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The Brief with Jim Sciutto

CNN International: U.S. Launches More Strikes on Iran; IRGC Commanders Dismiss Trump's Threats as Empty; U.S.-Iran Negotiations Stumble Over Israel's War in Lebanon; Israel's Benny Gantz on Iran; New Protests in Northern Ireland; Taiwan's Defense Strategy; Ukraine Strikes Russian- Occupied Port in Latest Logistics Attack. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired June 10, 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, the U.S. launches more strikes on Iran, hours after President Trump threatened to hit it hard. We're going to be live in Tehran

with the latest. Former Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz tells me that Iran is both a global and regional challenge, on top of being a threat to

the State of Israel. And Taiwan's representative to the U.S. joins me on the show live to discuss the island's defense strategy against Beijing.

That story and plenty more coming up.

We do begin with the breaking news. The U.S. Central Command says it is now carrying out a second night of strikes against multiple targets inside

Iran. CENTCOM describes this as a response to Iran's, quote, "unwarranted and continued aggression."

Earlier today, President Trump told Fox News that Iran, quote, "Had a chance to sign a deal and survive," end quote. But since it opted not to,

he said at the time he might resume attacks on Iranian power plants and bridges. The U.S. reportedly hit two water facilities in Iran on Tuesday,

those facilities serving some 20,000 people.

On X, Iran's president called such critical infrastructure the lifeblood of the people and said that threatening targets like these is a sign of

helplessness by the U.S. in the face of Iranian resolve. President Trump points to Iran's recent downing of a U.S. combat helicopter over the Strait

of Hormuz as the justification for these expanded attacks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We're going to be attacking them, attacking them very hard.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Resuming bombing?

TRUMP: Yes, well, based on the helicopter, I guess we have the right to do that. You know, they shot down a very, very incredible -- actually an

incredible machine. So, we'll see what happens. But we hit them hard yesterday and we're going to hit them again hard today in case you miss it,

in case you don't turn on your television set.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Joining us now from inside Iran, Fred Pleitgen. We must note that CNN operates there only with the permission of the government but maintains

full editorial control of its reporting. Also joining us, Kristen Holmes, live at the White House.

Fred, CENTCOM says strikes are underway. What are Iranian authorities saying? Where are they seeing strikes right now?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Jim. This is obviously still very early going since the United States announced

that it was conducting these strikes against Iran or against targets in Iran. There's certain reports that we're getting. There's not very much in

the way of official reports. There's some semi-official reports and certainly some from news agencies that are also affiliated with some of the

security services here in this country.

But those reports first indicate that some of these strikes seem to be going on in the area around the Strait of Hormuz, south of the Strait of

Hormuz, some of them. There's a jurisdiction called Sirik, which has a port that certainly has a military facility. There's some other areas around it,

like for instance the jurisdiction of Minab, where strikes may be going on. Certainly, explosions are being heard there.

Again, it's still the early hours of all this or the early times of all of this. Some of those reports are still getting sorted out. But those reports

certainly indicated that there are some strikes or there could be some strikes going on in the area of the Strait of Hormuz.

Another area where explosions or anti-aircraft fire had been heard seems to be around the area of Asaluyeh, Jim, and that one is actually a key area

because that's one of the main energy hubs here of Iran. That's where Iran has all the energy facilities for its largest gas field, which is actually

one of the largest gas fields in the world that Iran shares with Qatar, the Pars 2 gas field, and certainly that area of Asaluyeh is a huge energy

infrastructure area.

[18:05:00]

I've actually been there a couple of years ago, and one of the things that we heard there from Iran's president is that he believes that any attack on

energy infrastructure would be an attack on the people.

What we heard here today, we've been around and we've actually managed to speak to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps about some of those threats

that came from the Trump administration over the past couple of hours. I managed to speak to a senior official, and he didn't seem particularly

impressed with the threats coming from the Trump administration. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIG. GEN. HOSSEIN MAROUFI, ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS (through translator): Trump is delusional. He must understand the power of this

great nation, and he must recognize the strength of our armed forces. He should have become aware of the great movement of our armed forces in these

recent operations and fully comprehend the readiness of our armed forces with the support of the Iranian people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: Senior Revolutionary Guard officials speaking to me there earlier today, and one of the things, Jim, that we have to point out is

that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Iranian military, have said that there is, that if all of this goes back to a full-on war between the

United States and Iran, that Iran has vowed to expand that war beyond the Persian Gulf region to places like, for instance, the Red Sea and some of

the areas around there, the Mediterranean Sea, and also some other areas as well. So, the Iranians are certainly vowing that there could be a big

response.

