NPR News: 06-21-2026 4AM EDT

Dale Willman· Host0:01

Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman. Vice President Vance is in Switzerland for talks this weekend with Iran. The discussions have been complicated by Iranian claims that it's shutting down the Strait of Hormuz once again. Iran says the tentative deal signed this past week requires Israel to stop its fighting in Lebanon, but it hasn't. Speaking on Fox News Saturday, Vance says the waterway is still fine.

J.D. Vance· Soundbite0:23

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.

Dale Willman· Host0:31

President Trump, meanwhile, is threatening to impose tolls in the strait if a final deal isn't reached within sixty days. EU leaders are split over a top bloc official opening a diplomatic channel to Moscow without consulting them. Terry Schultz reports.

Terry Schultz0:45

European Council President António Costa defends his decision to direct his chief of staff to reach out to the Kremlin despite not having the backing of the twenty-seven EU governments he represents.

António Costa· Soundbite0:55

What I'm doing through my office is to establish a diplomatic channel because we cannot depend only on others to interpret Russian messages, and we must be able to convey directly our own messages.

Terry Schultz1:12

Some countries, including Belgium and Spain, support the move, but French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz were among those rejecting it, saying if and when Moscow gets serious about peace talks, it should be leaders of individual countries like themselves in the lead. For NPR News, I'm Terry Schultz in Brussels.