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Vance Departs Switzerland as He Touts Progress in Peace Talks; Iran to Allow Nuclear Inspectors Back Into Country; Trump-Backed De La Espriella Wins Preliminary Count in Colombian Presidential Runoff; Fireworks Stand Goes Up in Flames, Detonates Fireworks; Serena Williams Will Play Singles at Wimbledon as a Wild Card; Messi Becomes World Cup's All-Time Scoring Leader; Team USA Soccer Moves on to the Knockout Round; Music Industry Mourns Legend Clive Davis. Aired 1:30- 2p ET

Aired June 22, 2026 - 13:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[13:31:34]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": We continue to follow major new developments on the opening round of peace talks between the United States and Iran. Vice President J.D. Vance will soon be on his way home from Switzerland after saying this weekend led to a foundation for a deal. Vance also says that Iran agreed to allow nuclear monitors back into their country, something he described as a major milestone.

The U.S. also lifted sanctions for 60 days on Iranian oil. Let's discuss with Republican Congressman Michael Baumgartner of Washington State. He's a member of the House Judiciary and Foreign Affairs Committees.

Congressman, thank you so much for being with us. First, I wonder if you see Iran agreeing to admit these inspectors as a milestone. Isn't that just returning to the baseline that Tehran already had agreed to under Obama's nuclear deal?

REP. MICHAEL BAUMGARTNER, (R-WA) HOUSE JUDICIARY AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEES: Well, I think America is in a much, much stronger position after what's happened in the last 12 months. And Iran is a much, much weaker position. So I look forward to being briefed on the details of the MOU. And I think there's every reason to expect that the Trump administration that was so strict and harsh on the Iranian regime over the last 12 months will continue to negotiate in that same spirit.

So I do not think it is the same position we were in with Obama and the JCPOA.

SANCHEZ: Notably, Iran has only agreed to let them in. Inspectors are not yet in the country. We don't know what they're going to have access to. And yet today, the administration signed a 60-day waiver allowing Iran to make billions of dollars in oil sales. What is stopping Tehran from using that money to replenish depleted weapons, to support Hezbollah, et cetera?

BAUMGARTNER: Well, it would have been my preference that the U.S. would have maintained its blockade of Iranian oil. I think we were choking out the economic lifeblood of the IRCG. That would put additional pressure on Iran. But I also realize the realities of this five-month window of leverage with the upcoming elections, the impacts on global oil prices.

So the administration, again, no one has been tougher on Iran than President Trump. He's the one that put Qasem Soleimani in the dirt, put the Ayatollah in the dirt, and buried their nuclear program under a mountain of dirt. So I think he has a lot of credibility. I don't think he's going to get bamboozled by the Iranian regime. So we'll see what happens the next 60 days. There are some political realities here, but I think America is in a strong position and we have a lot of tools at our disposal.

SANCHEZ: If that is the case, then why take these steps where it seems like the U.S. is offering Iran concessions in the form of the unfrozen assets, billions of dollars there that Iran will have access to, the $300 billion reconstruction fund, as well as lifting of oil sanctions. I mean, that is a huge concession that the United States is offering in the form of financial incentive. But Iran has essentially only agreed to leave the Strait of Hormuz open until they say it's closed, and then also to allow inspectors in, the details of which we don't really have right now. Do you believe that the U.S. is in a stronger position now because of that?

BAUMGARTNER: Well, if you think of Iran as a garden, you know, essentially in the last 12 months, you've heard the term mowing the lawn, where we've reduced their ballistic missile program, knocked back their proxies. You know, we still have some weeds there in the IRCG, which are about 10 to 20 percent of the population. And, you know -- and in the best case, you know, this deal will allow some flowers to bloom, to bring forth a different Iranian regime. I don't think anyone should be naive on that.

[13:35:00]

You know, this is the same Iranian government that has chanted 'death to America' for nearly 50 years. But I think the administration is saying, let's give these negotiations a chance. In the next 60 days, let's bring down global oil prices and what is a short-term window to do that where that will have some impact on the American political cycle and then we still have the full array of options that are disposable.

There are still numerous American military bases in the Middle East and we can -- we have demonstrated that we can choke out Iran's economy and cause significant destruction to the IRCG at very little cost to the U.S. over the last several months. So we'll still have those options 60 days from here.