SCIUTTO: Yes, each side showing us an ability to escalate here. Kristen Holmes at the White House. The way the president, the way the defense

secretary, Pete Hegseth, have been describing this round of strikes is different from previous ones. I mean, they at least speak to something more

expansive. What are you hearing from White House officials? Are they resuming a full-scale war against Iran?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: There's a lot of hesitation around saying that they are resuming any kind of full-scale war.

And if you look back at that CENTCOM statement, the way that they are parsing words is the same way they parsed words last night. The idea that

they are referring to this as additional self-defense strikes, saying that this was targeted because President Trump told them to do another round of

these because of Iran's aggression. They are very much trying to say that this is still a response, not the United States being the aggressor, not

that Iran is going to see it that way. But that is certainly how they are trying to frame this.

Now, you are right. Separately, we are hearing from the secretary of war talking about hitting them very hard. The president saying the same thing,

that they were going after Iran and various targets, and obviously taking it even further, saying that they might be willing to hit civilian targets,

a threat that President Trump has made on a number of occasions, although during the ceasefire he hasn't actually followed through on any of those.

So, the big question, of course, is what we actually see out of the strikes tonight and whether or not this means that negotiations are off the table

and we've moved into a second phase of this war in Iran. And right now, it's just not clear that that's where we are.

One of the things that President Trump has really tried to do over the past several months since we've been engaged in this war is threaten Iran, lead

them up to the brink, and then walk back. And that is possibly what we're going to see tonight, is this just a show of force showing you can't bring

down a U.S. helicopter and you can't not come to the negotiating table, or are we kind of leaving the possible peace deal on the table and walking

away?

SCIUTTO: Well, it's certainly important to look for what we see as opposed to what we hear, given the track record. Kristen Holmes at the White House,

thanks so much. And, of course, our thanks to Fred Pleitgen in Tehran.

Joining me now is CNN military analyst Colonel Cedric Leighton. And, Colonel Leighton, the U.S. certainly has demonstrated its ability to strike

inside Iran, deep inside Iran, a number of targets. But Iran has also shown its continued capability to strike out against Israel, against Gulf

nations, against U.S. bases in the region. And now, it's threatening to widen even beyond that as far as the Red Sea. You certainly have the

ingredients here for an escalation, do you not?

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yes, you do, Jim. And one of the things to keep in mind here is that the Iranians are capable of

those escalations, whether they use rockets or drones to do it, or whether they go even more asymmetrical and use something like cyber to attack

certain targets.

So, they've been known to do all of these different things. And when it comes to the kinds of attacks that the U.S. is conducting right now, the

Iranian response will probably be, at least they will make an attempt, to go after certain infrastructure targets.

[18:10:00]

Probably, my guess would be in the Arabian side of the Persian Gulf or possibly targeting Israel, and of course, the military bases that they

tried to attack most recently yesterday, but potentially they could do that again today.

And the question then of course is, will they have the capability to overwhelm the air and missile defenses of those bases, those bases are

probably primed and ready for this situation right now, but all it takes is one missile or one drone and that can cause quite a bit of damage.

SCIUTTO: And they've shown the ability to get through those air defenses with one missile, one drone, sometimes more. Colonel Cedric Leighton, we

appreciate having you.

LEIGHTON: You bet.

SCIUTTO: Well, throughout the negotiations, often stalled, Israel's actions in Lebanon, it strikes there have been a major stumbling block for

U.S.-Iran negotiations. The Israeli prime minister is again telling the Lebanese that his country's issue is not with Lebanon, but with Iran's ally

in Lebanon, Hezbollah.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Do you remember what Lebanon was like before Iran and Hezbollah turned it into a nightmare? Remember the

cafes? Remember the culture? Remember the calm? All that's gone because Hezbollah and Iran want to drag us into war over and over and over again.

