Full transcript of "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," June 21, 2026

Vice President J.D. Vance is spearheading historic talks with Iran concerning its nuclear program, a critical initiative aimed at preventing economic disaster stemming from the ongoing shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz. The negotiations occur within a 60-day window established after President Trump agreed to a truce, presenting a daunting challenge for the administration.

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You can do a little softer touch, Bibi. You don't have to knock down a building every time somebody walks into it that's from Hezbollah.

However, the Trump administration is encountering significant pushback regarding the terms of the agreement with Iran. Critics argue that the deal, intended to resolve the nearly four-month conflict and reopen vital shipping lanes, falls considerably short of the administration's initial objectives. Some allies and adversaries alike suggest that President Trump may have conceded too much.

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You can't just kill your way out of solving every single national security problem that you have.

Adding to the complex foreign policy landscape, tensions are escalating between the United States and the Netanyahu government in Israel. This friction arises from Israel's military actions in Lebanon, which have prompted unusually strong public criticism from the Trump administration, a rare move against a close ally.

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I do not want a theocratic lunatic who wants to kill us to have weapons to enable him to kill us.

Within the U.S., President Trump is also facing political pressure from key Republicans. Some senators express strong opposition to the administration's perceived backtracking on issues such as Iran possessing ballistic missiles, with one senator labeling the current foreign policy approach as a significant blunder. The administration's outreach to Iran, extending an "outstretched hand," is contingent on Iran's leadership ceasing its role as a driver of regional instability and abandoning its nuclear weapons ambitions.

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What the president has asked us to do is turn over a new leaf to transform our relationship with the people of Iran and to extend an outstretched hand that says to the people of Iran that, if your leadership is willing to give up being a driver of regional instability, if they are willing to give up nuclear weapons ambitions for the long term, then the United States