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What We Know with Max Foster
Trump Says He Expects "Ceasefire On All Fronts" As Clock Begins Ticking On U.S.-Iran Negotiating Period; New York Celebrates Knicks Title With Ticker Tape Parade; Hegseth Announces Review Of U.S. Forces In Europe; Clinton, Bush & Biden Attend Dedication For Obama Center. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired June 18, 2026 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:20:55]
MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: I'm just going to interrupt our colleagues there in the US and in Chicago, that extraordinary event, watching the Presidential
Center being open there, and truly extraordinary performances as well. We're all going to remember Stevie Wonder's one from that, but, you know,
big moment as well, and a heart back to the past, as our analysts were saying.
But we'll have more of the world news after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: Tough talks lie ahead between the U.S. and Iran.
This is WHAT WE KNOW.
The clock is now ticking on a new window of opportunity to reach a final peace agreement between the United States and Iran. A 60-day period of
negotiation is underway after the leaders of both countries electronically signed a draft memorandum. Donald Trump just issued a statement saying he
expects a complete ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, Hezbollah, and Israel.
Vice President J.D. Vance said he will lead the U.S. delegation.
[15:25:00]
He says he may head to Switzerland this weekend for a signing ceremony. Vance said both sides are honoring their commitments and U.S. Central
Command now confirms the U.S. has lifted its naval blockade. Vance calls the deal a win for America, rejecting criticism that it gives Iran a
massive windfall in exchange for scaling back its nuclear program. He's also defending Mr. Trump's statement that Iran, classified by the US as a
state sponsor of terror, should be allowed to have some ballistic missiles.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You can't tell a country whether Israel or Iran, they're not allowed to have any self-defense.
That's not what the president has asked. That's not what the president has requested. But as part of the final deal, what we want to see is Iran not
funding regional instability, funding regional terrorism, and, of course, trying to rebuild their nuclear weapons program. That's the main thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: CNN's Nic Robinson following developments for us from Zurich, and I also see that the Ayatollah of Iran are signed up to this. So, I mean, we
are -- there are incremental steps. We're getting there.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, but the steps do feel awfully painful at times, Max. We had the two presidents of -- you
know, President Trump, President Pezeshkian in Iran signing the memorandum last night.
What's expected to happen here tomorrow is that the talks will begin. They'll have the political leadership figures there, J.D. Vance saying that
he's coming to lead the political team on the U.S. side. It's highly expected, but not clear. You know who will be the lead representative on
the Iranian side, but Araghchi and Ghalibaf, the speaker of the parliament, will be and the foreign minister will be the two figures most people would
be expecting.
But as J.D. Vance was asked the question, even on the timing of that, just to give you a sense of the uncertainty here, he said, look, we're planning
to go. We think it's going to be this weekend. Can't say exactly when. And this is even with the clock ticking.
So I think that was significant because it is becoming a very hard sell for the administration to sell this as a positive of people sort of peering
into, particularly Iran being able to get money -- millions, billions of dollars quickly through the waivers that allow it to sell its energy
exports on the global markets. Questions were raised about that.
And he said, look, this is essentially going to be a drop in the ocean of the money that Iran actually needs for a whole reconstruction. So the sell
is that Iran's going to go along with it because it needs the money. I think a lot of experts in the region would say, well, actually, Iran has
demonstrated that it can suffer and shoulder a lot more pain.
But on the issue of the money and where it's going to be spent, you mentioned the ballistic missiles, and he reiterated what President Trump
had said that, you know, Iran has a right to self-defense, can't take away all the ballistic missiles. But he did say on that issue, we don't expect
them to be building essentially more of the long-range ones, and that would be part of the overall final agreement.
But the Iranians, for their part, And in the memorandum of understanding, it doesn't specify ballistic missiles. Neither does it specify the proxies
in the Iran's proxies. There's a point to be discussed within the memorandum of understanding and all that J.D. Vance said, look, we're going
to follow the money. The money that Iran's makes on the oil makes on these energy products will go back into Iran and we're going to track it. We'll
follow it. And if it's see -- if we see it's going to terrorists, dot, dot, dot, there won't be a final agreement.
Which is the way he spoke about the issue of tolls that was also raised this idea that Iran would make money on tolls in the Strait of Hormuz. He
tried to sort of dispel that idea and again saying if they ended up in that situation, then there'd be no final agreement. Again, no big pot of money,
access to cash for Iran in the long term if they don't comply what's put down in the MOU.