You deserve better. Your children deserve better.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Earlier, I spoke with Israeli politician Benny Gantz, former minister of defense. I began by asking him if he believed that the U.S.-

Iran War was on the brink of a dangerous escalation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BENNY GANTZ, FORMER ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER: I hope it's not, but it might hope -- it might indeed happen. I'm sure that we all understand that

the various interests, both of the world, the region and ourselves, of course, I've said before, and I'm repeating it as much as I can, that Iran

is really a global challenge. It's a regional challenge, and it's also a threat to the State of Israel.

We see what they've done before to the Gulf countries. We saw what they did for them in the last couple of days, what they tried to do for us when we

are engaging in war in Lebanon, and we must disconnect those arenas. I know that the Americans have been speaking with the Iranians for some time, and

if it's not going in the direction of an agreement that somebody can gain from, which is the world and the Iranian people themselves, but not the

regime, then maybe we'll have to escalate.

SCIUTTO: Where does that leave the prospect for negotiations then? Because it seems to be President Trump's calculation, and perhaps Israel's as well,

that if you strike Iran harder, it will be more likely to go to the table, but that hasn't borne out.

GANTZ: I mean, eventually, you know, every war ends up with an agreement. We need to act and make sure that the agreement, when it comes, it's a good

agreement that can be checked and be conducted actually on the ground. Otherwise, it just won't.

SCIUTTO: From the beginning, U.S. and Israeli officials have described the goals of the war as being a number of things, as you know, restricting,

degrading, eliminating Iran's nuclear program, as well as eliminating its missile capability, ability to threaten its neighbors, including Israel,

its air force, its navy. And yet, that highly enriched uranium remains in the country, and Iran is proving its ability to attack not just Israel, but

its Gulf neighbors and U.S. bases in the region. What has the war achieved so far, in your view?

GANTZ: I think it achieved a lot. First and foremost, probably crossing the threshold of acting against Iran, militarily speaking, both by the

United States and the State of Israel, with the support of their surrounding countries. In the last two decades, that was only a theory.

In the last two months, it was practiced and found to be effective. I think that the nuclear capacity was badly damaged, and I think we should make

sure that the uranium in Iran either stay buried or being taken out. And of course, lots have been damaged inside Iran. We have quite, I would say,

operational flexibility to basically do almost everything we want in Iran, so it's our choice of how to act and how long to keep it.

SCIUTTO: President Trump has reportedly interviewed twice to stop Israel from further military action against Lebanon, and he issued what seemed to

be quite to the Israeli prime minister, Netanyahu, to be careful or risk finding himself and Israel alone in this war very quickly.

[18:15:00]

In your view, what is the state of the relationship between the Israeli leadership and the U.S. president right now? Is it damaged? Is it broken?

GANTZ: No, I don't think it's broken. I think that the relations between our two countries are much stronger than any arguments between two leaders,

which I'm respecting them both. But we must understand that if we seek to have normalization with Lebanon, and if we seek to have, as Israelis, and

if we seek to have security from the side of Lebanon, we must disconnect those two arenas.

It's the Iranians who are the cause for us operating against Hezbollah and unfortunately against the Lebanese themselves, why we want to have

normalizations with them. And if we ever want to have positive processes, normalizations, hopefully peace accords, et cetera., et cetera., we must

make sure that there are no strategic political interceptors. And I think that Iran and its proxies around the region are strategic interceptors for

any positive future development.

And they should be isolated, dismantled, and we need to see in Lebanon state of responsibility as far as the relations between us and them, and I

believe we can achieve it. It's only if we will degrade Hezbollah from its capacity, its influence on the Lebanese government, and it's whatever it

threatened us from the state -- from the area of Lebanon. And I'm sure that in the closed rules, all Americans understand that.

SCIUTTO: As you know, of course, Israel has an election coming up. Do you believe that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has mismanaged his

relationship and therefore Israel's relationship with President Trump?

GANTZ: You know, Prime Minister Netanyahu said in previous elections campaign that he's a different league as far as its relations with

President Trump. And I think it's time to prove it.

