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Cabinet Vote for Ceasefire Deal Scheduled; Evacuees Return to Communities to Find Devastation; Trump Critics Sound Alarm on Future of American Democracy; Russia, Iran Set to Sign New Partnership Agreement; 'Zone of Interest' House to Be Open to the Public. Aired 12-12:45a ET
Aired January 17, 2025 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: The Gaza ceasefire deal officially signed in Doha, not yet sealed in Jerusalem.
[00:00:34]
Hello. I'm John Vause. Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KIRBY, SPOKESMAN, NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: All systems are go right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Israel's government now set to vote on the agreement Saturday, possibly postponing the start of the ceasefire.
Just days before Donald Trump's inauguration, and a warning for Americans.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NORM EISEN, FORMER COUNSEL TO HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: They're power walking. They're running towards autocracy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: The autocrats playbook: from Hungary to Poland and Brazil, and how to save American democracy.
And 88 Legionow Street in Southern Poland.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The only hint of anything out of the ordinary in this house is down here in the cellar.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Finally opening the doors to the home of Rudolf Hoss, commandant of the Nazi death camp right next door. ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with John Vause.
VAUSE: In the past few hours, the Gaza ceasefire for hostages deal became an official agreement, sort of, with signatures from officials from Israel, Hamas, U.S. and Qatar.
But there remains two hurdles, at least, to come. And what appears to be a delay in implementation of the agreement.
Israel's prime minister delayed a vote on the agreement, blaming last- minute demands from Hamas, an accusation Hamas denies. But now Benjamin Netanyahu has called a meeting of his security cabinet sometime in the next few hours to approve the deal, followed by a full government vote on Saturday.
That delay could see the actual ceasefire start a day late on Monday, not Sunday as initially planned.
Well, families of the Israeli hostages being held in Gaza continue to keep up the pressure on lawmakers to approve the deal. And that's because some of the government's far right strongly oppose it.
The national security minister is among the far-right leaders who've come out against the truce or tried to put conditions on it.
National security minister and anti-Arab bigot Itamar Ben Gvir is threatening to pull his party out of the ruling coalition if the deal is approved, and that could bring about the collapse of the Netanyahu government.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ITAMAR BEN GVIR, ISRAELI NATIONAL SECURITY MINISTER (through translator): If this reckless deal is approved and implemented, the Jewish Power Party will give the resignation letter to the prime minister.
The Jewish Power Party will not be a part of the government and will withdraw from it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Meanwhile, Gaza's civil defense says nearly 90 people have been killed, hundreds more wounded by Israeli strikes in the hours since the ceasefire was announced.
The IDF claims it struck approximately 50 terror targets across the Palestinian territory.
CNN's Paula Hancocks following all of this live from Abu Dhabi.
So, we now have at least a schedule for a vote in the security cabinet, a vote in the government. So, there's still a few hurdles to go. But how are things looking as far as implementation?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, it certainly appears as though these internal Israeli issues are being hammered out, with the prime minister saying that the deal is done, but he does have some -- some problems.
He has, of course, this, as you say, the security cabinet meeting today, but then the actual full cabinet won't meet until Saturday evening, potentially. because of the Jewish sabbath.
And so, does that leave enough time for the -- the protocol of -- of people being able to lodge opposition with the high court to -- to the deal before the deal is actually implemented on the Sunday?
The timing is up in the air at this point. So, we're trying to get more clarification on that.
But it does appear as though he, Mr. Netanyahu, is starting to iron out some of these issues. But as you say, of course, there could be more issues if some of those more far-right elements of his coalition decide to -- to leave the coalition, because they do not approve of this ceasefire/hostage deal.
And, of course, the families of those hostages being held are desperate for this to be done. They are pushing very vocally, very publicly for this to go ahead as planned.
We've heard from the U.S. that they believe that this will go as planned.
And as for people on -- in Gaza, they are desperate for the guns to fall silent. As you say, nearly 90 people were killed since that announcement took place.
We understand from the Israeli Defense Force, they say that they were targeting Hamas. They say they did also kill one member who was part of the Nova Music Festival attack on October 7th.
[00:05:09]
But as we are seeing, and as we have been seeing, civilians very much caught up in the violence.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HANCOCKS (voice-over): Celebrations erupted in Gaza as word spread that a ceasefire had been agreed and that the guns would fall silent.
