US Vice President JD Vance has said that Iran's public denials of ongoing talks amount to a “Persian negotiating tactic,” while confirming that technical talks between Washington and Tehran are underway.
“There were scheduled talks, really technical talks, building on the negotiation that we've already had. Those are definitely happening tomorrow,” Vance said during an interview on “The Michael Knowles Show” that was released on Tuesday.
He said he found Tehran's public statements "fascinating and frustrating," noting that Iranian officials deny peace talks while acknowledging technical discussions.
"They'll say, 'No, no, there aren't peace talks ongoing, but there are technical talks between the United States and Iran about the peace deal.' It's a Persian negotiating tactic and a Persian rhetorical device that I don't understand," he said.
In a separate interview with FOX News, Vance said Washington was focused on Iranian actions rather than their words, arguing that meaningful progress in the negotiations required Tehran to offer "real concessions."
"We see some positive signs, obviously. We see some negative signs. What the president has told us is (to) work the problem, see where the negotiation is going to lead, and if it doesn't lead to a successful resolution on the diplomatic side, we still have a lot of optionality," he added.
“No direct talks with Washington”
White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner travelled to Doha after US President Trump announced that Iran requested a meeting in the Qatari capital.
Iran, however, has denied that any direct talks with Washington are scheduled, while saying consultations with intermediaries continue.
“What will be done in Doha tomorrow (Wednesday) is a discussion about the implementation of clauses of the memorandum of understanding (MoU), including the release of Iran’s frozen assets, which is with the Qatari side,” said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei.
Separately, a senior US official said Witkoff and Kushner will meet Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani and other mediators in Doha to continue regional dialogue on the agreement.
Addressing criticism of the US administration's deal with Iran, Vance defended Trump's approach, saying the president has demonstrated a willingness to use military force when necessary but only to achieve specific objectives.
"Their attitude is just drop bombs and drop bombs and drop bombs, and they can't really articulate to what end," Vance said of critics.
"The president is saying, 'I'm willing to drop bombs,' and he's clearly shown that he's willing to drop bombs, but only if it serves an objective."
The MoU between Washington and Tehran, under Pakistani mediation, took effect on June 18 after being electronically signed by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Trump.