But again, no one has been stronger on Iran than President Trump and I think there's every reason to believe that over the next 60 days that our negotiators will negotiate just as hard as they did as we took action over the previous 12 months.

SANCHEZ: On the question, sir, of unfreezing billions in Iranian assets, J.D. Vance has argued that the money will be routed through U.S.-approved purchases to help American farmers. He called it a very Trump deal. Is that the right way to handle those assets?

BAUMGARTNER: Well, I look forward to getting briefed on that in Congress. I also heard the vice president say if that were to happen, if several times, so we'll look forward to those details. But, look, Iran having a nuclear weapon would be like Osama bin Laden or Adolf Hitler having a nuclear weapon. This is a tier-one problem for the U.S. because it not only --

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SANCHEZ: Congressman, so sorry to interrupt you, sir. But the vice president is speaking in Switzerland right now. So we're going to go ahead and listen in. Here's J.D. Vance.

J.D. VANCE, (R) VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: The fundamental thing we got is, number one, we set up the mechanism to ensure not only the Straits of Hormuz are open, but will stay open. We saw we think about 15 million barrels of oil come out. That's one of the reasons why oil is so low right now. Obviously, that means lower gas prices and gas prices are going to keep coming down.

Number two, we actually set up the right mechanism to ensure the regional ceasefire to manage the inevitable conflicts that will come up. We feel great about that. We're working with our allies from the Israelis to the Gulf Arabs to make sure that sticks and we feel very, very good about where that is.

We have the Iranians allowing weapons inspectors, nuclear inspectors into their country for the first time in a long time. We're obviously going to bolster those inspect -- that inspection regime to make sure they can never have a nuclear weapon. And finally, we continue to make progress on these technical negotiations.

We left a lot of our team, the Iranians left a lot of their team at the resort there to keep on working at it. So all in all, a very productive 36 hours. We're going to have to keep working it.

The last point that I'll make is, as I told you all this morning, this is laying a foundation for what could be a truly transformed Middle East. But we haven't built the house yet. We're going to have to keep on building and that's what we'll do.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just in terms of the negotiations, you've said before that you don't -- you've been cautious on these negotiations that you've like always -- you believe that people are not always acting in good faith. Have things changed over the past 36 hours during your meeting with Iran and the other mediaries?

VANCE: No, all I mean is, look, whether good faith or bad faith, you can't trust anybody's words. You have to trust what they actually do. Letting in the inspectors is a big deal. But again, we're going to see what they actually let the inspectors do once they're in the country. That's going to continually be a part of our negotiation.

So my point is not that I trust or distrust anybody. My point is that I trust actions. And what the president has asked us to do is verify what they're doing, focus less on what they're saying.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sir, you mentioned conditions for the Iranians to get these frozen funds.

VANCE: Sure.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- to buy American soy, for example. Is that something that was raised yesterday that they've already agreed to? The Iranians have already agreed to that?

VANCE: Yeah, that was something that came up yesterday. And we actually asked the Qataris to help us set up the mechanism, so that we could ensure that the money goes where we want it to go. And they agreed to do that.

We have a good relationship, obviously, with them and a good operational oversight mechanism in place. But even with that said, even with the caveat that it's going to benefit American farmers and obviously benefit the people of Iran, we want both. But fundamentally, that money is not going to be unfrozen unless we continue to see progress. And that'll obviously be a big part of the negotiation in the days to come.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sir, very quickly, there was a moment yesterday when Araghchi came into the room and did not greet you. You guys did not shake hands, and then he walked out of the room. Did you feel snubbed by that? Did you feel it was an intentional move on their part? How did you interpret what happened?

VANCE: No, I mean, I -- trust me, I've spent a lot of time dealing with the Iranians over the last few months. Sometimes I find them extremely confusing as negotiators. But, look, we had a little press conference. They obviously don't quite have the same First Amendment protections in Iran that we have in the United States of America.

We talked to you guys and then had a series of really good meetings. What I did find kind of funny is that after that initial meeting, there was this, you know, sort of social media firestorm where everybody said the Iranians are going to leave, and then we proceeded to talk to them for like the next nine hours. So, I would just encourage the media, mistrust a little bit what you see coming out of Iranian social media.

