Vance: Iran refusing to acknowledge Trump’s red lines

“The president of the United States is very much trying to find a solution here, whether it’s through diplomatic options or through another option, that means the Iranians cannot have a nuclear weapon.”

By World Israel News Staff

Vice President JD Vance said that the US and Iran had managed to make some progress during the second round of nuclear talks, held in Geneva on Tuesday, while adding that it appears that Iran continues to refuse to recognize the red lines laid out by the Trump administration.

President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and White House special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff represented the US at the Geneva talks, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi led Iran’s delegation.

The two sides claimed that progress was made after the first round of talks in Muscat, Oman, failed to make major inroads.

Speaking with Fox News on Tuesday, Vance said that while there were some signs of progress during the summit, the talks reinforced the impression that Tehran is unwilling to compromise on certain key issues.

“In some ways it went well. They agreed to meet afterward,” Vance said. “But in other ways, it was very clear that the president has set some red lines that the Iranians are not yet willing to actually acknowledge and work through.”

“The president of the United States is very much trying to find a solution here, whether it’s through diplomatic options or through another option, that means the Iranians cannot have a nuclear weapon.”

“We’re going to keep on working it, but of course, the president reserves the ability to say when he thinks that diplomacy has reached its natural end.”

“We hope we don’t get to that point, but if we do, that will be the president’s call.”

Araghchi called the talks “constructive,” telling Iranian television that the two sides were able to draft a set of “guiding principles” for reaching an agreement, with both countries agreeing to hold a third round of talks.

At the same time, however, Iran held a series of naval drills in the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz, shutting down the strait briefly on Tuesday during live-fire exercises.

On Wednesday, the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest military vessel, was spotted passing by Morocco en route to the Middle East, part of the American military buildup in the region.