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What We Know with Max Foster
Trump Announces He Will Cease U.S. Sanctions On Syria; White House: U.S. Secures $600B Investment Pledge From Saudi Arabia; Sources: Israel Targets Hamas Leader In Hospital Strike; Zelenskyy Says He Wants Direct Talks With Putin; Russia Using Social Media To Keep Grip On Occupied Mariupol; Kim Kardashian Testifies In Paris Court Over Jewel Heist. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired May 13, 2025 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:30]
MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: Donald Trump praises Saudi Arabia but sends warnings to Iran as he kicks off his Middle East trip.
This is WHAT WE KNOW.
Billions of dollars in economic deals and olive branch to Syria, and a stark message for Iran, all part of President Donald Trump's visit to Saudi
Arabia today, the first stop on his trip to the Middle East.
The president announcing he'll bring an end to sanctions on Syria. And he plans to meet with the Syrian president this week. The White House says the
president secured $600 billion worth of investments in the U.S., including the largest defense sale in history of nearly $142 billion.
Mr. Trump also issued this stark warning for Iran amid nuclear talks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Iran will never have a nuclear weapon. But with that said, Iran can have a much brighter future.
But we'll never allow America and its allies to be threatened with terrorism or nuclear attack. The choice is theirs to make.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: CNN's Becky Anderson in Riyadh, for us.
I mean, one of the big headlines is this Syria line, right? And people wondering how permanent you think that might be.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. Look, Max, it's long been argued in this region that if the U.S. is committed to peace and stability, then
it needs to turn the page on its Middle East policy. I've heard that time and time again.
This is a president who is prepared to be creative. He has been asked by a number of people in this region, not least the crown prince here in Riyadh,
Mohammed bin Salman, and the leadership in Qatar to support Syria through what is its next stage after the departure of Bashar al Assad and his
government in December. There is a new president, a new government who are heavily sanctioned by the U.S. and by the Europeans.
So, there has been a huge ask from this region help out -- help us to help Syria. And this is what Donald Trump has announced that he is doing. Have a
listen specifically to what he said today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness. Oh, what I do for the crown
prince. The sanctions were brutal and crippling and served as an important, really an important function nevertheless, at the time. But now it's their
time to shine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Why does this matter? Well, the country needs $400 billion to many accounts in order to get itself back in shape. It is on its knees. At
present, Saudi and Qatar both trying to help. But these sanctions being lifted will go a very long way to both those two key partners and others
around this region and beyond, to provide some support for Syria going forward.
What happens in Syria doesn't stay in Syria. That is what's important here. So, walking the walk to a degree on Syria, talking the talk, I would argue
on Iran.
We've heard his stark warnings to Iran today before and today he repeated those. He said it is time to choose. That is up to Iran. He said the offer,
whatever that is, because it's not clear at the moment. But the offer, he said, will not last forever.
Specifically, have a listen to what he said as a message to the Iranian leadership.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I want to make a deal with Iran. If I can make a deal with Iran, I'll be very happy. If we're going to make your region and the world a
safer place. But if Iran's leadership rejects this olive branch and continues to attack their neighbors, then we will have no choice but to
inflict massive maximum pressure, drive Iranian oil exports to zero, and take all action required to stop the regime from ever having a nuclear
weapon. Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[15:05:02]
ANDERSON: What Donald Trump said today on Iran, and very specifically on Syria, is very significant and will resonate around this region. He got
some big wins out of the, leadership here with regard trade and defense, business and investment. These are ultimately oft times bilateral deals.
The Saudis want to see their economy superpower just as the U.S. president has his America first policy. I want to see the U.S. economy supercharged.
So, some wins on both sides there. But I think the geopolitics, the diplomacy today is really what is making headlines -- Max.
FOSTER: Becky, thank you so much.
Staying in the Middle East, sources say an Israeli strike on a hospital in southern Gaza targeted the leader of Hamas, Mohammed Sinwar. Gaza's civil
defense says at least ten people were killed. Mohammed Sinwar is the brother of Yahya Sinwar, the former Hamas leader who was killed last year.
We don't yet know if he's amongst the dead in this latest strike or if he was at the scene. A doctor says multiple strikes hit the yard of the
hospital. He says some people are buried under the rubble.
Jeremy Diamond is there in Tel Aviv.
