. give you any warning that these missiles would be delayed?

STEFANISHYNA: Well, this is a very sensitive and classified information. Of course, I don't think that I'm at liberty of sharing any of that. But

basically, unfortunately, Russia is very well informed of so many things. And I think just presuming the very fact that we might have shortages in

access and also delays in delivery just inspired them, and it will inspire them more to repurpose or, let's say, replan the air attacks. Because one

of the previous missile attacks was with more than 1,500 drones and much less missiles. This time, we see a different proportion. 90 missiles is a

huge number.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

STEFANISHYNA: You know, no place the whole planet you can find with this kind of scale of attack, you know, and this is a huge number.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

STEFANISHYNA: And this is clear change of tactics. And they play their game with the understanding that the longer operations in Iran is under

the, you know, visible radar, the more Russians benefit from that.

SCIUTTO: So, you believe at a minimum Russia was taking advantage of those shortages?

STEFANISHYNA: Of course.

SCIUTTO: Yes. Do you believe that the U.S. in effect left Ukraine more vulnerable because of those delays?

STEFANISHYNA: Well, I think we're, of course, in an absolutely different situation. We were like two years ago when like every delivery or every

shipment was like a Christmas present. So -- that we were not able to put the real support from American and European allies to a military planning.

Now, the situation is absolutely different. This is a well-coordinated, well-structured process.

Europe has overtaken more than 65 percent under its commitment, under its umbrella. This is fantastic. We could not, you know, find ourselves in a

better spot in terms of coordination and the burden sharing, right? But actually, some very clear indicators now become more visible, right, and

more identifiable by the aggressor.

Actually, Russians know that the most vulnerable part for Ukraine is the air defense, because this is the largest country in Europe, and you cannot

simply invent over the night the air shield. And Russians understand that only by attacking Ukrainian cities and killing people, they could put a

more and more demoralizing effect.

SCIUTTO: Sure.

STEFANISHYNA: And, you know, everybody knows it. And I think here in the United States, everybody knows it as well.

SCIUTTO: You saw Secretary Rubio's comments after meeting with other NATO foreign ministers. Is it your sense that the U.S. has given up on the peace

process?

STEFANISHYNA: Absolutely not. I don't have this feeling at all. I just understand that Secretary Rubio has said that within the existing format,

there's literally, like, no way to proceed further. And this is not something Ukraine ever had illusions on, because, you know, we have been

engaging with Russians in the beginning of the war, and while they were sitting on the negotiating table, they were torturing Ukrainian people in

Bucha, raping Ukrainian women and elderly people.

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And this was the chain of command, it was not like one-man crime, it was the chain of military command. And this is, you know, no difference right

now. And, you know, this format, you know, is not something that is successful, and it doesn't mean that we cannot move in any other format.

So, we will be looking and exploring on the ways to move further.

The only thing that nobody really wants is this, you know, rounds of engagement with the Russian president, which he treats like nothing else

but encouragement for what he's doing.

SCIUTTO: There was a time, as you know, that President Trump said, we don't need Ukraine's help. But now the U.S. and Ukraine are discussing a

drone technology-sharing agreement. What's your reaction to that, to the U.S. in effect saying, we can learn something from Ukraine?

STEFANISHYNA: Of course, it's hard to imagine that, you know, the president of the most powerful nation of the world would say, like, that we

need some of Ukraine's support here. But actually, nobody could deny that the new reality of the warfare has been created in Ukraine by Ukrainians

and by Ukrainian ingenuity. And the drone deal has already happened, in fact.

So, we have an engagement with the Department of War, with the Navy, with the Army, and with the Air Force. And basically, we are working on a daily

basis. And because of this new reality, the Pentagon has created the drone dominance program, where like four of Ukrainian companies are already

contributing to that.

So, this is already happening, and we're so proud to be able to pay back by our contribution to a global security, but also to strengthening the

American defense capabilities. It's not probably as significant as it, you know, worth of, you know, having a discussion at the level of the president

of the United States, but it's big already, and we're so proud of it.

SCIUTTO: Is it safe to say Ukraine does have cards, right, in this conflict?

STEFANISHYNA: Well, we printed them. We might have shortages and access to good cards, but we had to invent them.

SCIUTTO: Make your own.

STEFANISHYNA: Yes, we made our own.

