NPR News: 06-20-2026 7PM EDT

Jeanine Herbst· Host0:01

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jeanine Herbst. Vice President Vance is heading to Switzerland for talks between US and Iranian negotiators on ending the war President Trump and Israel started more than three months ago. He says Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, are already there. Meanwhile, there is confusion over the status of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran says it's closed because Israel continues its deadly bombing campaign on the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon. But Vance says the strait is open to ship traffic.

J.D. Vance· Soundbite0:33

No, we're not seeing any evidence that the Iranians are still closing down the Strait of Hormuz. There, it is gonna take some time to clear those mines, though.

Jeanine Herbst· Host0:40

Speaking there to Fox News. Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon today killed at least 16 people, including children and a Lebanese army soldier, according to officials. This despite a ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-supported Hezbollah was announced yesterday. NPR's Jane Arraf visited Nabatieh earlier this week, which is still a center of fighting.

Jane Arraf1:00

There is an awful lot of destruction, including downtown in the historic Ottoman-era market, hundreds of years old. All of that was heavily damaged. [footsteps] We met one of the town residents, Najib Ayad, a little further into the city. He was returning briefly to see the damage to his apartment. There was the sound of artillery in the distance. You could see smoke rising. And inside, all the glass had been blown out, including the balcony doors.

Unknown speaker1:27

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