Vance outlines goals for Iran, says US successfully laid foundation despite ‘whining’ from Tehran
Vice President JD Vance said Monday that U.S. negotiators accomplished every major objective they brought to talks with Iran in Switzerland, dismissing complaints from Tehran and arguing the discussions laid the groundwork for a broader agreement.
“There was a little bit of whining from the Iranians,” Vance told reporters in Switzerland after the high-level talks. “But I think that’s to be expected.”
Despite those tensions, Vance said the negotiations produced concrete results. He outlined four goals the administration set before entering the talks and said all four were achieved.
The first was establishing a mechanism to keep the Strait of Hormuz open and prevent disputes in the strategic shipping lane from escalating into a wider conflict. Vance said oil and gas shipments through the waterway have already increased and that negotiators created a framework to manage future incidents.
The second goal focused on maintaining a regional ceasefire. Vance said U.S. officials worked to establish communication channels that could be used to quickly address flareups involving Israel, Hezbollah or other actors in the region before violence spirals further.
“We wanted to make sure that if there is shooting … we’re actually talking to each other and figuring out how to stop the shooting,” Vance said.
The third objective, and the one Vance said Americans should be most encouraged by, was Iran’s agreement to invite International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors back into the country.
“The Iranians have agreed to invite IAEA inspectors back into their country. That is a major milestone for the American people,” Vance said.
The fourth goal was setting up the technical negotiations that will continue in the coming weeks. Vance said U.S., Iranian, Qatari and Pakistani officials made significant progress establishing the process and oversight structure needed for those talks to move forward.
While portraying the meetings as a success, Vance stressed that negotiators have not yet reached a final agreement.
“The final deal is the house. We set the foundation,” Vance said. “We haven’t built the house, but we’ve laid a successful foundation to get to a good place for the American people.”
Vance acknowledged that major issues remain unresolved, including nuclear and economic matters, but said the administration is confident the talks have moved the process in the right direction.
“A lot of progress, but still some work to do,” he said.
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