SCIUTTO: OK.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: Still ahead, Tehran's toll. Iranian officials say they are now charging fees to allow ships to move through the Strait of Hormuz. Why the

future of global shipping could now hang in the balance?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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SCIUTTO: Welcome back. In today's Business Breakout, a mixed day on Wall Street, bit of weakness for the Dow, but the S&P and NASDAQ rose to yet new

records. Micron shares soared nearly 20 percent, making it the latest tech giant to hit a market cap of one trillion dollars. Micron's memory chips

are key components in A.I. systems.

In the energy markets, Brent Crude jumped three and a half percent on concerns the Iran ceasefire is breaking down, with Iran threatening to

retaliate after U.S. strikes on Monday. Iran's Revolutionary Guard said Tuesday that 25 vessels, including oil tankers, passed through the Strait

of Hormuz over the preceding 24 hours. CNN could not independently verify those numbers. If true, it is still nowhere near the number of vessels that

used to pass through the Strait daily before the war.

Iran's foreign ministry said this week it plans to monetize the Strait by collecting navigational fees. It refused to describe the system as a toll.

Experts fear, however, it could set a dangerous precedent for other global waterways.

Joining me now, James Kraska. He's a professor of international maritime law at the U.S. Naval War College, also a visiting professor at Harvard Law

School. James, thanks so much for taking the time.

JAMES KRASKA, PROFESSOR OF INTERNATIONAL MARITIME LAW, U.S. NAVAL WAR COLLEGE AND VISITING PROFESSOR, HARVARD LAW SCHOOL: A pleasure to join

you. Thanks.

SCIUTTO: So, they say fees, not tolls. Sounds a lot like a toll to me.

KRASKA: Indeed, what they're proposing is a toll, and it is not consistent with the law of the sea, with international maritime law. So, what is

allowed is that ports, for example, can charge reasonable fees for services actually rendered. But these are required services, such as power

connections or sewage or pilotage inland waters. But there's no precedent for charging a toll or a fee simply to transit an international Strait.

SCIUTTO: If this were to stand, if the U.S. can't find a way, frankly, to negotiate Iran off that position, I imagine that would be a dangerous

precedent, not just for the Strait of Hormuz, but for other waterways around the world.

KRASKA: Absolutely. It's not just the United States, but really all countries have a stake in this, frankly, including Iran, because Iran then

might be subject to retaliatory fees in other Straits in which its vessels want to ply, such as the Strait of Malacca in Singapore, the Lombok Strait,

the Strait of Gibraltar. So, there could be countermeasures that other states slowly unfold.

SCIUTTO: I wonder if there are also security concerns from such a precedent, because I imagine other nations might look at this as a

precedent for how they could use similar power. I'm thinking China around Taiwan, if not tolls, restricting commerce based on what it says or its

territorial waters or claiming some threat. I mean, you know, carried more broadly, this precedent could be quite damaging on a number of fronts.

KRASKA: Indeed. There are security implications as well as economic implications. Remember that the U.S. grand strategy for more than 100 years

was to ensure that we had reliable connections with friends and allies in East Asia and in Europe. And so, any sort of impediment to freedom of

navigation through Straits, international Straits, is a security risk.

SCIUTTO: Is it clear to you that the U.S. under the Trump administration is still committed to that principle and committed to doing its part to

help keep the waterways open, or is this part of President Trump's broader pullback from those sorts of commitments, saying, well, it shouldn't be the

U.S. as a primary driver?

KRASKA: I see that there's actually bipartisan support that endures and has been continuing for more than 100 years to champion freedom of

navigation throughout the world's oceans, and especially through Straits used for international navigation. So, this was actually the key. This was

the crown jewel for the negotiations for the Law of the Sea Convention in the 1970s. And I believe that it remains the centerpiece for U.S. freedom

of navigation globally.

[18:30:00]

SCIUTTO: Given your position at the Naval War College as a practical matter, given that Iran does not appear to be in any hurry to give up its

control or at least influence over the Strait, is this going to require some sort of military operation to break? It's not quite a blockade, right?

But it's you know, it's at least they have military influence over the traffic through that Strait.

KRASKA: Well, they've had military influence for decades. And so, now it's an acute crisis. And I am hopeful, actually, that diplomatic solutions can

solve this issue. There are incentives for Iran, as well as for the International Community to resolve this diplomatically. Iran is suffering

greatly with bloodshed and economic damage. And of course, there's economic damage throughout the world.

