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I want to show you this video just into CNN and it shows the scene in QA airport where the victim of the attacks an Indian national was killed. Bear in mind the airport only reopened a few days ago following damage from the beginning of this war. Tensions remain high in the Persian Gulf after new strikes overnight by both the US and Iran testing the fragile ceasefire. Iran says it was targeting American bases in Bahrain and Kuwait. The strikes hitting Kuwait's airport, killing at least one person and injuring dozens more. There's limited clarity right now on how
negotiations are going to try and end the war. President Trump says that contacts are continuing, but Iranian state media are downplaying suggestions of progress. Let's go live now to CNN correspondent Jeremy Diamond. So Jeremy, what is happening in the region right now? Well, Boris, over the last 24 hours, we've certainly seen an uptick in regional tensions, an escalation in attacks by both the United States and Iran in the region. But both sides seem committed to trying to avoid the kind of escalation that would ultimately lead to
a return to all-out war between the two parties. It all began yesterday, it seems, when the United States struck an oil tanker that was attempting, it would seem, to head towards an Iranian port, breaking that US naval blockade of Iranian ports. And the US also carried out what it described as self-defense strikes against Iranian military targets on a strategic island off the Iranian coast. Iran then carried out strikes against uh US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain overnight, as well as striking Kuwait's international airport. But there's was some quite uh significant video of one
of those strikes hitting uh Kuwait's international airport and also missiles uh and interceptors that were lighting up the night sky in what was clearly the most intense round of Iranian strikes since this ceasefire uh took effect. One person was killed, 63 others injured in Kuwait, according to Kuwaiti authorities. Uh beyond that though, it's not clear where things stand as it relates to the negotiations between the United States and Iran. The diplomacy has clearly not been killed by this latest round of strikes. Both parties still seem intent on trying to
reach an agreement. But how far away we are from that potential agreement remains very unclear. President Trump today indicating that the contacts between the United States and Iran are continuing. But it has been days now since the US sent its uh revisions to this memorandum of understanding that both sides have been working on following President Trump's meeting with his top officials this past weekend. Meanwhile, the president also confirms that he was quote perturbed by the behavior of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. That's what led to that tense
phone conversation that we and others reported on yesterday. The president confirming the reporting from Barack Ravid about using uh multiple fbombs in his conversation with Benjamin Netanyahu. The negotiations are continuing today in terms of talks between Israel and Lebanon, which was of course at the center of some of those tensions between Trump and the Israeli prime minister. The US Secretary of State saying that he hopes that the second round of talks happening today will lead to a joint statement and an action plan for Lebanon. Boris Jeremy Diamond staying on top of
this story for us. Thank you so much. CNN's team has just entered Iran. To get the view from within the country, CNN, let me remind you, operates in Iran only with the permission of the government there, but it does maintain full editorial control of our reports. Here's Fred Plein. We've just entered Iran and we're currently driving towards Tehran. I would say that the drive is probably going to take well north of 12 hours. And we come here at a pretty decisive time as the United States and Iran are trying to inch closer to a memorandum of understanding that
would at first end the hostilities between the United States and Iran, but also pave the way for negotiations for a broader peace agreement that could then happen maybe a month, maybe two months down the line. At the same time, the security situation, especially in the Persian Gulf area between the US and Iran, remains fragile and it remains volatile. Just overnight, there have been attacks that went back and forth. The United States hitting some targets on some islands in the Persian Gulf. The Iranians responding with ballistic missile strikes, targeting
American installations in places like Bahrain and Kuwait. So all of that of course makes for a very difficult situation as the two sides say they are committed to try and reach some sort of agreement to end this war. Well let's connect you then that's Fred of course in Iran. Let's connect you to Q8 scene of these deadly Iranian strikes overnight. Bal Safe is a regular guest on this show. He's professor of history at Q8 University joining us from Q8 city. Your analysis and insight is always very valuable. So, thank you uh once again batter for joining us today. A staggering