FOSTER: I wanted to ask what you thought of the comments Vance also made about Israel it really does feel as though frustration is growing between
these two countries and this reminder that -- you know, this -- you know, the Israeli military wouldn't be able to operate as it does without U.S.
aid and that felt quite threatening.
ROBERTSON: Iran has made it very clear and the memorandum of understanding says that Lebanon is part of the full broad ceasefire. Iran has made it
very clear that if -- if Israel attacks Beirut or big civilian areas, then they would very likely go back on the offensive. So we heard President
Trump yesterday putting pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu several times during his press conference saying Israel has got to do this more softly. Just
because Hezbollah fires a missile into Israel doesn't mean you can go and demolish a whole building inside of Beirut, you know, saying there are
other ways. If there's somebody in that building, you want there's other ways to do it.
[15:30:00]
Really, we got an echo of that from the vice president today, saying Israel has to sort of take a more measured approach, but Hezbollah also has to not
fire missiles. And he said the ambition here is, which was part of the basis of the agreement between Israel and the Lebanese government, which
didn't involve Hezbollah, that the Lebanese army moves into the south of Lebanon and takes control of security there. Polices it, as President Obama
said yesterday, J.D. Vance saying that they would -- they would take control of it.
Again, to experts in the region, to people who understand the difficult dynamics of how weak the Lebanese army is, how strong Hezbollah is, how
everyone's tried to do this for decades, actually. And it hasn't worked, that nothing in that equation, apart from perhaps some additional training
and some perhaps additional money for the Lebanese army, which is yet to be sort of spelt out subsequent to this MOU in detail of how you're going to
get the Lebanese army in a position to be strong enough to do what J.D. Vance is suggesting.
Experts who are so familiar with the region will recognize that that tension that exists between Israel and Hezbollah is not something that's
going to go away. It's something that absolutely, potentially, given a week, given two weeks, given three or four weeks a month or more, has the
potential to really bring a dent into the talks, because violence could flare. It could undermine the ceasefire agreement, put a premature end or
delay into the talks.
And all of that during a high-tension election cycle in Israel, where Prime Minister Netanyahu is trying to do his best to prove that he hasn't been
let down by President Trump, that he has a good relationship with the United States, and that he can still chase down and prosecute attacks
against Israel's enemies, Hezbollah, when they attack Israel.
FOSTER: OK, Nic, thank you so much for joining us from Zurich and back with you as we get more developments, of course.
Meanwhile, New York doesn't like to do things by halves. So, when the Knicks won the NBA title, you just knew the parade was going to be epic.
We'll be there, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:35:26]
FOSTER: Well, good luck getting any work done in New York today. The city has come to a standstill to celebrate the New York Knicks, the first NBA
title in more than 50 years. It's been a part of the atmosphere in New York right through the playoff run, really, culminating in this ticker-tape
parade through Manhattan. Subway stops and bus routes were shut down, with city officials expecting a crowd in the millions.
City Hall earlier, at City Hall earlier, Mayor Zohran Mamdani gave the team the keys to the city. For New Yorkers, this is a moment they've been
dreaming about for years.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I haven't seen anything ever like this before. I got here about 5:50 a.m. Streets are already packed. It's so hard to get
around.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: New York's felt cursed since COVID, and I think now the curse is broken. We can say, go New York, go New York, go.
MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI (D), NEW YORK: We waited without ever knowing if this day would come, and we waited because we knew deep down in our sick
suffering hearts that it would. New York City, this team has done it. The New York Knicks are NBA champions.
(CHEERS)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Joining me now, Annie Simsuangco. She's a Knicks fan who runs a fan group in Houston, Texas, and made it to New York for the parade today.
I mean, you're a long-suffering fan, Annie. I've been got there in the end.
ANNE MARIE SIMSUANGCO, FOUNDER, KNICKS FAN IN HOUSTON: Yes, I've been a fan since '93, '94, when I was 14 years old. You know, living, you know,
through my favorite team. And, you know, I've been waiting years, decades for this to happen. So when it happened, you know, we were actually in San
Antonio when they won game five.
And right after they won, I sat down, went to the Southwest app and went to book tickets for me and my family. And now, we're here for this historical
moment. I'm joyous, like joyous beyond belief.
FOSTER: And not the only ones either. What was it like being in the crowd? Could you see much?
