NPR News: 07-18-2026 12PM EDT
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Noor Rahm.
How has Iran affected commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz recently?
Iran has kept effective its control over the Strait of Hormuz in the past few days. NPR's Emily Fang reports the number of ships able to pass through the waterway is at a three-week low.
The U.S. has been encouraging ships to use a southern passage in the Strait of Hormuz that hugs the coast of Oman. But ship data shows vessels have not been taking that route in the last three days. And of the handful of ships transiting the strait this week, about half are Iranian-flagged ships. On Saturday, Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had taken down two oil tankers with mines in the strait, a claim U.S. CENTCOM said was false. But the uncertainty about the safety of the strait has continued to stop commercial ships and their insurance companies from taking the risky route. Iran continues to share details of the tolls it says it is charging vessels to cross and said this weekend it had proposed a new rule for an environmental fee on ships.
Emily Fang, NPR News.
The U.S. and Iran traded airstrikes last night for the seventh consecutive night. The U.S.
What evidence explains ship routing and safety concerns in the Strait of Hormuz?
said it struck military and surveillance sites across Iran, while Iran hit U.S. sites in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan. At least seven people have died following another wave of drone attacks carried out by Ukraine against Russia. Ukraine has increased its attacks on the Russian interior in what it says is an attempt to force an end to the war. NPR's Charles Maines reports from Moscow.
The deaths and injuries occurred after Ukrainian drones struck two warehouses belonging to the online retailer Wildberries. That's Russia's equivalent of Amazon.com, as workers toiled on the night shift. In the Tambov region, about 300 miles southeast of the capital, The local governor said Russian air defenses had downed more than two dozen drones on approach to the warehouse, preventing further loss of life. Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Moscow, the drones left a second warehouse ablaze, sending huge plumes of black smoke skyward. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later issued a statement saying the warehouses contained parts for Russian attack drones, a claim that NPR could not independently verify.
Charles Mainz, NPR News, Moscow.
Tens of millions of people across the eastern U.S. are again dealing with smoke from Canadian wildfires today. NPR's John Stolnes reports, forecasters say air quality could begin improving later today.
Smoke will be present for much of the Great Lakes, northeast and mid-Atlantic regions, but relief is on the way today. National Weather Service meteorologist Frank Pereira says a string of heavy storms will help. We are expecting a break, some clear air spreading down. across the northeast behind that. Pereira says the storms are expected to sweep much of the smoke up into New England. Hundreds of wildfires continue to burn in Canada, and forecasters say more wildfire smoke could return next week. John Stolnes, NPR News.
This is NPR News in Washington. Firefighters in southern Norway are trying to contain a major fire that already has destroyed more than 100 homes. It began in a townhouse yesterday, spread to other buildings and into nearby forests. Hundreds of people sought shelter in evacuation centers. The World Health Organization says El Salvador has eliminated a public health problem. NPR's Fatma Tanis reports the disease trucoma is the leading global cause of blindness.
El Salvador is the first country in Central America to achieve this milestone, according to the WHO. For the past few years, the country has worked on a multi-sector approach to reach this goal, including strengthening primary health care systems, improving water, sanitation and hygiene for the public, It also trained health staff and increased screening and surveillance. The WHO says trachoma is strongly associated with poverty and lack of access to basic services. It remains endemic in some of the world's most vulnerable communities and can devastate social and economic prospects, such as in the rural and remote areas of Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, and Peru.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:04
2
How has Iran affected commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz recently?
0:04–1:06
3
What evidence explains ship routing and safety concerns in the Strait of Hormuz?
1:06–4:54
4
Why did U.S. and Iran exchange airstrikes and where were targets located?
4:54–5:04