They are not silent yet.
Dozens have been killed in Israeli strikes since the announcement was made.
"Wake up!" this brother says. "The war is over. Wake up, Hala (ph)." But the war is ending too late for his sister. This intimate moment filmed just hours after leaders stood on stage announcing the deal.
Also, too late for many caught up in a barrage of Israeli airstrikes. "This is truly a tragedy," a spokesperson of the Gaza civil defense
says. "The Israeli occupation does not want this blood waterfall to stop, as bombing is continuing until this moment."
When asked about an increase in airstrikes, the IDF says it is continuing to dismantle Hamas military capabilities.
Bodies are offloaded at the al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, as well as the wounded. Children are once again among the victims. A recurring theme of this bloody war.
"We were sitting in our homes," this man says, "when F-16 jets struck us, bringing the House down on top of us. Around 15 people were killed. We're waiting for the truce, hoping those who are missing and displaced will return."
Rescuers pulled bodies and survivors from under the rubble of a home with their bare hands in one Gaza City neighborhood.
The director of the al-Ahli Hospital accuses Israel of a, quote, "desperate attempt to cause as much harm as possible," warning the hours before the ceasefire take hold are, quote, "expected to be violent and painful for the people of Gaza."
It would not be the first time we see an increase in violence in the hours and days before a ceasefire. For the residents of Gaza, joy is mixed with fear. Sunday's truce is still a long way away.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HANCOCKS: Now, as part of this first phase of the -- the hostage ceasefire deal, there would be a significant amount of humanitarian aid going into Gaza, which is acutely needed and has been desperately needed for months now.
We're hearing up to 600 humanitarian aid trucks a day, is a plan at this point, but obviously a hope to get more in.
But we are also hearing from -- from NGOs, from those working inside Gaza that it will not be immediate, that the security situation on the ground is -- is still desperate. So, it will be difficult to be able to -- to move that aid around quickly.
But of course, if there aren't airstrikes, and there is not a war raging, it will be significantly -- the challenges will be significantly improved from what we've seen over the past 15 months -- John.
VAUSE: Paula, thank you. Paula Hancocks, live for us in Abu Dhabi with the very latest. Thank you.
We'll go to Jerusalem now. Yaakov Katz, a senior columnist at "The Jerusalem Post" and a fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute.
It's been a while. It's good to see you, Yaakov.
YAAKOV KATZ, SENIOR COLUMNIST, "THE JERUSALEM POST": Thank you, John.
VAUSE: So, we just heard a short time ago that threat from the far- right and the far-right p.m. to the prime minister, that if he goes through with this deal, you know, he'll bring down the government. Here's, I guess, the counterweight. In a tweet from opposition leader
Yair Lapid, he wrote this: "I say to Benjamin Netanyahu, don't be afraid or intimidated. You will get every safety net you need to make the hostage deal. This is more important than any disagreement we've ever had."
Obviously, there's been some negotiations and a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes. Is that support from Lapid, is that enough to get the deal approved? But what about Netanyahu's political future? What happens to him?
KATZ: Well, that's a lot to unpack, because, John, if the -- if Ben- Gvir pulls out, Netanyahu still has the votes within his coalition that can survive and continue to function.
The big problem will be in the cabinet, even with the Ben-Gvir party voting against the deal, even if the Smotrich, the finance minister party, votes against the deal, as they said they would, he still has enough ministers in the full government when it goes to that for a vote on Saturday to get the deal across the threshold and get it approved.
But, if both of those parties fall out, Israel goes to an election. And then what is under threat is the second phase of the deal, because at day 16 of the 42-day ceasefire, Israel and Hamas are supposed to once again convene, sit down, and begin negotiating the second phase.
[00:10:09]
Let's remember, Israel is only getting 33 hostages in this 42-day period. Three are going to come in the first day of the ceasefire. That looks like it's going to be on Monday now.
Then every week, another batch until we finally get to the end of the 42 days, a full 33.
But there's still about 65 who are being held in Gaza. If there's no government in place, they can't negotiate that deal.