However, seriously speaking, from my perspective at least, I see the relations between our two countries as bipartisan, bi-political religion,

if you wish. I very much appreciate President Trump, but we work together with the United States, whoever runs it, and you should work together with

Israel, whoever holds the prime minister position. I think that our values are similar.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: My conversation there with former Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz. Still coming up on "The Brief," police in Belfast clashing once

again with protesters in a wave of anti-immigrant violence. We're going to have the latest on the unrest in Northern Ireland, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:20:00]

SCIUTTO: Northern Ireland now experiencing the start of a second night of protests and violence directed at migrants. Police in Belfast have already

begun firing water cannons to disperse a crowd of protesters. The demonstrations began after a Sudanese man was charged with attempted murder

for a stabbing attack. Authorities urged calm after angry crowds gathered throughout the city on Tuesday, setting vehicles, homes, and barricades on

fire.

Authorities say that far white right activists, as well as some online influencers, are stoking the flames of racist outrage. They point to a post

on X by Elon Musk, which said, quote, "Only by protesting repeatedly and loudly will there be any change." That post included a list of places to

protest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NAOMI LONG, NORTHERN IRELAND JUSTICE MINISTER: I don't believe that many of those, Elon Musk included, who have been posting about this and

agitating around this have the slightest interest in the community in Northern Ireland. In fact, I doubt some of them could have found Belfast on

a map before this happened. They're simply weaponizing other people's pain and distress in order to be able to support their own political narrative

around immigration.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: And we should note the family of the victim of that attack is urging calm as well. Our Nic Robertson is live. Nic, I wonder do

authorities believe they're going to be able to get a handle on these protests tonight, because I know that many immigrants, they're fearing for

their lives and their safety?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes. The police are bringing in extra resources, and one of the things they've deployed this

evening that they didn't deploy yesterday was water cannon, and that's something that they use often in Northern Ireland to control crowds. But

they only have so many of them. They can only use them in so many different places. They are bringing in extra police officers, and they're sure that

they'll be able to bring this under control.

But I think the question in the communities in and around Belfast and other parts of Northern Ireland where this is flaring still tonight, the police

have got advisories for a number of different districts in Belfast and other areas for people not to go out, to stay home. Businesses closed early

today. Many restaurants in the center of Belfast, other places closed early simply because the transport network closed early.

And I think the police believe that they can get on top of it, but it is at the cost of damage, homes, vehicles being set on fire again tonight. And as

you say the family of the victim appealed for calm, but it's not being heeded. And at the worst last -- worst of it last night, people literally

being burnt out of their homes.

SCIUTTO: Yes. It's just alarming. Oh, I didn't realize he was --

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON (voice-over): At its dangerous peak Tuesday night, police rescuing Belfast residents as their homes torched in a night of anti-

immigrant rioting gripping Northern Ireland.

A neighborhood bus set on fire amid scenes of some of the worst violence across the U.K.'s troubled province in years.

At times, angry mobs of masked men roamed streets unchecked, smashing houses, apparently searching for migrants. The violence smoldering through

the night as riot police clashed with rock-throwing youths in multiple towns. At least two policemen injured, several people arrested.

Northern Ireland's police chief ramping up his forces in readiness for worse.

CHIEF CONSTABLE JON BOUTCHER, NORTHERN IRELAND POLICE: We will be on the streets tonight in numbers even more than we were last night, and we have

got arrangements in hand to get mutual aid that will be arriving here tomorrow, and we're looking to get a further some two hundred officers to

get on the streets to deal with this.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): The rioting triggered by a knife attack Monday night, where the victim, Stephen Ogilvie, was saved by neighbors, but lost

an eye according to authorities, and remains in hospital in critical condition with head and neck injuries. The suspect, named in a Belfast

court Wednesday as Hadi Alodid, a 30-year-old Sudanese refugee who authorities say was legally in the U.K. and was charged with attempted

murder.

[18:25:00]

Other immigrants in Belfast now concerned for their safety.

ANSELME SHIMA, BELFAST RESIDENT ORIGINALLY FROM DRC: I'm afraid maybe I might be the next to be attacked on the street. So, I don't know what to

tell my family, my children, who is nine years old, who is asking me every question that crosses his mind, and I don't know how to answer him. I don't

know. Maybe I'm the next.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): The British prime minister calling for calm at a time when the U.K. is being tested by divisions over immigration.

KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: But let me be clear, Mr. Speaker. The acts of violence and arson that followed are totally unjustified. We

are united in calling for calm and determined to restore order.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Last year, anti-immigrant riots lasted five days. In Northern Ireland, tensions are easily combustible. The legacy of

grievances from 30 years of sectarian bloodletting a generation ago has left easy kindling and a know-how for fiery rioting. Adding to concerns

violence could escalate further, some anti-immigrant mainland U.K. campaigners have already come to Belfast, others posting on social media.

BOUTCHER: It's very easy, these days especially, to look online and be persuaded by people who know nothing about Northern Ireland. Stop listening

to these idiots. We will be going after them for the incitement that they've been doing.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): But by late afternoon Wednesday, fears of more violence realized police using water cannon to keep protesters at bay. A

second night of rioting erupting. Young men pitted against police again.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON (on camera): Now, in one of those neighborhoods where the worst of the violence was going on, a clergyman said that the best thing that

could happen would be for more rain. There will be more police and it will probably rain for the next couple of days, but the rioters in Northern

Ireland have an ability to keep going and there's better weather coming over the weekend. So, it does look like the police are going to have their

hands full, Jim.

SCIUTTO: Yes, of course. The rioters are attacking police as well. Nic Robertson, thanks so much.

Coming up on "The Brief," Taiwan's representative to the U.S. joins me live to discuss growing uncertainty over the future of U.S. policy toward the

island.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:30:00]

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

U.S. Central Command said it has begun launching a second night of strikes against targets inside Iran. Iranian state media says witnesses are hearing

explosions in areas around the Strait of Hormuz. These new attacks come after a day of warnings from both President Trump and the Defense

Secretary, Pete Hegseth. They've accused Iran of dragging out negotiations.

Police in Northern Ireland are firing water cannons to disperse protesters as a second night of unrest is underway in Belfast. Some protesters seen

hurling bricks at police. Anti-immigrant riots broke out on Tuesday following a stabbing attack. A Sudanese man has been charged with attempted

murder for the assault.

In testimony before Congress just a short while ago, the Microsoft co- founder, Bill Gates, admitted that he believed having contact with Jeffrey Epstein was initially acceptable in an effort to get funding for global

health causes he supports. He said that Epstein, however, threatened him with knowledge of his extramarital affairs when Gates decided to break off

that relationship.

Well, Taiwan test-fired a U.S.-supplied rocket system, the HIMARS system, on its west coast facing Mainland China.

The high mobility artillery rocket system, HIMARS, could strike coastal targets conceivably inside Mainland China in the event of a conflict. It

has also notably been one of Ukraine's main strike weapons in its war against Russia. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has not ruled out the use of

force to gain control of Taiwan.

Joining me now is Alexander Yui, Taiwan's official representative to the U.S. He's also a former Taiwan ambassador to Paraguay. Thanks so much for

taking the time.

ALEXANDER YUI, TAIWAN REPRESENTATIVE TO THE U.S.: Thank you, Jim, for having me on your show.

SCIUTTO: So, first to begin of course, the Taiwanese military carries out exercises all the time to prepare for the island's defense. But firing this

U.S. supplied system in the direction of China now, towards the Taiwan Strait, why now and is there a particular message with that exercise?

YUI: As I mentioned, we, you know, we just acquired these HIMAR systems and we're buying a total of 111 HIMAR systems, and it's fairly new for our

military. So, our 10th Army Corps is practicing. We're an island. We can only shoot east or west. So, they just chose west.

SCIUTTO: As you know, President Trump, following his summit in Beijing said he was going to decide at some point on this pending $14 billion U.S.

arms package to Taiwan. We're -- well, we're close to a month out since that summit. Has Taiwan received any update on if he has made a decision or

when he might make that decision?

YUI: Well, first of all, I want to stress that we are, you know, committed to strengthen our military forces for be able to adequately defend our

country, so acquiring or procuring more defensive military armaments is what we're trying to do.

And President Trump sold -- announced $11 billion worth of arms last year - - late last year, and there's this pending 14 billion. We actually, through our Congress, proposed an additional budget, actually partly to fund these

sales. So, we got the funding for the 11 billion and the 14 billion, so it's pending. And again, it's up to President Trump to decide when. Marco

Rubio, secretary of state, mentioned during his hearings last week that it was under review and was now paused or -- you know, and then the United

States did not consult or negotiate with the PRC, that they're basically still confirming to the six assurances and the Taiwan Relations Act.

