Vice President JD Vance conceded Wednesday that the two-week cease-fire is a “fragile truce” because of “lying” Iranian leaders — with President Trump “impatient” to make a concrete deal to end the war.
Vance, who was speaking at an event in Hungary, insisted a deal was possible if Iran negotiated sincerely and noted Trump had already instructed his team to engage the Iranians in “good faith.”
“He’s told us to come to the negotiating table. But if the Iranians don’t do the exact same thing, they’re going to find out that the president of the United States is not one to mess around,” Vance said.
“He’s impatient. He’s impatient to make progress. He has told us to negotiate in good faith, and I think if they negotiate in good faith, we will be able to find a deal. But that’s a big if, and ultimately, it’s up to the Iranians how they negotiate. I hope they make the right decision.”
Vance cautioned the deal that the US struck with Iran was being misrepresented within the Islamic Republic, describing it as a “fragile truce.”
“You have people who are lying about even the fragile truce that we’ve already struck,” Vance said of the way talks were being twisted in Iran.
He didn’t elaborate further beyond saying the agreement included a cease-fire, plans to negotiate and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz.
He cautioned, too, that some parts of the Iranian system were approaching the talks constructively, but others were not.
It comes after Trump revealed late Tuesday that the US and Iran have agreed to a two-week cease-fire brokered by Pakistan.
The deal was reached just two hours before a deadline he had set for Iran to open the blockaded Strait of Hormuz or face the destruction of its “whole civilization.”
Vance said the US was prepared to use “extraordinary economic leverage” to reach the deal, but Trump had instructed his negotiating team “not to use those tools.”
With Post wires
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