And that's where Yair Lapid's offer is coming in on the table. It's saying to Netanyahu, we will come into the government, essentially. We will make sure that you stay on as prime minister, even though we have great differences, so we can finalize the complete release of all the hostages.
And after that, you know, then all is fair in politics.
VAUSE: Nothing is ever straightforward or simple in Israeli politics. And that's a great explanation of what we can expect.
I want you to listen to U.S. national security spokesperson John Kirby on the status of the deal. Here he is. (BEGI VIDEO CLIP)
KIRBY: All the parameters have been agreed to. We've ironed out these last bit of details that needed to be flattened out and fixed. We believe we're on a good path here to start implementation by the end of the weekend.
So, all systems are go right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: He's talking about phase one and phase one only, right?
Phase two, as you said, it's still up for grabs. There's no agreement there.
So, in many ways is this ceasefire like Schrodinger's cat: not one deal but two for the Israeli government? It seems it's a pause in the fighting with an expectation the war could resume in six weeks. To Hamas, it's a roadmap to a permanent truce.
KATZ: I mean, this is exactly the flaw with this deal, but I think that Israel would have liked, John, to be able to make a deal that we get all of the hostages in one batch, and there is a ceasefire.
Hamas, they're not stupid. They understand. And this is their leverage. Their joker card is having these hostages in captivity, and that is how they're able to continue to survive and continue to hold on in Gaza. So, they're not going to release all of them.
And as a result, Israel had to agree to a multi-phase deal. So, it gets 33 in these 42 days.
When the 16-day rings, and Israel begins those negotiations, hopefully it's able to reach a second agreement that will start on day, I guess, 43. Then, those hostages will hopefully come back.
But in the interim, there's always the possibility that this whole deal falls apart. Hamas does something, Israel responds, the ceasefire crumbles, and then we're back at -- where we are right now, back in full military operations. More strikes and still hostages being held in Gaza.
So, the families of the hostages, they are right, in essence, by saying the big problem is that, yes, we're getting back 33. That's amazing. Every life being saved is incredible. It's a whole world.
But what about the remaining 60 plus who will still be in Gaza? There's no assurance that Israel is going to get them back.
VAUSE: There are myriad reasons why this ceasefire is happening now, but I guess one of them is because Israel is now in a much stronger position militarily and in security terms compared to before October 7th.
But then on the other side, what about diplomatically? Before October 7th, Saudi Arabia was close to normalizing relations. There was a big step towards diplomatic recognition across the region. I guess -- has this last 15 months, has it been a tactical win, but maybe a long-term strategic failure?
KATZ: Well, it's a great question, John, and I think it really will be a test of this government's ability to essentially leverage and propel the military achievements and accomplishments it's had on the battlefield, not just against Hamas and dismantling that terrorist group's military capabilities, but Hezbollah in Lebanon, which has been degraded in an unprecedented way. Iran, which is exposed and vulnerable in ways we could not have imagined. And, of course, Bashar al Assad's regime toppled in Syria.
So, the region, when you look at it collectively, is definitely militarily a potentially safer place. But you are right. What do you do with those military accomplishments? You have to use them for a political process.
And that could be either with the Saudis. But I think it would also have to be, potentially, with the Palestinians. We don't want to be locked in this cycle of violence and conflict forever. There has to be a way to use these military achievements on the battlefield to try to get something else, to build a new reality.
For that to happen, we're now in this famous day after stage. We've spoken for the last 15 months about what does the day after in Gaza look like? Who controls it? Who governs it, who rebuilds it, and who does Israel work with?
Well, that's coming right now with the ceasefire. And that's still something of a mystery. What is going to happen and who's going to be Israel's potential partner, and the world's partner, on the other side?
VAUSE: Yes, the ceasefire means that the war may be over, but the conflict is not. That keeps going. And that is something which is yet to be worked out.
Yaakov Katz in Jerusalem. Thank you, sir. It's good to see you.
[00:15:02]
KATZ: Thank you, John.
VAUSE: The Los Angeles County medical examiner now reports 27 people have died as a result of the Palisades and Eaton Fires.
The sheriff says another 31 people are unaccounted for.
Investigators say evidence regarding what started the fires is vast, and finding the causes will take a long time.