So, a very difficult scene unfolding. But what do we know about the leader of Hamas? It would be a triumph, presumably, for Israel.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Without a doubt. But it is also a strike that, if confirmed, will raise serious concerns about what
will happen next in the ceasefire and hostage deal negotiations. I mean, just think about the timing of this strike that we have now confirmed did
indeed target Hamas's leader in Gaza, Mohammed Sinwar. Although word is still out on whether or not he was actually killed.
It comes just one day after the Israeli, after Edan Alexander, the last living American hostage, an Israeli soldier held in Gaza for more than 19
months, was released by Hamas in what was widely viewed and interpreted, in particular by U.S. officials, as a goodwill gesture by Hamas, one that was
intended to jump start negotiations for a broader ceasefire and hostage release deal.
And then one day later, you have Israel targeting with a very significant airstrike, the leader of Hamas in Gaza, who is the man who could
potentially greenlight another hostage release deal. And so if indeed he was killed, that is going to, at a minimum, delay the possibility of a
ceasefire and hostage release deal at a time when Hamas, when the hostages still held in Gaza, are running out of time because the Israeli prime
minister, as recently as just today, made very clear that he has every intention of moving forward with this major expansion of Israeli military
operations in Gaza, regardless of the fact that these -- that he has now sent an Israeli delegation to Doha, Qatar, today to pursue these cease fire
and hostage release negotiations.
So, some serious questions about what will happen next. In the meantime, were starting to learn about the death toll in this strike, which hit the
courtyard of this hospital. At least six people have been killed, according to the Palestinian ministry of health. But as you mentioned, that doctor at
that hospital saying that many more appear to be trapped under the rubble. So, this death toll will rapidly rise. No word yet on whether or not
Mohammed Sinwar will indeed be counted among the dead -- Max.
FOSTER: Jeremy, thank you.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying upcoming peace talks with Russia will be a failure if both sides can't agree to a ceasefire
agreement. Zelenskyy is expected to head to turkey for talks on Thursday. He says he'll only meet with the Russian president and not his aides.
The Kremlin is keeping quiet on whether Vladimir Putin will attend. Donald Trump has said he's considering dropping in. Aides say that will also
depend on whether Vladimir Putin makes the trip.
So that's what we want to know. We don't know the answer to whether or not Vladimir Putin will show up in Turkey this week.
Nick Paton Walsh is in Kyiv.
I mean, there's undoubted pressure on him, though, both from the Ukrainians and the Americans.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, I mean, I don't know the answer either. And I think that is very much
possibly where Putin wants to find himself at the moment. The key decision maker, frankly, in a war which we should remind everybody, he indeed
started. And we should also make a reminder, too, that it is since Saturday that key European powers and Ukraine demanded a 30-day unconditional
ceasefire.
That demand has not been met by Russia. Instead, it was morphed into an offer of Russia. Ukrainian direct talks in Istanbul on Thursday, made by
Vladimir Putin not necessarily at the presidential level when he first cast it. Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, upped the ante there and said, all
right, I'll go. I'll talk to Putin directly.
And then Trump seems to seize upon that particular idea as recently as yesterday. But it is clear that Zelenskyy will fly on Thursday, leaving
most likely tomorrow, and meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, initially in Ankara. But he said to avoid any room for Russian manipulation
if Putin flies to Istanbul, myself and Erdogan will fly to Istanbul for that meeting.
He's trying to leave, I think, no avenue for Putin to get out of this, other than an absolute refusal. He also laid down, I think, the most
minimum goals that he would accept from a meeting like that, if indeed it happens.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WALSH: Does go ahead and does not result in an immediate 30-day ceasefire -- will you consider that to have to have been a failure?
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: No. Of course. It's meant that Russia is not ready for diplomacy. It means only one side. It's only about
Russia, but has been if they will not, if Putin will not come or if ceasefire will not be supported by Russians, by Putin, exactly by him.
So, it's been only one thing that Russia is not ready for any kind of negotiation, no time for playing games on the technical level and et
cetera. It's meant -- it means that they are not -- I mean, this supportive all of these things and its mean only one thing that we need to be more
strong, unite and tough on them.