SIMSUANGCO: Honestly, I could not see a thing, to be honest with you, because everybody was just so excited. People were jumping barricades. They
were getting on top of, you know, building ledges. Some I even saw people in trees.
So people would do anything to get an awesome view of the parade. And sadly, we weren't able to see much, but I was trying to -- trying my best
to stream local news stations just so I could see a glimpse of the parade by my phone.
FOSTER: But you were there and your family was there you'll always be able to say that, won't you?
SIMSUANGCO: Yes.
FOSTER: I just -- I saw a description on one of the CNN pages today that this wasn't just New York's win it was America's win. I note that you're
not from New York. So how -- you know, do you -- does that resonate with you with other parts of America behind New York on this one?
SIMSUANGCO: Oh, 100 percent. Actually, my husband and I grew up here in New Jersey, same thing with my kids. And we moved down to Houston.
And just, you know, by forming this group, we were able to gather all the people from back home in Houston and we were able to do watch parties,
gather together, be around people who are from home. And it was just amazing because it created that home environment that all of us were
craving now that we've been in Houston for many, many years, it felt like home to us.
So it was just a wonderful experience. Just experience it with people literally that I just met this year and now we're family.
FOSTER: It's interesting. We've just been watching this celebration President Obama opening his library. And it strikes me that people are
drawn to these moments at the moment because it's some positivity and hope, you know, a bit of the American dream --
SIMSUANGCO: Yes.
FOSTER: -- amongst what is a very tough news agenda right now.
SIMSUANGCO: Oh, for sure. It just, you know, it puts things in perspective that, you know, despite whatever the political climate is, whatever is
happening out there in the world, there are things that do bring us joy. And luckily for all of us, you know, former New Yorkers, there's
transplants all over the U.S., this was our one moment of humongous joy.
And I was just really, really happy that it finally came home to New York. We have the trophy and now we're celebrating it and we're continuing to
celebrate it.
FOSTER: Yeah, well, congratulations. Hopefully it's not. Quite as long a wait for the next one, but maybe it's someone else's turn as well.
[15:40:04]
Annie, thank you.
It is the final moments of trade on Wall Street. Stocks are up the buoyant there as well. It is New York after all. Optimism over the U.S. deal with
Iran, though, seems to be overtaking concern over any lingering concerns with the Fed.
This is our Business Breakout.
Now, with the planned reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, global oil prices are still on the way down, and average U.S. gas prices have dropped just
below $4 a gallon as well. That's about $1.06 a liter. It's been -- it hasn't been that low, actually, since the end of March, so the Straits
closure in late February choking off about 20 percent of the world's oil supply.
In response to rising prices on Apple products, President Trump says he has decided to help Intel. In the post on Truth Social, he said Intel has made
a deal with Apple to start producing computer chips in the U.S. Intel declined to comment, though, and Apple didn't immediately return CNN's
requests for comment either.
After multiple delays, pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto VI will officially begin on June the 25th. This is widely expected to be the biggest video
game of the decade. It's been more than 13 years since Grand Theft Auto V came out, and despite its popularity, the series has faced criticism for
its violence and what many call misogynistic and racist depictions.
Still to come, Japan facing a growing crisis. How police there are trying to crack down on a crime that's being committed by perpetrators as young as
11.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the United States is launching a six-month review of American forces in Europe. During a meeting
today in Brussels, Hegseth said -- well, he also resumed his blistering verbal attacks on his NATO counterparts.
[15:45:02]
But he slammed European allies once again, accusing them of failing to allow U.S. access to their bases during the war with Iran.
Russia says at least 17 people were injured in a Ukrainian drone barrage on Moscow, the largest since the war began. The attack damaged a key oil
refinery and filled the capital sky with a huge plume of black smoke. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the strikes a justified
response after Russia damaged an historic monastery in Kyiv earlier this week. The Kremlin says Russian air defenses shot down nearly 200 drones.
Now in Japan, parents and police are fighting back against an alarming rise in cases of upskirting. That's when some commit voyeurism, targeting
children for fun or for profits on the dark web.
More from CNN's Hanako Montgomery in Tokyo. We warn you, the content of this story is disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On Japanese social media, videos like these are posted daily. Ordinary citizens chasing
strangers caught perversely filming others without consent, a crime also known as upskirting.
In Japan, upskirting is one of the most common sex crimes police make arrests for.
