US VP: “We did make some progress in negotiation with Iran”
US Vice President JD Vance stated on Monday that “we did make some progress in the negotiation” with Iran, which took place in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, even though both sides left without reaching an agreement to end the war.
This came in an interview with Fox News, amid ongoing diplomatic efforts and concerns that fighting could resume within days, especially given the continued tensions over the Strait of Hormuz.
Vance, who led the U.S. negotiating delegation, said: “We’ve made clear where we’re willing again to be accommodating, and we’ve made clear where we absolutely need to see the nuclear material come out of the country of Iran”.
“As for whether we will hold more talks and ultimately reach an agreement, I truly believe the ball is in the Iranians’ court. We’ve put a lot on the table and clearly defined our red lines”, he said.
“The U.S. President has said he would be very happy, if Iran were treated as a normal country, with a normal economy, and if its people were able to prosper”, he added. Vance noted that “what’s interesting about this process is that, as negotiations progressed, we gained some insight into how the Iranians negotiate. Ultimately, that’s why we left Pakistan, because we concluded that they weren’t able to finalize an agreement.
The team there needed to return to Tehran to obtain approval from the Supreme Leader or another authority on the terms we proposed.” Vance concluded that there is a major deal to be made, but it is up to the Iranians to take the next step.
The Pakistan talks ended without an agreement despite strong efforts by mediators, particularly the Pakistani government, which hosted the negotiations. The United States insists its goal is to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, while Tehran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful and denies seeking nuclear arms. – Kuna