And today I see only one thing, sanctions, of course. Of course, if I will have connection with the President Trump. Of course, not only sanctions and
I will tell him -- so, you see that we need that sanctions have to be powerful and we need a little bit of time for this, when sanctions be --
will have influence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALSH: Now, it's the changing timetable for these sanctions that is particularly interesting on Saturday, as recently as Saturday, they were
supposed to be almost an immediate response if Russia rejected the unconditional ceasefire laid out by France, U.K., Poland and Germany in a
visit here to Kyiv. That sort of slipped.
Well, okay, If he doesn't go to the Istanbul meeting, maybe we'll throw sanctions in there, too. And you heard Zelenskyy also saying it may take a
little bit of time for us to bring those sanctions really to an effective level and coordinate them properly.
Look, all of this really rests in the camp now of U.S. President Donald Trump. Is Putin going to go? Does Putin feel pressure from Trump to attend?
Does Putin care what Trump feels about him? Is Russia adequately feel its immune to further sanctions and pressure from outside?
We are getting suggestions potentially that Marco Rubio, the U.S. secretary of state, will go along with many other U.S. officials involved with this
particular portfolio. There are suggestions potentially, too, that Russia is preparing to send cabinet level people, but not yet obviously explicitly
saying Putin will be there.
Look, Max, bear in mind, even if we do get these three men in a room together, it is going to be a remarkably fruity meeting. We don't see
clearly. Zelenskyy and Putin make no secret of how much they despise each other, but Trump and Putin's relationship is beyond complex and opaque. And
clearly, I think Putin feels himself the superior in that, or at least able to manipulate the White House head.
And then, of course, Zelenskyy and Trump's relationship rocky, to say the least, on the mend? Definitely. But don't think if that meeting even
happens, it suddenly means the war is in a better track. It may set things back. And you heard Zelenskyy there saying that in his mind, negotiations
are kind of done. If they don't get a ceasefire out of that meeting, if --
FOSTER: OK, Nick, thank you so much. I mean, just seeing the body language will be extraordinary, won't it, if it happens. Thank you for bringing us
that from Kyiv.
A Russian-occupied Mariupol story now. Social media influencers are painting a rosy picture of life under Russian rule. But a new CNN
investigation reveals that residents there, including schoolchildren, are being trained to become content creators, with support from the Kremlin.
Clare Sebastian has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is vlogger school in Russian occupied Mariupol, complete with beanbags and a selfie mirror. Run
by a project called the Donbas Media Center, it offers free tuition and new skills.
Pavel Karbovsky, one of the teachers, only launched his own social channels two and a half years ago.
He tells me the school, founded by a pro-Kremlin news outlet, is not political. And yet the same can't be said for his own posts to his now
36,000 TikTok followers.
Just look at what Russia is getting up to in Mariupol, he says. Here. Oh wait, they're building, not demolishing.
This is Mariupol, a Russian town.
[15:15:01]
PAVEL KARBOVSKY, TEACHER, DONBASS MEDIA CENTRE (through translator): My goal is to show what's happening here, to show the truth, so people stop
forming their opinion on Donbas by reading Ukrainian comments which say that this is Ukraine. It isn't. Why we have Russian flags here, Russian
passports and Russian laws.
SEBASTIAN: Three years after Russia laid siege to Mariupol, destroying, according to the un, an estimated 90 percent of residential buildings and
killing Ukrainian officials believe around 20,000 civilians, accusing Russia of disposing of bodies to cover up war crimes, which the Kremlin
denies, Mariupol is a key strategic priority for Putin. He even visited two years ago to highlight the rebuilding efforts, and Moscow is now
increasingly looking to social media as a subtle, though powerful propaganda tool in these regions.
In January, Karbovsky was part of a group of Donetsk influencers invited to meet with Denis Pushilin, the Russian installed head of the Donetsk
People's Republic.
Not everyone understands the scale of the work that's happening, he told them. The implication they can change that, and it's clear revival videos
get clicks. Some are couched in lifestyle content, well-stocked grocery stores, or stylish new cafes, others directly focused on the
reconstruction. The drama theater, flattened by a Russian attack three years ago as hundreds of civilians took shelter.
And look how beautiful, says this vlogger, who goes by Masha from Mariupol showing off brand new apartment buildings at sunset. Mariupol's Ukrainian
mayor in exile says it's an illusion, one which he believes won't work.