human toll um where you are one death um over 60 injured. What are you uh hearing and seeing on the ground there? Let's start there. Becky, it's been a sleepless night for many of us in Kuwait. We've sustained a lot of missiles and drone attacks, close to 30. And you know, every life lost is a disaster and a tragic incident for us. Uh this is something that we would like to not see happen in Kuwait and anywhere else in the region. Um the airport has been open for some time by the way. What's been uh new in the last two days was the reopening to international airlines and that was
the target I guess with the Iranians coming in for the third time in this week attacking us with these targets uh interceptions but unfortunately the airport was hit but our resolve is strong in Kuwait within hours flights were resumed from other terminals and that's the spirit that we're going on with life continued normal people went to work it's final exam season For many high schoolers, they also went to their exams and life continues. I mean, clearly you're talking about the sort of uh, you know, life being, you know, normal. It there is a new normal, of course,
um, in Q8 and around this region. Kuwait has borne um, the brunt of Iran's recent attacks. Um, UAE, where I am, bearing the brunt of the sort of um, of the attacks since the conflict began, of course. Um, but you know, this isn't a question of sort of who got how many. I mean, this is worrying stuff. The Q8 economy has been one of the worst hit in the region as it's being forced to stop exporting nearly what 2 million barrels of oil a day. Despite the energy sector making up more than half of GDP and more than 90% of government revenues, the OECD now says the
Iran war could be as bad for global economic growth as the COVID pandemic. Can you just explain how does a country like yours bounce back at this point? Like it bounced back in ' 91 when it was liberated from Iraqi occupation and like it bounced back after Iranian aggression in the 1980s, Becky. And like it bounced back after the war and terror in the early 2000s. Look, we're not remiss to the problems and the challenges that have unfolded because of the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. And obviously we will need to rep prioritize a lot of our projects. But I think
the way that Kuwait is looking at this, this is a moment and an opportunity to come closer together to not only our Gulf neighbors, but in the region at large. We can't be hostage to a conflict that's been draining the region for decades between the US and Iran. And let's add on top of this the Israeli Palestinian conflict that looms large over all of our businesses. All of these intractable conflicts need to be addressed headon. Becky, we can't keep going back and forth on the same issue. If we don't address root causes, you're going to end up going back to the same point again. Yeah.
And we hear this um you know, reflected around the region, not least today. Uh the UAE's top diplomatic adviser, Ammoir Gargash, in response uh to what has happened overnight calling for, and I quote him here, a firm, unified, and cohesive Gulf stance. What do you make of that? And what could that kind of Gulf response look like at this point? We know this is not a monolith this region. We know that there are different narratives out there. What are your thoughts? Mr. Gerash is right to put out the sentiment. We commemorated a few days ago the 45th anniversary of the GCC,
the Gulf Cooperation Council that holds the six Gulf States. But we can't restrict ourselves to timid projects. We've been successful in putting together an interconnection authority, for example, that ties our electricities together. We're working on a railway network that's going to connect all six capitals. And now they're actively looking at connective pipelines as well. But I think a key component of all of this, Becky, and this speaks to what Mr. Gargash has been alluding to, is our defense doctrine. Despite the differences we are being attacked,
and when one city is attacked, the others are attacked. We signed up for a joint shield of peninsula shield force in 1982, a year after the creation of the GCC. And we've created a joint defense agreement in the early 2000s. That needs to be activated. And we need to have an interoperability system that protects us all, an early warning system that pushes us together, and that's the only way forward. If we're not treating this threat from Iran in a unanimous manner, we're not going to be able to withstand it. and Iran likes to deal with this bilaterally.
We shouldn't offer it this chance. We should look at it cleareyed with a very clear agenda on how to move forward with all the files that are pending between the two sides of the Gulf. It's good to have you. Um I'm I'm sorry about um you know the experience for everybody there overnight, not least those who uh lost a family member and of course um those who were injured. Um, it's always good to get you um on and to get your sort of wider insight as
