US Vice President JD Vance said Iran wants a deal and knows a nuclear weapon is a 'red line' for Washington. He asserted the US is negotiating in good faith, but President Donald Trump is prepared for stronger action if talks fail.
US Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday (local time) said that Iran wants to reach an agreement with the United States and acknowledged that developing a nuclear weapon remains a "red line" for Washington.
Addressing reporters, Vance said the outcome of the negotiations would only become clear once a formal agreement is reached, while asserting that the US is negotiating in good faith. "What I think is that the Iranians want to make a deal, Iranians recognise that a nuclear weapon is the red line for the United States of America...But we're not going to know until we're actually putting pen to paper on signing a deal...It's ultimately up to the Iranians whether they are willing to meet us, because I think we're certainly doing a good job and we're certainly negotiating in good faith. We're going to have to see what ultimately happens with them. I can't say with confidence because I don't know what's in the mind of the other side," said JD Vance.
Trump 'locked and loaded' if talks fail
Vance further stated that the United States would not accept any agreement that permits Iran to possess nuclear weapons, warning that President Donald Trump is prepared to take stronger action if necessary. The US Vice President also cautioned that a nuclear-armed Iran could trigger a wider global nuclear arms race. "We are not going to have a deal that allows the Iranians to have a nuclear weapon -- so as President Donald Trump just told me, we're locked and loaded. We don't want to go down that pathway, but the President is willing and able to go down that pathway if we have to. Iran can never have a nuclear weapon... Iran would really be the first domino in what would set off a nuclear arms race all over the world. That's very, very bad for the safety of our country," VP Vance said.
Vance questions Iran's internal direction
Saying that Iran is "also a fractured country", Vance also raised doubts over whether Iranian leaders are clear on what exactly they want, adding, "I think you see that conflict; the fact that maybe the Iranians aren't themselves quite clear in what direction they want to go. They are also just a fractured country."
Call for long-term nuclear commitment
The Vice President said that the commitment to not have a nuclear weapon should be a long-term one with processes in place, well after Donald Trump's presidency is over. "We want to see not just the commitment to not have a nuclear weapon, but the commitment to work with us on a process to ensure that not just now--not just when Donald Trump is POTUS--but years down the road, that the Iranians are not rebuilding that nuclear capability," he said.
US military strike on Iran halted
The remarks come after US President Donald Trump on Monday announced to hold America's "planned attack" on Iran following appeals from leaders from the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, hoping of achieving a peace deal with Tehran and ongoing negotiations.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, in a dramatic disclosure from the White House, US President Donald Trump revealed that the United States came within sixty minutes of launching a fresh military strike on Iran. The operation, which had naval warships armed and ready, was temporarily halted following a potential diplomatic breakthrough. Speaking at the White House, Trump warned that the US could still deliver "another big hit" if negotiations to end the two-month conflict fail to produce a peace deal. The US President clarified that he was giving Iran "a limited period of time" to strike a nuclear deal, warning that Washington would not allow Tehran to develop atomic weapons. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)