VADYM BOICHENKO, MARIUPOL'S UKRAINIAN EXILED MAYOR (through translator): This propaganda, these made up clips that they are doing now in Mariupol,
will not help. Russia has committed a crime in Mariupol and the people of Mariupol know it.
SEBASTIAN: Satellite images do show massive reconstruction and not only in the city center. What they don't show is who gets to live there.
Multiple videos like this are now also circulating a direct appeal to Putin by former residents of a heavily damaged eastern Mariupol neighborhood, who
say they are still homeless.
Russians, meanwhile, are being lured to the city with state sponsored mortgage rates at least ten times lower than the market average. And
perhaps by content creators like this, 21-year-old Elizaveta Chervyakova, born in Mariupol, unboxing her gifts from the Donbas Media Centre's vlogger
school. She was one of a select few who completed the course, awarded with a trip to Moscow to meet top Russian influencers.
ELIZAVETA CHERVYAKOVA, CONTENT CREATOR (through translator): I met guys I had never known before and its clear, especially with the Donetsk fellas,
that they are showcasing their city. The photos and videos and watching those. I thought, I want to do that too.
SEBASTIAN: Her own city, she accepts, is now Russian, making her part of a generation of Ukrainians Moscow is hoping will help convince others to
accept that, too.
Clare Sebastian, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Now she forgives but probably can't forget. After the break, find out why Kim Kardashian told a Paris court that she forgives one of the men
who allegedly robbed her of nearly $10 million in cash and jewelry.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:21:41]
FOSTER: I thought I was going to die. That's just one of the many chilling comments U.S. reality star Kim Kardashian made during her testimony in a
Paris court today. In 2016, burglars broke into her hotel room, held her at gunpoint, tied her up and stole nearly $10 million in cash and jewelry. The
defendants nicknamed the Grandpa Gang, including nine men and one woman, had ages ranging from 35 to 78.
Saskya was in court in Paris.
I mean, this is it was an extraordinary moment, wasn't it, Saskya, when she forgave these alleged robbers? And have you any got any sense as to why she
said that? What was her thinking?
SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER: She forgave one of the accused, Aomar Ait Khedache. He is the alleged mastermind behind the robbery. And,
you know, she spoke some very emotional words that I'd love to read to you, Max.
She said, I believe so much in second chances, and I want people who have done horrible crimes, and I try to have empathy for them. But I do also
fight for victims who have been through horrific crimes. So, you get a sense that one of the reasons she forgave him was that it was important for
her? You know, she had spoken about coming here and trying to find some kind of closure.
But it was an emotional day for Kim Kardashian. It was long, Max. She testified for almost five hours, and most of that she did standing. It was
only right at the end when she was visibly drained, that she asked to sit down.
And she really did take us back, Max, to what happened nine years ago in that hotel room. She gave us a detailed account almost second by second.
She described these two men who were dressed as police officers, who barged into her bedroom. They held a gun to the concierge head and to her own
head. And then she says that she was gagged, that they duct-taped her and that they placed her in the bathtub.
And of course, Kim Kardashian was faced with the ten people who are on trial nine men and one woman. Two of the defendants have pleaded guilty to
some of the charges, but the eight remaining defendants say that they had no part to play in it, Max. And now, we expect a verdict on May 23rd. And
if convicted, some of them could face up to 30 years in jail -- Max.
FOSTER: Okay, Saskya, thank you so much. We'll wait to see what the result is.
Later, dramatic testimony in the Sean "Diddy" Combs trial. We'll take a look at what the rap mogul's ex-girlfriend said on the stand, and the
impact it could have on his sex trafficking trial.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:28:01]
FOSTER: President Trump says he plans to lift sanctions on Syria to give the post-Assad government what he called a chance at greatness. His
comments came during a forum in Saudi Arabia where he took to the stage with typical fanfare.
(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)
FOSTER: After meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the White House announced it secured a $600 billion commitment from Saudi
Arabia to invest in the U.S. and a defense partnership with the nation that tops, would you believe, at $140 billion.
More now on our top story, U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia, then in the art of the deal, president is looking to secure what
administration officials are calling economic agreements in the trillion dollar range.
Becky is in Riyadh.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): A royal welcome for U.S. President Donald Trump as he touched down in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. The Gulf State putting on a
lavish reception to greet Americas self-styled dealmaker in chief.
