Minutes after President Trump introduced that U.S. airmen had safely left Iranian airspace following profitable strikes on Iran’s nuclear weapon enrichment amenities Saturday night time, CNN’s Clarissa Ward took to CNN Newsroom to gripe about how Trump threw a “curveball” into the plans of European leaders who needed to barter with the regime. She went additional and advised that harmless Iranian individuals have been going to “to pay the results” for Trump’s choice.
“And so, that is type of Pandora’s field,” Ward advised CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, lamenting that efforts from European leaders have been for not:
That is the entire purpose that the Europeans had tried to assemble everybody collectively to take a seat down in Geneva with restricted success, granted, however with some type of a tough framework, at the very least for a path ahead; and with the hope, maybe naively, that this two week timeline meant that there was two weeks to attempt to coalesce some type of consensus round some type of framework.
“But it surely positively throws an actual curveball to anyone who’s concerned in making an attempt to work on the diplomatic element,” she huffed.
Later, Ward warned that the Islamist regime may very well be extra harmful than ever. “[A] wounded canine will be their most harmful once they’re type of on the again foot, when they’re weakened,” she stated.
Ward means that Trump’s choice to take out Iran’s nuclear weapon enrichment amenities will result in harmless Iranian individuals being punished for it.
“Now, the worry is they may face the [regime’s] retaliation of this.” pic.twitter.com/SRdXjPNI0d— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) June 22, 2025
Incorrect. They’d be extra harmful with nuclear bombs.
Ward went on to share the fears of an Iranian journalist she was involved with, suggesting that what occurred may lead the regime to conduct retaliatory assaults on the individuals: “And she or he stated one thing that actually type of struck me. She stated, ‘if the conflict continues, the nation will probably be destroyed. And if it does not, the Islamic Republic will take its revenge on us.’
“And I believe for individuals like this, and there are loads of them on the bottom, this can be a profoundly scary second, as a result of in some methods they will be those to pay the results,” Ward declared. “They’re going to be those to get up tomorrow to a brand new regular with all of the dangers that that entails.”
Including: “And so now the sensation is that they may face the retaliation of this. They might face the wrath of the wounded canine.”
If the regime have been to retaliate towards their very own individuals – in an try and satiate their impotent rage – it could be on them. In charge anybody one else can be a take away the culpability and duty from the perpetrator; like a home abuser saying “have a look at what you made me do.”
The transcript is beneath. Click on “increase” to learn:
CNN Newsroom
June 21, 2025
8:37:32 a.m. Jap(…)
CLARISSA WARD: And so, that is type of Pandora’s field. That is the entire purpose that the Europeans had tried to assemble everybody collectively to take a seat down in Geneva with restricted success, granted, however with some type of a tough framework, at the very least for a path ahead; and with the hope, maybe naively, that this two week timeline meant that there was two weeks to attempt to coalesce some type of consensus round some type of framework.
It is clear now that the 2 weeks was a ruse, and certainly many Israeli officers who we have been speaking to, the extra optimistic ones, had all the time thought that maybe this was a ruse. This was smoke and mirrors to throw individuals off the scent after which go forward and act militarily.
But it surely positively throws an actual curveball to anyone who’s concerned in making an attempt to work on the diplomatic element. And definitely is smart why we have now seen the U.S. Embassy made the choice to shut right here in Jerusalem for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. They have been frantically making an attempt to evacuate individuals in another country, and I believe persons are going to be waking as much as a brand new daybreak, a brand new actuality, a brand new Center East, and an enormous quantity of ambiguity round what comes subsequent.
(…)
8:53:29 p.m. Jap
WARD: And I believe that, you already know, if you discuss to individuals in Iran – and I am truly simply speaking proper now to a lady who’s a journalist inside Iran – that is type of precisely the worry: {that a} wounded canine will be their most harmful once they’re type of on the again foot, when they’re weakened.
I’ve simply been chatting with this lady. I have been speaking to her all through the final couple of weeks, however notably clearly within the final week. She simply messaged me to say, ‘My god, all people’s awake. Everyone’s in shock.’ Clearly’ they have not had web. It is available in in small waves. She’s asking, you already know, ‘what do you suppose goes to occur? How will it proceed?’ And she or he stated one thing that actually type of struck me. She stated, ‘if the conflict continues, the nation will probably be destroyed. And if it does not, the Islamic Republic will take its revenge on us.’
And I believe she speaks for a really particular voice in Iran. But it surely’s an essential voice as a result of it is a voice we’re not listening to a lot of, as a result of there’s a lot worry about talking out in Iran, which is that voice of people that really feel caught within the center, who haven’t any love for the regime and the ayatollahs, who’ve seen their mates and activists killed for actually dancing in YouTube movies. However it’ll additionally haven’t any love for Israel, who are also fierce patriots who resent the very concept of being type of bombed into submission or regime change.
And I believe for individuals like this, and there are loads of them on the bottom, this can be a profoundly scary second, as a result of in some methods they will be those to pay the results. Proper? They’re going to be those to get up tomorrow to a brand new regular with all of the dangers that that entails.
She advised me that persons are being rounded up and arrested as a result of clearly we have now our personal Fred Pleitgen who’s inside Tehran. Whenever you counsel to individuals, ‘would you prefer to attempt to make contact with Fred?’ The reply is like, ‘completely not,’ as a result of there’s such deep worry. There may be such deep worry about speaking to anybody, risking your life.
And so now the sensation is that they may face the retaliation of this. They might face the wrath of the wounded canine.
(…)