And so, I'm hopeful, actually, that not just the United States, but other states that have an interest in this due to rising energy prices and the

negative precedent that we've just discussed will also weigh in and help to convince Iran that trying to unilaterally control the Strait is not

something that's in their interest long-term.

SCIUTTO: James Kraska, thanks so much for walking us through it.

KRASKA: My pleasure. Great to join you.

SCIUTTO: Checking some of today's other business headlines. Europeans are facing soaring electrical bills this winter because of the Iran War.

European winter power contracts are now trading at more than a 20 percent premium. That's the highest premium since the 2022 energy crisis. That, of

course, the year of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Short fails of -- shortfalls of natural gas and hydropower reserves are responsible for

this latest spike.

Israeli researchers say the Iranian hackers were behind a computer breach that disrupted part of the Los Angeles transit system. They say digital

evidence points to a previously known hacking organization with ties to Tehran. The breach detected on March 16th. L.A. transit officials said at

the time they were working with law enforcement and cyber specialists to investigate.

Oil giant BP has fired chairman Albert Manifold after just eight months on the job. The company says serious concerns were raised to the board related

to governance standards, oversight and conduct. The decision to remove Manifold was unanimous. BP shares fell more than four percent on the news.

Coming up, cases of Ebola are still on the rise in Central Africa. How health organizations are responding and why they say they're overwhelmed.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:35:00]

SCIUTTO: Welcome back to "The Brief." I'm Jim Sciutto and here are the international headlines we're watching today.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard is threatening to retaliate after military strikes by the U.S. U.S. Central Command says it carried out those strikes

in self-defense. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says a deal with Iran is still being held out by disputes over wording of the proposals. High-

ranking members of the Iranian delegation are now back in Tehran following talks in Qatar.

Police in Belgium say that four people were killed including two children when a school minibus was struck by a train. Five other children were

seriously injured in that collision. Police say the bus appeared to plow through a barrier at a level crossing. The bus driver was killed in the

crash had no previous convictions.

President Donald Trump got a physical today and he says quote everything checked out perfectly. U.S. President traveled to Walter Reed Hospital for

his six-month regular physical. A report expected to be released in the next day or two. All this ahead of the president's 80th birthday.

The head of the World Health Organization is expected to visit the Democratic Republic of Congo as it continues to battle with an outbreak of

Ebola. The WHO says the virus is spreading faster than authorities there can contain it.

There are now more than 900 suspected cases at least 220 confirmed deaths in the country. Experts warn that without urgent action this outbreak could

become the deadliest on record. European lawmakers are now in the U.S. to discuss cooperation during such health emergencies.

And joining me now is Ignazio Marino a member of the European Parliament. Thanks so much for taking the time.

IGNAZIO MARINO, MEMBER OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND VICE CHAIR, GREENS/EFA IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Thank you. Thank you for the

invitation.

SCIUTTO: You have emphasized the importance of preparedness for global health crises such as this one. Do you believe the E.U., do you believe

that Africa, or do you believe the world has been prepared for this?

MARINO: I think we really learned a good lesson with COVID-19. On the other hand, I'm kind of disappointed about the U.S. leaving the WHO. We had

a number of meetings today and we understood that the U.S. are not talking directly with the WHO. So, you know, how could you really manage and -- you

know, something like the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo if you don't have the data.

SCIUTTO: Yes. I remember that during the Hantavirus outbreak which was smaller that U.S. health officials were, in effect, given an exception so

that they could speak to international health authorities. Have -- to your knowledge, have they been given any ability to speak with the E.U. or other

international health organizations?

MARINO: Not really. We understood that, you know, the commander-in-chief decided to leave the organization, the World Health Organization. And yes,

some U.S. member of the government are talking with the WHO but not directly. You know, they're sitting at the same table, some were in Africa

to discuss the Ebola virus. But as you just -- as we just heard, the Ebola virus is really spreading much faster than we could. And this is very bad.

It's a bad virus. It's much worse than COVID-19.

SCIUTTO: Yes. Much more deadly. No question. So, without U.S. leadership how is the E.U., how is the WHO and other organizations able to respond? Do

they have what they need?

MARINO: I don't think so. I think U.S. participation in WHO is vital for future of the health care globally. I don't really believe that just

bilateral agreements between the U.S. and a government in Africa could make the trick. I think that we really need the U.S. back on the global scene

not only for wars but for health.

[18:40:00]

SCIUTTO: So, tell me without the U.S. we can't change that reality today. How will health authorities be able to contain this outbreak?