This is Trump's first major overseas trip of his second term, and the guest list made clear business deals are top of the agenda. Tech CEOs and leaders
of large U.S. firms joining Trump's top political team in Riyadh.
TRUMP: We have the biggest business leaders in the world here today, and they're going to walk away with a lot of checks for a lot of things that
you're going to provide.
ANDERSON: This is Trump's chance to prove himself a major dealmaker on the global stage. He suggested 2 million U.S. jobs could be created as part of
his visit.
MOHAMMED SOLIMAN, SENIOR FELLOW, MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE: To the region is the new Europe in the mindset of President Trump. Clearly, he sees this
region as a big priority area for his own economic agenda when it comes to securing deals for American companies that want to make sure that they have
access to overseas markets.
ANDERSON: But while the fanfare was obvious, the finer details of what was signed not immediately clear.
[15:30:06]
Multiple economic, trade and defense agreements, including the White House, says a $600 billion commitment from Riyadh to invest in the United States.
Officials here who have huge economic ambitions themselves, insist this is no blank check, saying the deals will bear fruit for both sides.
TRUMP: And I use trade --
ANDERSON: In his keynote speech on Tuesday, Trump highlighted what he described as he, quote, modern Middle East.
TRUMP: Before our eyes. A new generation of leaders is transcending the ancient conflicts of tired divisions of the past and forging a future where
the Middle East is defined by commerce, not chaos, where it exports technology, not terrorism, and where people of different nations, religions
and creeds are building cities together, not bombing each other.
ANDERSON: It was a welcome message to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Gulf State's de facto ruler and a key Trump ally since the
president's first term in office. The visit here is the first on a four-day tour of energy rich Gulf Arab nations.
TRUMP: Getting bigger and bigger.
ANDERSON: Next up, Qatar and the UAE, also keen to cast themselves as indispensable business partners and key intermediaries in conflicts from
Gaza to Ukraine.
Becky Anderson, CNN, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Anna, these numbers are crazy, aren't they? One of the biggest trade agreements ever for the U.S.
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And it's hard to know what to call it because it's not a trade deal. We have MOAs. We have letters of intent, we
have. Agreements. But there aren't any sort of hard and fast commitments to spending. So, $600 billion overall in terms of what Saudi Arabia is going
to be investing into the U.S. how much of that is old money? We're not quite sure how much of that are kind of previous commitments. We're not
quite sure.
It is big. And the defense part of that $142 billion in a defense sales agreement, which the White House says is the biggest such agreement in
history. So those are huge numbers. And at a time where Saudi Arabia. Of course, has struggling slightly with revenue, with oil prices much lower
and huge spending projects that it needs to obviously put a lot of money into.
FOSTER: Donald Trump was talking about how, you know, if Iran tries to develop this bomb, then he will close down the Iranian oil industry. That's
you know, it's an interesting place to talk about Iran, isn't it, in Saudi Arabia. But, you know, obviously Saudi would love Iran not to be producing
any oil.
STEWART: So, the keynote was really interesting in terms of the top lines that we got. It was quite rambling. There were lots of different tangents
from the president. He mentioned cessation of sanctions on Syria. Huge applause. Standing ovation from the crown prince. And then he got to Iran
and said he would like a deal with Iran.
But as you say, if you know, they don't agree to any kind of deal with the U.S., then he will hit them with the biggest force possible.
FOSTER: There have been people suggesting that this is appeasement for Saudi Arabia, this deal with Syria. But I think a lot of people would
support it as a country that's trying to get back on its feet.
STEWART: And with Syria, what you're seeing is the president clearly aligning himself with Saudi Arabia. This is his first big foreign trip. If
you could see the memorandum of agreements and all the letters of intent, the signing of it, we had multiple ministries. We had the energy ministry,
the defense ministry, industry, security, justice, space, health, conservation. I've never seen anything like this on a state visit. It was a
powerful political image, and then all the corporate deals that followed.
FOSTER: Anna, thank you.
President Trump planning to be in Qatar on Wednesday concluding his Middle East tour in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday. I'm sure more deals to
come.
Joining us now, the managing director for the Middle East at the Eurasia Group, Firas Maksad.
Thank you so much for joining us. I mean, what did you think about the optics here of this huge welcome in Saudi Arabia and Donald Trump working
so closely with MBS?