[13:40:00]

They can be confusing negotiators, but we feel like we're making progress.

Thank you, guys. Take care.

SANCHEZ: That was Vice President J.D. Vance as he departs Switzerland following a weekend of discussions with Iranian negotiators and the United States, involving the Qataris as well as the Pakistanis, we should point out.

Let's get back to Congressman Michael Baumgartner of the state of Washington. Congressman, so sorry to interrupt what you were saying, but obviously the vice president was speaking there. He described it as a very productive 36 hours, saying that the U.S. was laying the foundation, though there was going to keep -- they were going to keep working it. He also described the Iranians as extremely confusing negotiators. What do you make of that statement from the vice president? I see you chuckling there.

BAUMGARTNER: Well, the key thing the vice president said was actions, not words, and we need to see verifiable actions from the Iranians. I think he also made an important point that they have their own domestic political constituency and they're continuing to run information operations through social media. And there needs to be a great deal of caution.

But look, big picture in all this stuff is that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. It would set off proliferation throughout the region. Very likely, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and probably Egypt would get nuclear weapons and you would have a terrorist group in Iran with nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons throughout a very troubled region.

So we're in a much better place than we were 12 months to help that -- stop that happen. And Congress will look forward to what the administration brings forward. I hope J.D. Vance is right when he's talking this optimistic tone about the potential for a breakthrough here.

I think all of us are going to be cautious towards that and it will be actions, not words, that we want to see from the Iranians.

SANCHEZ: Congressman Michael Baumgartner, we have to leave the conversation there. We very much appreciate your time.

BAUMGARTNER: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Stay with CNN. We'll be right back.

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[13:46:32]

SANCHEZ: Now to some of the other headlines we're watching this hour, Colombia's National Registry says that right-wing populist candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, who was endorsed by President Trump, has won the preliminary count in the country's presidential runoff election. De la Espriella ran on a more hardline approach to security, promising a military offensive on armed groups and an iron fist approach to crime and corruption.

Final results could take days to become official in what is an incredibly tight race against the leftist-backed government candidate, Ivan Cepeda. Official numbers indicate less than one percent of votes separate the two. That's under 250,000 ballots. Colombia now becomes the latest country in Latin America to show a shift to the right. A far-right and center-right governments now hold power in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Honduras.

Plus, this is not some overzealous person celebrating the 4th of July too soon. This is a fire at a firework stand, which caused a dangerous problem in Oklahoma. The flames set off a large supply of fireworks that were for sale. Fortunately, no one was hurt. It did take crews about 20 minutes to put the fire out amid that spectacle and show. The cause of the fire is now under investigation.

And the court comeback is only getting better for Serena Williams. She will play singles at Wimbledon after accepting a wild card invitation. The move comes after the 44-year-old recently returned to competition in doubles after nearly four years away from professional tennis. Last week, she accepted a wild card for the Wimbledon doubles competition with older sister, Venus. The tournament starts one week from today. Brianna?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": From one GOAT to another, Lionel Messi cementing his place in history. He has just become the World Cup's all-time scoring leader. He just scored, putting Argentina up 1-0 against Austria. And as Messi secures his place in the history books, a few teams are upending the status quo at this tournament.

One of those Cinderella stories, of course, is Cape Verde, which once again stunned a blue blood. First, it was Spain. And this time, Cape Verde battled Uruguay to a 2-2 draw to capture their second straight point and elevate their chances of moving on to the knockout round, which was really quite unimaginable that that could happen at the beginning of this tournament.

Another surprise team keeping their hopes alive, Iran. They held Belgium to a scoreless draw. While their gritty on-the-field play is surprising many, it is their locker room note left after this match that is really stealing headlines. You may recall that because of the war, the Iranians are under tight travel restrictions. They are being forced to stay and train in Mexico, and then commute across the border for games.

They left a thank you note for their World Cup host city, and it says, quote, "We came to Los Angeles with pride, competed with honor, and leave with dignity. Thank you, Los Angeles, for your hospitality." The players also went on to thank their supporters. They talked about peace, respect, and friendship among all nations, which obviously is significant at this point in time.

With us now to talk more about all things World Cup is Briana Scurry. She was the goalkeeper, of course, for the iconic 1999 U.S. women's soccer team that won in the World Cup in a dramatic fashion here on home soil. She's also a two-time Olympic gold medalist.