MARINO: Well, so far, the WHO is making an extraordinary effort. A number of people are going and actually are already in the eastern part of the

Democratic Republic of Congo. But, you know, as I used to say, virus do not have passport. They don't need a passport to go across a border.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

MARINO: And therefore, you know, I think it's very important for American people, you know, that America is actually involved into this.

SCIUTTO: Sure. What is the danger now of this outbreak spreading beyond the borders of this -- of the Congo, the DRC?

MARINO: I don't know. And, you know, to be honest with you when the COVID- 19 started, you know, as a physician I really believed that was impossible to have another pandemic, one of the years after the flu pandemic in the

last century. And then, we learned a good lesson actually this can happen and it can happen again.

SCIUTTO: Yes. You know, the mRNA vaccines had enormous success against COVID. But as, you know, in another retreat the U.S. Department of Health

and Human Services is winding down mRNA vaccine development. And I wonder are you concerned particularly as a physician but also your involvement

with controlling outbreaks like this that the U.S. removing support for such a promising health technology what's the global impact? I suppose it's

hard to measure.

MARINO: Well, we have seen this many, many years ago when there was the beginning of the crisis related to ADS, and the United States actually

removed the significant amount of money for research, and United States -- in conclusion, at the end of the day, United States did not have a Nobel

Laureate because Gallo would have been the Nobel Laureate if United States would have funded his research and America lost thousands of lives.

So, I think is in the best interest of United States of America to invest in global health.

SCIUTTO: Before we go, just because a lot of people who are watching us right now are following the Ebola outbreak and they might be imagining,

whether they're sitting here in the U.S. or in Europe or in Asia, what is the risk to them? I mean, is there a significant risk of this breaking out

of this part of Africa? Is it something they should be concerned about?

MARINO: I think the risk exists. And, you know, when I arrived the other day in the country here, an officer asked me if I was -- you know, had been

in Congo or in other countries. But, you know, if I had been in Congo and say no, you know, I think this is really serious and I think it must be

taken serious by the U.S. government.

SCIUTTO: Ignazio Marino, we wish you good luck in the work you're doing.

MARINO: Thank you very much and thank you for having me tonight.

SCIUTTO: Of course. Happy to. Well, coming up after the break, Portugal parched. Summer arrives early across Western Europe as heat records are

broken by a meltdown in May. We'll take a look. Coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:45:00]

SCIUTTO: Temperature records shattering across Western Europe as it buckles under an early heat wave. Many countries are enduring temperatures

far higher than normal for this time of year. As the continent grapples with a heat dome from northern Africa. The U.K. set all new record highs

for the month of May. Two days in a row. Meteorologist Derek Van Dam has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, this early season heat wave certainly has the fingerprints of climate change written all over it. Take,

for example, these dozens of red dots. These are the locations that set May monthly record temperatures, meaning that all of these individual locations

have never experienced this warmth, this type of warmth during the month of May. It's not even officially summer just yet.

Let's talk specifics though. This is Kew Gardens just outside of London. The past two days shattering its May monthly all-time record high

temperature. That's significant. But when it first did so on Monday, it actually shattered it by roughly two degrees Celsius from the previous

record. That is significant. But so is the overnight lows, not giving your body the opportunity to really cool itself down from the extreme daytime

heat for this time of the year. That's saying something because only about 5 percent of households in the U.K. have access to air conditioning.

Let's boil it down to this brass tacks. The U.K. is built for a climate that no longer exists. And there are several other examples that showcase

this heat. Take Paris, for example, we're running 10 to 15 degrees above average right through the early parts of the weekend.

So, what is causing this extreme early season heat wave? Well, it's a dome of high pressure clearing out the skies overhead, but also trapping the

heat at the surface as it tries to escape back into the atmosphere is just not able to, and it's not going to move very fast very quickly. In fact,

we're going to continue that heat dome over the western and central parts of Europe into the weekend. That's why we see lots of reds and oranges on

this map.

And as we go forward into the future, we continue to release these greenhouse gases by burning fossil fuels, the heat trapping gases. We're

going to see more frequent heat waves and more extreme temperatures within these heat waves as well. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: And without air conditioning. Just ahead, Italy's beloved Ferrari announces its first fully electric vehicle. What's included and why some

people aren't quite impressed.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:50:00]

SCIUTTO: The New York Knicks in four. That's what their fans chanted and what the team delivered. The Knicks completing a four-game sweep of the of

the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night. New York is now heading to its first NBA final since way back in 1999. I remember that. They're going to

face either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs. Those two teams currently tied at two games apiece in the West.