FIRAS MAKSAD, MANAGING DIRECTOR FOR THE MIDDLE EAST, EURASIA GROUP: Yeah. Max. Good to be with you.
Certainly a lot of pageantry here from Saudi Arabia. Very befitting, I would say, for what is being dubbed $1 trillion tour, $1 trillion or more
that the president is expecting to secure here on behalf of the United States and the U.S. economy.
Clearly, the Saudis, but also other Gulf States, Qatar and the UAE, where the president is going next now understand how to win the American
president over. They understand that he's looking for big wins, splashy headlines, and they're very much willing to provide that in droves, in
droves.
I would say that the Israeli prime minister, Bibi Netanyahu, very kind of noteworthy that Israel is not part of this tour where it was in the first
Trump term, is either does not understand or is incapable of providing President Trump with positive headlines, the way that the Saudis and others
have been.
FOSTER: Do you think this president has a different prism on the Middle East than previous presidents, who always seem to hold Israel as central to
that regional policy?
[15:35:12]
But it feels like Donald Trump very much looks to Saudi Arabia because of the way he's been bringing Saudi into global agreements and the like.
MAKSAD: Great question, Max.
First, I would say, as somebody in Washington who's very much argued for further American involvement in the Middle East and the importance of the
region, very clearly that the geopolitics of things does not land with this president. He's very commercial minded. And so, in that sense, those big
deals, the mega deals that are being announced, are the way to reel him in and involve him in the Middle East.
This is not to say that he doesn't care about the geopolitics. A couple of surprises expected, certainly Syria and the lifting of U.S. sanctions there
on Syria is a big one. When he moves on to Qatar, he's going to try and make more progress on Gaza.
But this is a president that does not want to be held captive to the relationship with the Israeli prime minister, Bibi Netanyahu. Trump wants
to go high and fast and score big wins. Netanyahu, for his own domestic reasons, wants to go slow and prolong the conflict in Gaza, fearing that a
peace deal or an end to war in Gaza might cause his government to collapse.
So, a clear divergence and a real gap here, emerging between what are otherwise two very friendly and allied states.
FOSTER: He's obviously not going to Iran, but he does seem to be warming to Iran to some extent. If you listen to his language here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Iran will never have a nuclear weapon. But with that said, Iran can have a much brighter future. But we'll never allow America and its allies
to be threatened with terrorism or nuclear attack. The choice is theirs to make.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: You know, better than anyone, Firas, how complex the relationships are within the Middle East itself. You know, it's not a cohesive group. And
huge tensions between all of these nations.
Can Donald Trump really help Syria get back on its feet? And Iran at the same time? I mean, how easy is that going to be when you've got MBS in the
background as now, such a clearly powerful figure for Donald Trump.
MAKSAD: Yeah, certainly. Very complicated political landscape there for the president to traverse. But on Syria, I would say that what we heard
today exceeded expectations. Saudi Arabia very much wanted that win on terms of lifting of sanctions, lobbied hard for it here in Washington, D.C.
The fear from the Saudi and the Arab side is that if Syria goes sideways, if they're unable to stand up their economy, Iran is going to find its way
back in there, taking advantage of the chaos, to establish that logistical lifeline to Hezbollah in Lebanon. And the Saudis very much wanted to hear
that.
I think the expectation was that they're going to be conditional easing of sanctions. But in true Trump fashion, he likes to deliver big. And so, he
announced a complete lifting of sanctions. And everybody's eager to see whether there will be a handshake between the Syrian president and Trump
tomorrow in Riyadh.
On the nuclear negotiations, Trump very much clearly favors diplomacy, still providing the Iranians the opportunity to make a deal in a two-month
timeframe before we get to snapback sanctions, whether the Iranians walk in the door or not is a whole different matter.
FOSTER: Okay. Firas Maksad, really appreciate your insight today on that momentous trip which goes on in the Middle East.
Now, the ex-girlfriend of Sean "Diddy" combs took to the stand today, testifying that she suffered violent physical abuse by the music mogul.
Cassie Ventura's testimony is a key part of the federal case against combs that includes charges of racketeering, conspiracy and sex trafficking. He's
pleaded not guilty to all those charges.
Ventura also described Combs controlling her career, her fear of denying his sexual requests, and their violent arguments.