MONTGOMERY: Most cases happen in public spaces, like on escalators or on train platforms, but now the crime is increasingly happening inside
schools.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): My daughter was photographed in her swimsuit. He moved her swimsuit, covering her lower body, to expose her
genitals.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Suzuki's daughter was six when she was upskirted. The perpetrator was her swim teacher, who took child sexual abuse photos
and videos over 10 years.
The judgment we obtained also details how her teacher distributed materials to other pedophiles, an act that earned such criminals a grim nickname
online, Kami, or God. He was sentenced to four years in prison, a punishment Suzuki feels is too lenient.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): There's always the possibility that one day in my daughter's life, that video could resurface. I feel
ashamed that we put her in that situation, and I feel angry towards the man who committed that crime. I can never forgive him.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Experts, like Sumire Nagamori, tell us that, under Japan's current legal framework, voyeurism involving children is
often not prosecuted as child sexual abuse, avoiding far heavier criminal sentences.
SUMIRE NAGAMORI, DIGITAL SAFETY ACTIVIST (through translator): I feel that Japan is an environment that allows children to become objects of sexual
desire.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Sumire reports child abuse materials found online to the police. They're sold in private chats on social media platforms,
like Discord or Telegram. Easily accessible spaces if you just have the link.
MONTGOMERY: We're going through a Telegram chat right now, and there's absolutely no question that these victims are minors. In one video, you see
a toddler, a boy toddler, with his genitals out. And this video is less than a minute long, and it's being sold for about three dollars.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Perpetrators, Sumire says, are usually adults, but a growing number are children themselves, even filming their own
siblings to make money.
NAGAMORI (through translator): Before they can tell between right and wrong, they have devices in their hands that allow them to commit abusive
acts.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Police data shows reported cases of voyeurism committed by minors increased nearly six-fold in 2024, compared to the year
before. Authorities say that the rise is the result of a tougher crackdown and new national laws. But with smartphones everywhere, it's also a crime
that's easier than ever to commit and repeat.
But I wanted to understand why more young people are carrying out these acts, so we spent months investigating, until we found someone willing to
talk.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): After getting away with it once and feeling that rush afterwards, I wanted to feel it again.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Kimira was 15 when he first watched Upskirting pornography, adult actors who turned the crime into a sexual fantasy. But
soon, he says, the reenactments weren't arousing enough.
Two years later, at 17, he upskirted his first victim. He filmed about 30 more girls over a year.
MONTGOMERY: Do you feel guilty at all about the fact that you can go on with your life, go to school, have a normal life, and these victims will
always remember that they were targeted by you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I really feel sorry. I feel like I have to make sure I never forget what I did.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): He's since undergone mandatory programs for crime prevention and reeducation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They don't really see women as human beings. They might view them as objects, as characters, or even
something untouchable.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Kimura only stopped when police caught him trespassing, stealing a woman's underwear from a clothesline.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): If I hadn't got caught at the time, I might have raped someone within a year or two.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): For perpetrators, upskirting is a fleeting thrill, easy to commit, often unnoticed. But for the millions it violates,
the images can leave a permanent digital scar, one that haunts them for years.
Hanako Montgomery, CNN, Tokyo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Our thanks to Hanako for that report from Tokyo.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: The star-studded ceremony opening ceremony today for the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. John Legend amongst the several big names
who perform there.
The long-awaited center which opens to the public Friday is an $850 million complex meant to serve as a center for civic life and culture and honor
Barack Obama as the 44th president. All living former presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Joe Biden, they're in attendance. But current
President Donald Trump not invited.
Obama addressed the crowd.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Democracy can be frustrating. It can be slow. It can be inefficient. And yet more than anything, I hope this
center will serve as an affirmation of just how special, how precious our democracy truly is, and remind us what we can achieve when we embrace our
shared responsibilities as citizens.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[15:55:18]
FOSTER: Finally tonight, we are one week into the FIFA World Cup with a second group games currently underway, the Czech Republic in South Africa
playing out a 1-1 draw. The Czechs scored early, but the late penalty to South Africa gave both teams their first point of the tournament.
Switzerland is locked in a battle against Bosnia and Herzegovina right now. That game is currently goalless.
Later today, Canada will face Qatar. Mexico will take on South Korea, which will be a good one.
I'm Max Foster. That's WHAT WE KNOW. Do stay with CNN.
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