[18:35:00]

So, again it's up to President Trump to decide once the review is done. We expect that this the sale with the announcements will be made because we

need those arms to defend ourselves better, facing the mounting aggression from People's Republic of China.

SCIUTTO: You have said that there's been no change in U.S. policy regarding Taiwan. But discussing such military aid with the Chinese

president, as Trump did during their summit, that is a change, right, based on past practices there. Are you concerned at all by, one, that discussion,

but two, the review of this arms sale and that review is still going on? Does it cause any concern in Taipei?

YUI: Well, I mean, there was a lot of concern prior, during, and after President Trump visit to Beijing about the arms sales. Obviously well, the

-- this arm, these 14 billion arm sales was not supposed to be made public until the United States made congressional notification to Congress and

then would be made public.

So, that hasn't happened yet. So, supposedly nobody's supposed to -- or publicly supposed nobody was supposed to know, but somehow it was leaked to

the press, and people talk -- started talking about it, so there was this concern about it.

But again, as Secretary Rubio also mentioned in the -- in his testimony that the $11 billion was just announced late last year. So, it's been, you

know, half a year. And there's another 14 billion, which is -- would be the largest ever sale of U.S. arms to Taiwan in a single batch.

But we'll just respect United States', you know, tempo and when they're going to announce it. But again, it's needed for Taiwan, and it's also I

think -- it's good -- it's in line with United States' strategy of, you know, more countries paying their own burden of defensive, you know,

measures. So, we're spending more, we're acquiring more, and we're equipping our military with better and more modern weapons, and that's --

that aligns with U.S. interests and our interests.

SCIUTTO: I spent a lot of time speaking to officials from U.S. allies around the world, in Europe and in Asia, and sometimes privately, but also

sometimes publicly.

YUI: OK.

SCIUTTO: They will say they don't trust the U.S. commitment to their defense as much as they did prior to this administration. And I wonder, in

your mind, in Taipei, is there any less, lesser confidence in the U.S. commitment to Taiwan's security?

YUI: Well, look, you mentioned about the rhetoric. There's been a different type of mentioning, you know, about the Indo-Pacific, about

United States' presence. But it has to -- well, if you listen to Secretary Hegseth, when he was in Singapore, the Shangri-La talks, again, first of

all, a lot of people were concerned about non-mentioning Taiwan.

First time in 10 years --

SCIUTTO: Notably, yes.

YUI: -- the United States had not mentioned Taiwan in the Shangri-La talks. But again, I said it in somewhere that as -- actually I feel

encouraged, because he mentioned the first island chain that needed to be, you know, better, stronger to defend against this common challenge. And

we're part of the first island chain. So, you -- I see it as that Taiwan's being considered as part of this alliance or partnership that needs to be

strengthened.

And so, -- and also, he mentioned during the Singapore talks that United States will -- you know, will speak softly, but still carry the big stick.

So, in my opinion, United States' position, attitude, position on, you know, readiness in the Indo-Pacific has not changed.

And with that, again, actions speak louder than words. And what we hear and see -- what we see from the actions, we think that nothing has changed.

SCIUTTO: I've spent a lot of time covering Taiwan, but also the Ukraine war. And from the beginning of the Ukraine invasion, which is more than

four and a half years ago now, there is no one I've spoken to in Europe or in Asia who does not make a connection between those two.

YUI: Of course. Yes.

SCIUTTO: The president, et cetera.

YUI: Yes.

SCIUTTO: As you know, despite large bipartisan majorities in this country that support Ukraine, and initial U.S. support, that support faded over

time. The Trump administration has greatly reduced that. I mean, even over the objections, not just of many Democrats, but many Republicans. Do you

fear the same fate for Taiwan? That for all the talk and all the previous commitments, that the U.S. under President Trump is just changing the way

it reacts, not just to a Ukraine, but also to a threat to Taiwan?

YUI: Well, obviously for Ukraine the invasion of Russia of Ukraine although Taiwan, Ukraine, we don't have diplomatic relations, but when they

were invaded, we saw that as another democracy under threat.

SCIUTTO: Sure.