One home that survived the Palisades Fire has now been at least partially destroyed by a landslide. Officials say damaged water lines have loosened the soil in some hillside areas. More than 170,000 people in Los Angeles County remain under evacuation
orders. Some have been allowed to return to their communities, only to find utter devastation.
Here's CNN's Veronica Miracle.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAYA RICHARD-CRAVEN, FAMILY UNDER EVACUATION ORDER: Absolutely devastating to not even be able to see your own home after such a travesty.
HORST EDELAHARDT, ALTADENA, CALIFORNIA, RESIDENT: I've been here for 20 years. So where else do I go?
VERONICA EATON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Many Eaton Fire victims are feeling frustrated.
ANNEMARIE PAZMINO, HOME DESTROYED IN EATON FIRE: I didn't take anything for myself. I didn't take anything.
MIRACLE (voice-over): Thousands of homeowners ordered to stay away from their property, not only because of downed power lines or leaking gas, but because --
SHERIFF ROBERT LUNA, LOS ANGELES COUNTY: There are areas that we are holding, because we believe there may be deceased victims there.
MIRACLE (voice-over): And public health officials say a lot of the debris left behind is dangerous.
DR. NICHOLE QUICK, CHIEF MEDICAL ADVISOR, L.A. COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH: Initially, toxicity from any of the high levels of particulate matter and ash in the air can cause respiratory irritation. But we're also concerned about some of the potential impacts from heavy metals or long-term impacts.
MIRACLE (voice-over): Still, many feel unsatisfied.
MIRACLE: Do you see a lot of the hazards, though, and what they're contending with? Some of the toxic ash in the air?
EDELAHARDT: That is all. Besides that, there's nothing tough. I smell it all day. So what?
RICHARD-CRAVEN: Dirty air to us is like, but what about our homes?
MIRACLE (voice-over): But officials are pleading for residents to follow their guidance until they mark areas safe.
QUICK: We know people feel very strongly they want to get in there. First and foremost is follow the, you know, the advice on all of those agencies that are going to come in and look at the home.
MIRACLE (voice-over): Days after the devastation, officials scrambling to help frustrated Angelenos receive insurance payouts. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want them to start the claim process
immediately.
MIRACLE (voice-over): The county now gathering and posting photos of individual losses from the Palisades and Eaton Fires on a website for residents that need proof of destruction for their insurance providers.
Insured or not, many fire survivors have nowhere to turn, and some are making personal appeals.
MIRACLE: All over Altadena, we are seeing signs like this pop up in front of people's burned-out homes. They're leaving their Q.R. code that links directly to their GoFundMe pages so that, if you're here, you can scan it and donate immediately.
MIRACLE (voice-over): In the meantime, the Pazminos and many like them wait for news from their insurance companies to see what of their former life they can rebuild.
PAZMINO: These people have lost everything. It's not just us; it's everybody.
MIRACLE: All day we have seen utility crews and firefighters making repairs and making sure that this area is safe. We also understand that 90 percent of the homes here at the Eaton Fire have been searched for bodies. So, that difficult process is almost complete.
And as of this afternoon, the evacuation zone has shrunk just a little bit. But of course, we are in the heart of the burn zone, where it will be at least a week before people can return here.
Veronica Miracle, CNN, Altadena.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: When we come back here for Ukraine, U.S. policy set to dramatically change with the incoming Trump administration. Now Britain's prime minister is moving to give Kyiv more leverage, should they have to negotiate with Russia.
Also ahead, days before Donald Trump is inaugurated -- and his inauguration, critics once again raising concerns about the future of American democracy.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:21:03]
VAUSE: In just three days from now, Donald Trump will be sworn into office for a second term as president of the United States.
Here's Trump's official photograph for the inauguration. It's the one on the left. It bears a striking resemblance to his mug shot, taken from his court appearance in Atlanta on charges of interfering in the election. As a candidate, Trump ran on a platform heavy with grievance and retribution, especially aimed at anyone involved in his many legal prosecutions.
And while a U.S. president may be the most powerful man in the world, Justice Department guidelines are clear: criminal investigations should never be initiated based on whim or revenge, or at the request of a president and only, quote, "when facts or circumstances reasonably indicate that a federal crime has been, is being, or will be committed."