CNN's Leigh Waldman is in New York.
Cassie has been testifying most of the day, hasn't she? And, you know, it's pretty gut-wrenching testimony.
LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Max, it's gut-wrenching testimony, and at times, too, explicit to even share these details out here. But at one
point, Cassie Ventura, speaking to the power dynamic between herself and her longtime ex-boyfriend Sean "Diddy" Combs, who is the defendant in this
case, she broke down crying, saying she felt like she had to participate in what's come to be known as freak-offs. These sexual encounters between
herself and male escorts and Diddy himself.
She felt she had to participate in these in order to just spend time with him. She said she was young and naive when she got into this relationship
with Combs, back when she was a young artist and wanting to get signed, and she didn't know any other way to behave, she was too naive to know what
some of the things were that he was introducing her, introducing her to.
[15:40:02]
She also spoke more about the baby oil. We heard that law enforcement took over 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant from Combs homes during those
searches leading up to this trial, and she said the baby oil was used during these freak offs experiences. Combs would direct herself and the
escorts she was having sexual intercourse with to put the baby oil on themselves until they were, quote, glistening.
She said it was disgusting. It was too much, and it was overwhelming. Like I said, she's breaking down in this court. They're taking plenty of breaks
during her testimony today because Ventura is very pregnant, while she's also testifying about what she endured throughout the course of this
relationship.
At the beginning of her testimony, she talked about how she faced physical abuse throughout the course of her relationships or relationship with
Combs, saying that he kicked her, he punched her, he dragged her. The prosecutor asking her how many times, how frequently was this happening?
And she said, quote, too frequently.
Some of the gut-wrenching details coming out in this courtroom yesterday when some of the details came out, Combs daughters, who were present, had
to leave the courtroom because they couldn't bear to hear those -- the details. And today, we know that combs has -- or Ventura rather has her own
family and her husband inside of the courtroom supporting her throughout her testimony today, which I'm sure these details for them are graphic to
hear.
FOSTER: Okay, Leigh, the court outside -- well, outside the court in New York, thank you.
Combs, obviously, denying all of those charges.
Well, still to come, dozens of white south Africans have been granted refugee status in the U.S. Just ahead, why it's been met with some
criticism, let's say.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: Donald Trump's move to grant refugee status to 59 white South Africans has been met with criticism from inside South Africa.
[15:45:01]
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says they are not being persecuted or treated badly, and do not fit the definition of a refugee. The White
House is expediting their processing after President Trump said they are victims of discrimination. This as the U.S. has suspended all other
refugees -- refugee resettlement.
So, what we want to know -- why are South Africans so angry with America over this particular move?
Joining us now is Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri, national spokesperson of the national -- the African National Congress.
Thank you so much for joining us. Very much appreciate your time.
Just explain how this move, this acceptance of these refugees into America has gone down in South Africa, in your party.
MAHLENGI BHENGU-MOTSIRI, NATIONAL SPOKESPERSON, ANC: It certainly hasn't. Thank you for having us.
But it certainly hasn't gone down well. And I must also stress that this is not so much from the African National Congress. It is from South Africans.
You only need to go to X and other social media spaces to just watch and read out on what South Africans are saying about this falsehoods that there
is an act of genocide in South Africa. There is no such a thing.
But also, this isnt just coming from south Africa. And at this point, I think its the ANC, who are cited in the bill that is before congress are
really leaning on South Africans to tell the truth and our international friends to tell the truth, who know what the legacy of South Africa in
terms of the death of democracy and the death of Democratic constitutionalism, means and is about we are heartened by, for example, the
leadership of the episcopal church in the U.S. for refusing to be part of a disinformation campaign against South Africa, the land of Nelson Mandela,
that has for the longest time, you know thrived on promoting non-racialism and democracy in South Africa.
FOSTER: The American government saying that these Afrikaners have been subject to very serious, egregious and targeted threats. What do we know
about them?
BHENGU-MOTSIRI: Well, we just need to get the proof of that. And I don't know if the White House is really informed by the correct sources,
including allies of the United States that are here, resident here in south Africa. You from the embassy all the way to other official sources, to the
U.S. government and all the way to U.S. backed and U.S. sponsored non-state actors such as the NGOs that exist in our country, surely they must be the
source of evidence, whether this kind of thing exists. Well, actually disheartened at the fact that the relationship between south Africa and the
U.S. is at an all-time low, it is a very first time in history that this is happening.