Knicks fans, including lots of celebrities such as Timothee Chalamet and Spike Lee, made the trip to Ohio to watch their team claim the East. At

least some New York teams are doing well.

Well, Ferrari is racing into the EV market with its first ever fully electric sports car. The four-door Luce, Italian for light, of course, has

four electric motors, a top speed surpassing 310 kilometers per hour, just about 193 miles per hour.

The luxury vehicle comes with a hefty price tag, $640,000. But many investors upset by its design. That sent Ferrari stock into the red. Even

an Italian minister said it looked nothing like a Ferrari, asking what the man behind the prancing horse brand Enzo Ferrari would have said.

Joining me now, automotive journalist Karl Brauer. Karl, good to have you.

KARL BRAUER, EXECUTIVE ANALYST, ISEECARS.COM AND AUTOMOTIVE JOURNALIST: Great to be on with you.

SCIUTTO: So, first of all, let me ask you that question, because a lot of Italians not quite loving this. Is this, in your view, a true Ferrari in

its long and illustrious tradition?

BRAUER: No, it isn't. And to me, it's a true representation of where a lot of the car companies have allowed themselves to go, whether through

government regulation and kind of bowing down to it too easily or just feeling like they're supposed to do this, even though they don't really

want to. This feels like bad medicine that the car companies are taking and trying to make the rest of us take.

SCIUTTO: Now, to be fair, Ferrari is hoping to move further into the Chinese market, which is way ahead of Europe and certainly North America in

terms of EVs. More than half the cars sold there are electric. From a business standpoint, given big demand for luxury vehicles in China, could

this be a good play there?

BRAUER: I just don't think so, because China also wants to embrace the classic brands of the West and what they stand for. And Ferrari stands for

appealing, attractive, sleek, sexy, fun. And this car doesn't deliver any of those features or trademarks of Ferrari at all.

I think if you'd have shown this car to anyone without a badge on it, nobody would have guessed it was a Ferrari. So, I don't know who wants to

buy a Ferrari that no one thinks looks or feels anything like a Ferrari.

SCIUTTO: So, let me ask you this, though, because Ferrari is not the first legendary European car maker. I mean, Porsche makes SUVs, right? And four-

door sedans, partly to go after big luxury markets. So, you have seen other makers go down this path. Not Ferrari. I mean, Ferrari is special. Has

anybody had success when they've tried to expand their market a bit into new avenues?

BRAUER: It's OK to break from your normal kind of two-door sports car trademark vehicles. And a lot of car companies have done that very

successful. Porsche makes a lot of money off of their SUVs. Aston Martin, they made the DBX and it immediately became their best-selling vehicle.

It's not that you don't make a vehicle that's just another sports car, it's that you make one that doesn't have any tie to the heritage that your brand

stands for, one that people would not necessarily want to be seen riding around in. That's the problem.

SCIUTTO: How about gas prices? You know, there has been some uptick here in the U.S. of interest in EVs. And I'm not talking about Ferrari EVs. I'm

talking about, you know, down here where you and I might be able to afford them more. Is that -- in your view, in terms of the electric vehicle market

in North America and perhaps in Europe, is that a big push for them going forward, given recent disappointments, or is that more of a short-term

thing?

[18:55:00]

BRAUER: No, I think this was really just them wanting to be able to say that they're joining the global movement toward EVs. Certainly, nobody who

buys a Ferrari cares about gas prices, let's be honest.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

BRAUER: So, they don't have to worry about that. And I feel like the parent company, Stellantis, they still can spread out their CO2 across a

larger organization. So, they don't really have to do it even for regulatory purposes. This is very much about a positioning and a branding

and an image thing. And just like Dodge and Porsche, when they tried to go heavily into EVs, they're now running away from that because not

surprisingly, their customer base had no interest in that.

So, if you're a brand, you hopefully are paired with another brand that can fulfill any regulatory EV needs. Because if your brand is all about passion

and interest and fun, an EV isn't going to cut it for you. It's not going to cut it for Porsche. It's not going to cut it for Dodge. And it's not

going to cut it for Ferrari.

SCIUTTO: Karl Brauer, thanks so much for joining.

BRAUER: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: And thanks so much to all of you for joining as well. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. You've been watching "The Brief." Please do stay

with CNN.

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[19:00:00]

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