YUI: And we said, "Well, we'll do whatever it takes to do, provide humanitarian relief to Ukrainians, and we've been doing so, and also join

the sanctions against Russia for so they can have less ability to conduct war on this democracy.

[18:40:00]

As you mentioned, there's been many comparisons between Ukraine and Taiwan. It is sort of a mirror of what could happen to Taiwan in a similar

scenario, of this larger country invading a smaller country. And we've been trying to learn as much as possible from the Ukrainian experience. But so

are the Chinese trying to learn what not to do as a big country.

SCIUTTO: Yes. (INAUDIBLE). Yes.

YUI: But again, I think the effort to continue to bring peace to Ukraine, to cease the war in Ukraine, I think this is an ongoing process. The United

States is, I think, much involved. And Europe is obviously trying to do its best. But at the same time, many countries, European countries, NATO has

also highlighted that whatever happens in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in Taiwan, has a lot to do with Europe. So, again, these are obviously

interconnected.

And one thing I can -- if there's a difference, is that the United States is not a European nation, but the United States is a Pacific nation. And

that makes the whole difference.

SCIUTTO: OK. Alexander Yui, we appreciate you joining the program. Hope you can come back.

YUI: Thank you, Jim. It's a pleasure to be here.

SCIUTTO: Coming up on "The Brief," Finland's assessment of Russia's current condition as Moscow's war on Ukraine continues. Can it sustain it?

My conversation with the Finnish foreign minister, that's next.

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SCIUTTO: Kyiv says the Ukrainian forces have now struck the Russian occupied port, Ukrainian port of Mariupol. Ukraine's government posted this

video of that attack. Well, that's the view of the drone before it strikes. It says the targets were key energy and maintenance infrastructure and that

those attacks triggered a blackout at the port. This is the latest in a series of Ukrainian drone attacks on a whole host of Russian infrastructure

and logistics. These strikes part of the reason that Moscow's momentum on the battlefield has slowed, even reversed in places in recent months.

I spoke with Finland's foreign minister about the state of the war. Elina Valtonen tells me the dynamics on the battlefield are shifting.

[18:45:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELINA VALTONEN, FINNISH FOREIGN MINISTER: Certainly, Ukraine is now showing that Russia is not, you know, an unstoppable force of nature, like

some people have perhaps thought. But on the very contrary, Ukraine has been bravely fighting for its own independence and freedom, unfortunately,

for way too long. And now, they are showing that they can actually have some military gains, not only on the battlefield, but also challenge Russia

throughout their vast territory. And this is an entirely new picture.

SCIUTTO: As you know, Russia has been carrying out what's been described as a hybrid war on Europe, including on NATO allies, drone incursions, et

cetera. Is Finland concerned that as Russia loses territory in Ukraine, that the Kremlin might seek escalation, whether that be in Ukraine or

perhaps in Europe, that it might try to escalate this war?

VALTONEN: Well, we are pretty sure that the Kremlin sees that this aggression and the war is not going anywhere. Russia's economy is

essentially in shambles. They are losing 30,000 young men each and every month. And certainly, they are not making any, neither tactical nor

strategic gains on the ground.

So, now would be the time that Russia withdraws, goes back to adhering to international law. And then we are more than happy to start talking about

renewed partnerships and establishing again connections we have lost. But before that happens, well, there's not much we can do. It's up to Russia.

But certainly, what comes to escalation, there's, well, nothing that Russia can achieve with that. On the very contrary, NATO has been ramping up

significantly over the course of the past months and years, especially in Europe. And Russia knows that.

SCIUTTO: What is your reaction to, one, the U.S. effective withdrawal from the peace process, but also a reduction in U.S. support for Ukraine, in

particular air defense missiles, which Ukraine is in great need of as Russia escalates its missile attacks, drone attacks on Ukrainian cities? Is

the U.S. leaving Ukraine vulnerable?

VALTONEN: I don't think the U.S. is going anywhere. But to be quite honest, I think the role of the United States in this entire conflict

should be to take the side of the victim and to take the side of freedom and world peace. And that certainly would require increased support for

Ukraine rather than, you know, being a neutral mediator in the middle, because as we have seen over the course of the past 18 months, those talks

have essentially not led anywhere.