FOSTER: Have you tried to reach out to Elon Musk? Because I know that he's alleged white farmers in the country are being discriminated against.
BHENGU-MOTSIRI: Well, if there is genocide in South Africa, questions have got to be asked. I mean, why is Elon Musk's father still happily ensconced
here in South Africa, you know, tongue in cheek. And Elon Musk doesn't live here. Elon Musk and any others, not just him, him, the AfriForum, the
solidarity right wing extremist groups in South Africa are peddling disinformation, and we are saddened that actually, you know, the U.S.
administration is receptive to misinformation.
However, we are heartened what that our president, Cyril Ramaphosa, has been a statesman enough to call -- consistently call for dialogue. And we
hope that there will be a dialog between our president and President Donald Trump. But we're grateful that we have a level headed leader in our country
because South Africa's history begs everything.
FOSTER: Okay.
BHENGU-MOTSIRI: There is nothing in South Africa that can actually be associated with right wing and the killing of farmers.
FOSTER: Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri, thank you so much for your time today.
Now, after nearly 30 years in prison, the Menendez brothers are hoping to go free. We'll have the details from their court hearing after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:52:27]
FOSTER: Convicted murderers Erik and Lyle Menendez are hoping to secure their freedom. A resentencing hearing is underway in Los Angeles. The
brothers were found guilty of killing their parents back in 1989. They're currently serving life sentences without parole. They believe they can
finally be set free after capturing worldwide attention, as well as plenty of twists and turns in their case.
Last fall, the L.A. district attorney said the brothers were no longer dangerous and should have a chance at parole. But now, a new D.A. that was
elected opposes their prison term.
Let's bring in Nick Watt live in Los Angeles.
As I understand it, Nick, one side of this argument is that they've been rehabilitated. The other side is that they haven't admitted their crimes,
so they're not ready to leave. Is that right?
NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Pretty much, Max, that is about the size of it. But the brothers' lawyers keeps on calling this a unicorn situation,
because what you have here is you have the family of the victims, Kitty and Jose Menendez, you have them arguing in court that the murderers, Lyle and
Erik, should be released.
They say -- the family says we have universally forgiven them. They have done their time. Thirty-five years is a long time, and we think that they
should be let out and given a second chance at life.
As you mentioned, the old D.A. here in L.A. agreed. The new D.A., very different character does not agree. He says that the brothers are still a
danger. He also says that they haven't really gained what he calls insight into their crimes. He says, I'm not saying that they should never be
released, but the D.A. says they should not be released now.
Now the brothers themselves are not actually in court. They are being held down in San Diego, where they've been for a number of years. They are
beamed into the court by video link, but we might hear from them.
So, what happens is, if the judge does decide to vacate their sentence, there will be a resentencing portion at which during which the brothers
could speak without being cross-examined. So we're waiting to see if that happens.
Listen, there are a number of ways that this could shake down. Either the judge says, nope, I'm happy with the sentence, in which case the brothers
stay where they are. Or he could say, you know what?
You were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. I'm going to change that to with the possibility of parole, in which case it's up to the
parole board and the governor of California as to whether they get out, or he could, as the brothers lawyers want resentence them to manslaughter and
time served, in which case they get out.
Listen, this case has just captured the imagination here for a long time and has captured the imagination of a whole new generation of people
through the dramas and the documentaries that we've seen in recent years.
[15:55:10]
There's a public raffle for the public seats here in the court. Huge attention on this trial. This hearing is set to last two days. So, within
the next day and a half, two days, we could find out the fate of the Menendez brothers, whether they walk, whether they stay in jail -- Max.
FOSTER: Okay, Nick. We'll come back for you for it, definitely, because today's a big day in that, isn't it? Thank you so much.
And finally, sequins, catchy music, surprises, the 2025 Eurovision party starts tonight, with the first semifinal kicking off later this evening.
Thousands of fans starting to arrive there in Basel in Switzerland, from Sweden's entry focused on saunas to a song about Laika, the Soviet space
dog.
It's all there for you. You can tune in with hundreds -- well, tens of millions of other people watching on TV.
"QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" up next.
END
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