Now, because Donald Trump has no evidence of a crime to seek revenge, he'll need a compliant attorney general, perhaps like Pam Bondi. Here she is speaking on FOX News in 2023.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAM BONDI, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL NOMINEE: The prosecutors will be prosecuted. The bad ones. The investigators will be investigated, because the deep state last term for President Trump, they were hiding in the shadows, but now they have a spotlight on them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And earlier this week, Pam Bondi appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee for her confirmation hearing and was asked a very simple question by Democrat Adam Schiff.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): Can you tell him that Donald Trump lost the 2020 election? Can you say that? Do you have the independence to say that?
Do you have the -- the gravitas, the stature, the -- the intestinal fortitude to say, Donald Trump, you lost the 2020 election? Can you tell us that here today?
BONDI: Senator, what I can tell you is I will never play politics.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: All of this is happening just days before Trump is even sworn into office, which is why so many are sounding the alarm about the future of American democracy, as well as an erosion of liberties, rights and freedoms.
Among them is Ambassador Norm Eisen, ethics czar in the Obama White House, as well as counsel to the House Judiciary Committee in the first of two impeachments of Donald Trump, also co-founder of "The Contrarian," an independent pro-democracy publication.
As always, Norm, it is great to see you. Thank you for being with us.
EISEN: Thanks, John. VAUSE: OK. I focused a lot on Pam Bondi in the setup, but that seems
to be just one part of a much bigger picture here of what's taking place.
You outline a lot of this in an op-ed for "The New York Times." The title is, "Are We Sleepwalking into an Autocracy?" We'll get to the warning signs and the details in a moment, but I just want to say -- ask you this.
Given the results of the November election, are many people in this country walking into an autocracy with their eyes wide open?
EISEN: John, of course they are.
But at the same time, Donald Trump received less than 50 percent of the vote.
He's -- his margin in the three Blue Wall states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin was about 240,000 votes. If just 120,000 voters plus one had flipped their votes in those three states, it would be Donald Trump and his followers who were gnashing their teeth and wringing their hands.
And we saw pro-democracy candidates in the down ballot -- the governor of North Carolina, Josh Stein; senators Slotkin in Michigan and Baldwin in Wisconsin -- outperformed the top of the ticket.
Nevertheless, there are too many in the country who are not only sleepwalking, they're power walking. They're running towards autocracy.
VAUSE: It's a very good point. Now, in your op-ed, you point to Viktor Orban of Hungary -- he's the prime minister -- as an example of democracy turned autocracy. So, let's hear from President-elect Trump about his very good friend Orban. This is from August last year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: The prime minister of Hungary. Very tough man, strong man, very -- you know, somebody that I always got along -- I get along with the strong ones. I don't get along with the weak ones. Isn't that sad? That's a personality defect.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[00:25:05]
VAUSE: Orban was elected and lost power, made a comeback. He's been elected three or four times since.
He's done that by attacking a free press, eroding judicial independence, attacking migrants. The list goes on.
It sounds familiar. And that, I guess, is no -- no coincidence.
EISEN: That is the autocrat's playbook, John. And I analyzed that in my "New York Times" piece.
But the good news is we don't have to go the way of Hungary. There are other examples. Poland, where they ousted an autocratic regime. Brazil, the country where I served as ambassador. Czech Republic.
There are things that can be done. Protect our elections, because that's how you get rid of autocrats.
Orban undermined the ability to have a level playing field on elections.
Protect the rule of law. Judges, prosecutors. That's why that Pam Bondi tape that you ran is so concerning.
We need to do more to make sure that the libel laws are not abused. And on and on.
We can take the steps to protect our democracy. America is at a crossroads. It has a choice.
VAUSE: Here's part of your op-ed. Let me read this to you: "As we have seen in other democracies, autocracy is not built out of the whims of a leader, but because entrenched -- but becomes entrenched, rather, only when it's been certified by legalism, exploiting legal means to serve autocratic ends."
I guess what we're saying here is the bigger concern here is not just these next four years, but -- but beyond.
EISEN: That's right, John. But by the same token, the Brookings institution where I work is where the Marshall Plan was authored that was the anchor of a four-decade fight against autocracy and for democracy.
