US sees progress in Iran talks, Vance says

US Vice President JD Vance has said that Washington has made progress in negotiations with Iran, expressing optimism about the prospects of reaching a negotiated settlement to end the conflict.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Vance said he had spoken with President Donald Trump about the negotiations an hour earlier and that both were encouraged by the possibility of a diplomatic breakthrough.

“The president and I both feel pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement. We’re going to keep on working at it,” he said.

Vance acknowledged that Iran remained unpredictable but said Washington retained both military and non-military options if diplomatic efforts failed.

“We’ve certainly made some progress. We’ll see if we can make some more,” he added.

Asked whether the US had set a deadline for Iran before resuming military strikes, Vance said no such timeline had been established.

He said Washington’s primary concern was ensuring that Iran did not rebuild its nuclear programme, which he claimed had been destroyed.

“We do think that there is a pathway there, but it really does require a firm commitment and a verifiable commitment that they don’t rebuild that nuclear programme,” Vance said.

His remarks came hours after Trump said Iran wanted to reach an agreement to end the conflict, which is now in its ninth month.

Speaking at the reopening of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, Trump said a deal was possible and claimed Tehran had asked Washington to stop targeting its leaders, adding that the US would comply.

Tensions across the Middle East have remained high since the US and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, prompting Iranian retaliation across the region.

Despite subsequent diplomatic efforts and a memorandum signed by Washington and Tehran in June, disagreements have persisted over security arrangements and navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.