Hello from CNN London! 🇬🇧 I’ll be making my debut as a CNN Anchor & Correspondent very soon… For all stories, keynotes, panels & chats: Ben.hunte@cnn.com or DM ✉️ I can’t wait to explore LGBTQ stories and breaking news from across the world 🏳️‍🌈 🌍

My interview @cnni with @BenInLDN A. Netanyahu’s speech — the bigger problem happened before he spoke The most important moment surrounding Netanyahu’s speech actually happened before he began speaking: a significant number of delegations walked out. That illustrates a broader strategic problem for Israel. Iran is an immediate security challenge, but Israel is also facing a serious erosion of its international standing. Whatever government comes next will have to invest significant political capital in rebuilding Israel’s relationships with the international community. B. Israel’s wars with Iran have not achieved their broader strategic objectives If we measure these conflicts against the objectives Israel itself sought to achieve, the record is deeply problematic. Israel has not brought down the Iranian regime. It has not permanently eliminated Iran’s nuclear capabilities. It has not eliminated Iran’s conventional military capabilities, nor has it ended Tehran’s support for its partners and proxies across the Middle East. What we are seeing today with the Houthis in Yemen is one reminder that Iran’s regional network remains a significant challenge. Tactical and operational achievements should not be confused with achieving the broader strategic objectives of the war. C. The nuclear problem has changed — it has not disappeared There is an important achievement here: Iran is not currently enriching uranium. But the nuclear challenge has not disappeared. The more difficult long-term question is Iran’s motivation. If the confrontation has increased Tehran’s determination to eventually acquire a nuclear weapon, then Israel and the United States may have delayed one dimension of the problem while making another dimension more difficult. Capabilities can be destroyed and rebuilt. Motivation is much harder to eliminate. D. Israel and the Gulf states do not necessarily want the same thing from negotiations Israel is fundamentally skeptical of any agreement that strengthens and stabilizes the same Iranian regime that it would ultimately like to see weakened or replaced. The Strait of Hormuz obviously matters less to Israel, but it matters more to the Gulf states. Their priority is regional stability and avoiding another major confrontation. Reopening and stabilizing Hormuz could also serve the Trump administration if its objective is to reduce pressure on global oil prices. So there is a potential divergence of interests: Washington and the Gulf states may see value in an agreement that produces economic and regional stability, while Israel may worry that the same agreement gives the Iranian regime economic breathing room and ultimately strengthens it. E. Iran’s new proposal does not represent a fundamental change in Tehran’s position The latest Iranian proposal should not be interpreted as Tehran abandoning its core red lines. Iran appears to recognize that President Trump is under increasing political pressure as the midterm elections approach, particularly when it comes to energy prices. Tehran is therefore offering Trump something he has a political incentive to want. But substantively, Iran is still trying to return to a framework resembling the previous memorandum of understanding, an arrangement Tehran believes serves its interests. F. No agreement does not mean continuation of the status quo This may be the most important point for Washington. The current situation is inherently unstable. The United States is applying enormous economic pressure, but Iran has not capitulated. If negotiations fail, we should not automatically assume that the existing situation simply continues. The opposite may be true: the probability of another escalation could increase. That means Washington needs to answer two questions simultaneously: What are the costs of accepting an agreement with Iran and what is the strategy if it rejects one? Because if Tehran concludes that economic pressure will continue indefinitely and diplomacy offers no viable exit, the next Iranian move may not be another negotiating proposal. It may be an attempt to change the equation through escalation. #IranWar‌ #iran

RT @JeffStorobinsky: .@alexplitsas w/ @BenInLDN Ukraine- Russia -What comes next? Kushner & Witkoff to Kyiv- What can be expected ? Iran-…

.@CedricLeighton analyzes the latest exchange of strikes between the U.S. and Iran, the potential for further escalation, and what comes next in the conflict with @BenInLDN on @cnni. August 31, 2026 | 12:03am (ET)

.@CedricLeighton discussing the war in Iran, including the United States' dwindling stockpile of Patriot missiles, as well as Ukraine's strike on an Iranian vessel allegedly transporting military cargo to Russia in the Caspian Sea on @cnni with @BenInLDN July 27, 2026 | 12:22am (ET)

NEW YORK CITY HOMEOWNER 🏡🗽 10 months. 2 bedrooms. Broadway next door. Endless attorney meetings. A pass/fail interview with neighbours (yup). Family illness. A chapter of love ending. Today, I got the keys. NYC welcomed me when I felt like I couldn’t exist. Now it’s a home.

.@CedricLeighton w/ @BenInLDN The latest thinking on Iran 6.29.26 1210 am ET 5 Minutes

Ukraine is paying a terrible price for Russia's battlefield failures. Putin is the only obstacle to peace. We urge @realDonaldTrump to pressure Putin into talks & broker a ceasefire. Watch my @CNN interview with @BenInLDN. ▶️bit.ly/4woSO2Y #StandWithUkraine🇺🇦

Always good to catch up with @BenInLDN on @CNN and @CNNi, and this morning brought the chance to talk #Trump, a late night speech and American democracy from @UniOfSurrey .

RT @JeffStorobinsky: .@NegarMortazavi @fpleitgenCNN w/ @BenInLDN Iranian fury as mourning for their supreme leader continues 10/10 7.6.…

Ayatollah Khamenei’s funeral is more than a religious ceremony. It is the Islamic Republic’s biggest political ritual in decades, projecting messages of continuity, resilience, and defiance to domestic, regional, and international audiences. Joined CNN with @BenInLDN

Joining @CNN's @BenInLDN this morning, I discussed the latest #IranWar‌ escalation, ... piped.video/watch?v=AAUhB1TK… (Note: Apologies for the technical difficulties on CNN's side.)

Happy Pride Month! 🏳️‍🌈 Ten years ago, I started my journalism career reporting on LGBTQ lives. So much has changed since then. What’s giving YOU hope in 2026? This is what just happened on my CNN show 📺

All eyes on US President Trump’s next moves after his Tuesday deadline to Iran, while indicating he wants a deal. My discussion with @BenInLDN on @CNN from @TheNationalNews newsroom

.@CedricLeighton W/ @BenInLDN Latest information on the rescue of our downed serviceman inside Iran 4.5.26 210 am ET

Yesterday talking with @CNN's @BenInLDN on US options for the use of ground forces in the #IranWar‌ and the challenges of opening the Straits of Hormuz. I also talk about the challenges of shallow missile magazine depth for the US and Israel in terms of missile defence capabilities, and the economic inequity of defeating $20,000 Iranian Shaheds with million dollar missile systems.

Always good to start my week on @CNN and @cnni with @BenInLDN talking Trump, DHS and Iran from @SurreyPolitics at @UniOfSurrey. This could be Trump's most dangerous week yet.

RT @JeffStorobinsky: .@CedricLeighton with his latest thoughts from earlier this morning on Iran W/ @BenInLDN 3.23.26 t.co/Gw3ksF…

"President Trump has entangled the U.S. in a war without a clear objective and no exit strategy... Iran has a collective leadership,... but the IRGC is seizing power." Conversation with Mr. @BenInLDN on @cnni (Atlanta) March 16, 2026.

In Iran updated estimates from authorities indicated 600,000 to 1 million households leaving homes to seek safety - hoping this is temporary. An average family size of 3.2 people equals up to 3.2 million individuals now displaced inside the country. Our update with @BenInLDN