Vice President JD Vance said that the coming weeks could be decisive in US-Iran relations. He said its outcome will depend on how Tehran responds to President Trump’s economic and diplomatic ‘pressure’.
Washington DC [यूएस]July 1 (ANI): Vice President JD Vance said the coming weeks could prove to be a turning point in US-Iran relations. He stressed that its outcome largely depends on how Tehran copes with the economic and diplomatic “pressure” exerted by President Donald Trump.
Appearing on ‘The Michael Knowles Show’ on Tuesday, Vance outlined the administration’s main objectives for West Asia. He made clear that Washington wants nothing less than complete, verified denuclearization as well as a new regional security framework. Vance said, “Could this be a very important historical moment? The answer is clearly yes.” He added, “But again, how this all plays out depends largely on how the Iranians respond to the pressure put on them by the President.”
America’s eye on Iran’s next step
Vance adopted a cautious pragmatism, acknowledging his deep doubts about Iran’s willingness to comply, while also emphasizing that the United States has the upper hand regardless of Tehran’s next move. He said, “If they respond well, I think we’ll look back on this round and say we started a new chapter. Now, a lot of people, including me, are skeptical that that will ultimately happen. And if the Iranians perform poorly or behave badly, I think we still have a lot of strong points to make sure it ends in a good place for the American cause.”
Quoting Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vance urged observers not to draw hasty conclusions about current diplomatic maneuvers, warning that “this is just the tip of the iceberg” and “there’s still a lot of play left to do.” Cautioning against drawing hasty conclusions, Vance said, “I would be very skeptical of what everybody is saying at this point. I think Marco (US Secretary of State Marco Rubio) said this the other day; he said, ‘This is the end of the beginning’. There’s still a lot of game left, and there are still a lot of cards that we’ll see.”
Thinking beyond bilateral deals
The vice president made it clear that Washington is looking beyond a bilateral deal, with the goal of integrating any potential agreement into a broader, multilateral regional treaty. The Administration intends to assess security dynamics across a broad spectrum of regional partners to establish a more stable balance.
Expressing confidence in the Trump administration’s approach, Vance said, “The good thing is that we are served by an administration, we are served by a President of the United States who is constantly trying to figure out how to get the upper hand for the American people. I have a strong belief that ultimately we will look at this moment and say that we have got to a good place. It’s going to take a lot of work, not only in the area of negotiations but in other areas as well.”
Nuclear disarmament and economic interests priority
Outlining Washington’s priorities, Vance said, “We want permanent commitments that are verifiable and supported by inspections that Iran will rid its entire country of nuclear weapons. Well, we’ll see how we get there.”
Addressing key economic concerns, Vance gave an extremely positive update on global energy markets and shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime chokepoint that is often threatened during regional tensions. He said, “We want to see what kind of arrangement actually exists in the Middle East, not only between Iran and the United States, but also between the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council), Israel, Lebanon. We will look at that situation.” He added, “The Strait is open to oil traffic. We are seeing more oil coming out of the Strait of Hormuz, and within a few days, even more oil is coming out of the Strait than before the war started. It will take some time, but you have already seen prices come down significantly.” (ANI)
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