I think we need a modern-day Marshall plan to save American democracy. We need to have the wisdom and the fortitude. If Donald Trump starts doing these things, Pam Bondi at his DOJ -- his FBI nominee has also promised retaliation, Kash Patel. I think you'll see the American people rise up in revulsion against that.
So, it's early days yet. No question we are at a critical juncture on whether we'll -- we go the way of Hungary and lose our democracy, or of Poland, Brazil, the Czechs, and take it back?
VAUSE: Norm Eisen. As always, sir, great to see you. Thank you.
EISEN: Thanks, John.
VAUSE: The U.K. and Ukraine have signed a 100-year-long agreement focusing on maritime security, technology, especially drones, healthcare, and other areas.
The British prime minister, Keir Starmer, traveled to Kyiv Thursday to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
This long-term deal comes days before the Trump administration takes office, amid concerns that could bring a major shift in U.S. policy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: We must look at how this war could end. The practical ways to get a just and lasting peace. We agree that it must be a peace that guarantees your security, your independence, and your right to choose your own future.
We will work with you and with all of our allies on steps that would be robust enough to guarantee Ukraine's security, guarantee any possible peace, and deter any future aggression.
That conversation will continue in the months ahead.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: The two leaders also visited an exhibition of military drones. Mr. Zelenskyy says Ukraine plans to double production OF some of its drones, partly with Britain's help.
Deals, as well, between Moscow and Tehran. Russia's drone of choice are the deadly Iranian-designed Shahed, and they're a key part of its arsenal in this war.
Moscow ramped up their production of after -- ramped up their production after a 2022 deal with Tehran.
Now Iran's president is meeting with Vladimir Putin in the Russian capital today, expected to sign a new partnership agreement. More now from Clare Sebastian.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This was March last year. Then six months later. Satellite images revealing breakneck expansion at a drone factory in Southern Russia, a facility set up two years ago to produce Iranian-designed Shahed attack drones.
JON ALTERMAN, DIRECTOR, MIDDLE EAST PROGRAM, CSIS: Building a drone factory in Russia for the Russians was an almost unimaginable step forward, both for the Iranians and for the Russians.
[00:30:02]
This admission from the Russians that they need that kind of help, the willingness of the Iranians to do that kind of overseas expansion.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): That deal with Iran has shaped Russia's attritional war.
A CNN investigation from December found production rates at the factory in Tatarstan more than doubled last year.
And Russia has stepped up attacks. Over 11,000 Shahed, or shaheed type drones were fired at Ukraine last year, according to a CNN tally. That's more than four times the previous year's total.
Iran has consistently denied providing weapons for Russia's war. And yet, by the time Putin and Iran's new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, met in October, there was talk of something even deadlier.
ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: The provision by Iran of ballistic missiles to Russia for use in Ukraine.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): This Russian cargo ship, suspected by the U.S. of transporting those ballistic missiles across the Caspian Sea.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is definitely a significant escalation.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Though no evidence has yet emerged of their alleged deployment, the revelation helped persuade Ukraine's allies to let Kyiv use Western long-range missiles on Russian soil.
The incoming Trump administration wants to engage with Russia.
TRUMP: President Putin wants to meet. He said that even publicly.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): While at the same time cracking down on Iran.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For the United States, a policy of maximum pressure must be reinstated.
ALTERMAN: I think there's a lot of wisdom in driving a wedge between Russia and Iran for all kinds of reasons. Whether the Trump administration is going to do that, I don't know.
SEBASTIAN: How dangerous has this partnership been and could it be going forward when it comes to this war?
ALTERMAN: The Iranians certainly have some worrying capabilities. The Russians certainly have demonstrated a willingness to use worrying capabilities. And so, it seems to me that the -- the danger is quite real.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Clare Sebastian CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: The "Zone of Interest" now open to the public. Opening the doors to a terrifying past. The home of the Auschwitz death camp commandant, now open for everyone to see.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: Ten days from now will mark 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz, the Nazi death camp in Poland, where more than 1 million people, most of them Jews, were murdered.
Ahead of that date, a new project is preserving an important piece of history. You might recognize it from an Academy Award-winning film.
The 2023 movie "The Zone of Interest" was inspired by a home right next door to the concentration camp. It was home to Commandant Rudolf Hoss and his wife, where they raised five children and lived a very pleasant and comfortable life, all while he implemented the murder of Jews on an industrial scale.
