NPR News Now: April 6, 2026 — Trump’s Iran Strategy, Artemis Moon Flyby, and a Surprising Shingles Vaccine Finding

President Trump announced he will hold a news conference today in the Oval Office with military leaders to discuss the war in Iran, as the administration’s position on the Strait of Hormuz continues to shift. Meanwhile, Israel confirmed it killed a top Iranian intelligence commander, NASA’s Artemis crew is about to break a distance record on its lunar flyby, a federal judge blocked a Trump administration push for race data from colleges, and a new study suggests the shingles vaccine may slow biological aging.

Trump’s Shifting Stance on the Strait of Hormuz

President Trump now says the Strait of Hormuz must be open by Tuesday “or else,” a sharp reversal from what he said last week. As NPR’s Pierre Moraliason reported, the administration previously claimed the U.S. didn’t need to open the strait, that European allies should handle it themselves, or that the strait would open naturally. “The fact that he goes back and forth so many times gives the impression that Trump is making it up as he goes along and that there isn’t a clear strategy, even when the military strategy may largely be working,” Moraliason said. The inconsistency underscores confusion over U.S. objectives in the conflict, even as military operations continue.