[13:50:00]

Briana, thank you so much for being with us. We have to start with this news. Messi just hitting this goal of this record of 17 goals. How are you seeing this run that he's on and this record? BRIANA SCURRY, WORLD CUP SOCCER CHAMPION: I have to say I mean who's better than Messi? I mean, that just shows you in my opinion how wonderful game of football is. I mean, Messi is 5'8" and he is the most prolific player in the game today.

I mean, this is just absolutely amazing. He just scores goals by the -- by one after another after another in the most important games in the biggest stage. And he truly is in the running to do the first thing that's ever been done before and that is to win back-to-back.

KEILAR: Yeah, and this I mean everyone loves a David and Goliath story, right? I think we expected these big things out of Lionel Messi, but watching Cape Verde make this amazing run, how are you seeing this?

SCURRY: It has been absolutely fantastic. I have to admit that my family and I were watching that game unfold yesterday afternoon in the house and we were just holding on by a thread like everybody else was, hoping Cape Verde would do either, get that point or maybe get that win. And that's the amazing thing about football.

It is truly a great equalizer and you can have all these teams come in and play on this biggest stage of the world and do some amazing things for their country. And so Cape Verde is a great example of that and a team that no one had ever heard of and now they are international darlings and I just love it.

KEILAR: And I know you watch the goalkeepers like a goalkeeper, of course, so different from the way a lot of us might watch and also the drama though, and this is really interesting. I mean, it must have been pretty emotional for this goalkeeper. So much pressure on this team because his mom was facing visa issues, but then ultimately, she was able to watch him play yesterday.

What does that do when you're under that much pressure and you do have your family and friends there watching you play, you know, they're there backing you up?

SCURRY: I have to tell you as a goalkeeper, you obviously have a ton of pressure like you mentioned, but when you have your people around you actually there to see you at your best and finally achieving that dream that you've had your entire life and sharing that with them, it's amazing what you can do with that. And so they are punching way above their weight class and because of that, they are really inspiring so many people all over the world.

And so I'm not surprised that that goalkeeper is having the game of his life, the tournament of his life, having his mom there to see it happen in real time. I'm sure she's incredibly proud of her son.

KEILAR: I've been reading this note, looking at the handwritten version that Iran's team wrote after their match with Belgium and you know, this is the thing even though their play is capturing a lot of attention. This note is capturing a lot of attention. And also it does have the reference to the 168, which is largely the school children who were killed early on in the war. But this is a message of thanks. It's a message calling for peace, respect and friendship to prevail among all nations. What's the importance of something like this and how being in this kind of forum in the World Cup, it's obviously about more than soccer or football.

SCURRY: Soccer is a beautiful game and it's the world's game. It truly belongs to everyone. And in so many different countries around the world, you have this game in -- really representing their country incredibly well. They are truly punching above their pay grade as well.

And so when you have a situation where you have this enormous stage and you are out there playing the game and making your country proud, I appreciate not only that effort because this is what soccer is all about in my opinion, but also the gratitude and the appreciation that those players have for the game itself, and putting themselves in this situation and able to just shine right through it and also have some grace in the process.

KEILAR: And another big win, of course, from Team USA on Friday. What should we be looking for here? How far do you have them going?

SCURRY: I tell you what, this team is absolutely electric. I mean, they've come out of the gate, two huge wins and a zero in the goals against category. And so I truly expect them to continue to go. I think it's been fantastic and the sky's the limit at this point. I mean, this World Cup, in my opinion now, is truly up for grabs.

I think the team is going to maybe rest some players in this next game, coming up with players that have either a couple of yellow cards here and there or injuries and get that team ready for that Round of 32.

[13:55:10]

But I want to keep it going, and I think the guys are playing incredibly well, and they're really representing themselves and this country in a fine manner in this World Cup.

KEILAR: Briana Scurry, great to speak with you. Good to see you again. Thank you so much for joining us to talk about the World Cup.

SCURRY: Thanks for having me. Appreciate you. Thank you.

KEILAR: Ahead on "CNN News Central," music icon and legendary producer, Clive Davis has died. Davis played a critical role in saxophonist Kenny G's career, and Kenny G will be joining us just minutes from now.

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