[00:35:12]
The house had been privately owned since Auschwitz was liberated, but now being open to the public. CNN's Melissa Bell has an exclusive look inside.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BELL (voice-over): The blocks of Auschwitz, a view that's now grimly familiar.
BELL: But from a house that, until now, had never been opened to the public before. The home of the camp's longest serving commander, Rudolf Hoss, who lived here with his family.
BELL (voice-over): His wife, Hedwig, described it as a paradise in which they were able to raise their five children, with a well-tended garden, manicured flowerbeds, a pool, and a sauna.
It's a massive house.
BELL: And you get a sense of just how comfortable they would have been: the presents, the toys, the domestic joy.
Inside, a lot of effort was put into protecting the family from the horrors outside, including frosting on the windows.
JACEK PORSKI, SENIOR ADVISOR, COUNTER EXTREMISM PROJECT: So, the Hoss family has left a couple of those things. One of the most important thing that we have found are those trousers that belonged to the prisoner. Probably a person that died here, in this -- in this -- in this place. You can see the red triangle, which means it was a Jewish political prisoner.
But next to this, you can also see this wire that was probably actually a way to be able to wear it for a person that was -- that was starving here.
BELL: The only hint of anything out of the ordinary in this house is down here in the cellar, where this tunnel allowed the commander to go from his idyllic family life to the slaughter he was organizing next door.
BELL (voice-over): Just a couple of hundred yards from the house, inside the camp, what Rudolf Hoss did was refine the techniques of mass killing. He'd felt they were too inefficient at Treblinka.
So, he took the gas chambers and scaled them up here to an industrial level.
BELL: It's really only when you're inside the gas chamber that you get a sense of the horror of this place. BELL (voice-over): More than a million people were killed here. But
900,000 of them died on the very first day that they arrived.
BELL: Back inside the property, everything was done to obscure the sights and the sounds of what was happening just next door. So, trees had been grown along the wall, so that no one inside the house had to see or understand or know about the horror next door.
The point of the house now, though, is going to be to shed light.
MARK WALLACE, CEO, COUNTER EXTREMISM PROJECT: We're standing in an ordinary house, quite warm, I might add, while the -- while those that suffered over there froze in a winter like this. The ordinary cannot be extreme.
We want to take this place and make sure that extremism is no longer ordinary.
The first thing that we did was, OK, we have to open this house to everyone. And symbolically we said, what can we do? And we thought putting a mezuzah on the door was the way to do that. It was symbolic that it was fully open to everyone.
It's almost as if it's a mezuzah of humanity.
BELL (voice-over): This month, the world will mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the camp.
But by the time this footage was shot by the liberating troops, Rudolf Hoss was on the run.
But he was then captured, taken to Nuremberg, and then brought back here --
BELL: -- where he was hanged from these gallows, within sight of his home, that paradise from where he'd run hell.
Melissa Bell, CNN, Auschwitz-Birkenau.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is that?
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VAUSE: SpaceX chief Elon Musk says it's likely a propellant leak caused the Starship spacecraft to disintegrate just moments after launch in Texas.
Video shows burning fragments falling from the sky, briefly delaying commercial airline flights in Florida. No one was aboard the spacecraft, which was set to deploy mock satellites.
SpaceX managed to capture the reusable super-heavy booster rocket with two gigantic arms. There it is, safely back on the pad from where it left. Safe and sound.
The film director David Lynch, a master of surreal and erotic images in the movies, has died at the age of 78.
Lynch gained fame with his haunting TV melodrama "Twin Peaks," about the murder of a homecoming queen and the seedy conspiracy set against a college student's return home in his film "Blue Velvet."
Lynch also plunged an aspiring Hollywood actress into a cryptic underworld in "Mulholland Drive."
His use of bizarre images often left filmgoers searching for meaning, but the film community called him a visionary who won the Palme D'Or at Cannes and received four Oscar nominations.
Lynch had emphysema, but his family gave no cause of death.
Kyle McLaughlin, star of "Twin Peaks" and "Blue Velvet," said Lynch embodied a creative ocean, simply saying, "I will miss him."
I'm John Vause. Thank you for watching. WORLD SPORT starts after a short break. See you back here in 17 minutes.
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