But the U.S. involvement is extremely important, and it's so fantastic that the U.S. obviously is on the side of Ukraine and has been supporting

through at least selling very critical air defense systems and other weaponry to Ukraine and also providing intelligence. And we so hope this

continues and intensifies.

And also, what would be important to implement now is a full maritime services ban towards Russia, because we do see that the sanctions we have

imposed together as Europe and the United States, those truly are hitting Russia hard.

SCIUTTO: But as you know, the U.S. has given Russia exemptions to those sanctions due to the rising cost of oil from the Iran War. Are you saying

that the U.S. is not taking the side of the victim in this war, that it is taking the side of the aggressor or just playing a both sides game?

VALTONEN: Well, the U.S. has been on the side of Ukraine, and that is so important that it remains so. And I just hope that our American friends do

see the reality of the war as it stands, and that is that Russia does not shy away from targeting even civilians directly. They have been bombing

cities, critical infrastructure, but also residential buildings. And this happens more or less every night.

Ukraine, on the very contrary, they have the right, of course, to defend themselves, also with the help of their friends and partners. And this is

what they are doing, totally basing themselves on international law.

[18:50:00]

So, for this war to end, we should all, not just Europe, but also the rest of the free world, and certainly under the leadership of the United States,

put our full weight behind Ukraine, because that will convince Putin that he needs to end his war.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: My conversation there with the Finnish foreign minister. Well, in today's Business Breakout, U.S. stocks tumbled Wednesday as investors

turned their eyes to the worsening, expanding crisis in Iran. Wall Street also pressured by the latest high U.S. inflation numbers. Consumer prices

rose 4.2 percent over the 12 months ending in May. That, a three-year high. The higher cost of energy accounted for most of that monthly increase.

Gasoline prices rose 7 percent from April to May. Rising rents also helped push prices higher. U.S. inflation has now outpaced wage growth, and that's

crucial for the second straight month.

When he was asked about the higher cost of living, here's how President Trump answered.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you concerned, Mr. President, about the latest inflation number which came out this morning? Could that be a --

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: No, I love it. The numbers look great. You know what I really love? I love the inflation. When the war is over, it's

coming down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: I love the inflation, he said. Well, Trump also shared that the U.S. military conducted a secret mission to escort oil tankers through the

Strait of Hormuz. He says that that U.S. military operation helped bring 100 million barrels of oil to the market. U.S. Central Command says the

mission proved that Iran does not fully control the Strait.

Checking some of today's other business headlines, U.S. cloud computing giant Oracle is the latest U.S. tech firm to announce massive new spending

to build out A.I. operations. The company says it expects to raise an additional $20 billion through a combination of debt and equity financing.

Oracle also reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings and revenues. Its shares are falling in after-hours trading.

A new poll shows that more than half of Americans fear that artificial intelligence could put someone in their family out of work. In the

Reuters/Ipsos poll, only 37 percent of those surveyed said they are not worried about A.I.'s effect on jobs. Seventy-three percent said they are.

Well, the U.S. is closer now to approving a major multimillion-dollar arms sale to South Korea. The State Department says it has signed off on a deal

valued at more than $290 million. The package includes advanced medium- range air-to-air missiles. The RTX Corporation will serve as the principal contractor.

Please do stay with us. There's more news just after the break.

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SCIUTTO: Oh, just about 90 minutes or so, the NBA Finals return to Madison Square Garden. That venue has canceled a watch party outside the arena

after New York City police set up heightened security. Barricades and checkpoints had been installed to contain New York City -- New York Knicks

fans. Hungry, of course, for a first title since way back in 1973. The Knicks lead San Antonio two games to one in the best of seven series.

[18:55:00]

Well, there's some more sport coming in 24 hours. The FIFA World Cup finally gets underway. The opening match scheduled for Thursday in Mexico

City with the home team playing South Africa. Just a few hours later, South Korea will take on the Czech team in Guadalajara. Argentina will not play

until Tuesday.

Star player Lionel Messi appears ready for his sixth amazing six World Cup. The captain of the reigning world champion scored a penalty in Argentina's

victory over Iceland during a warm up game this week, despite a recent muscle injury. A lot of sports to watch tonight and over the next month.

I'll be watching. I hope you are too.

Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Jim Sciutto on Washington. You've been watching "The Brief." Please do stay with CNN.

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[19:00:00]

END