US President Donald Trump is "eager" to make progress towards ending the war with Iran and has instructed his negotiating team to negotiate honestly with the Iranians, Vice President J.D. Vance said on Wednesday.
Speaking at an event in Budapest during a visit to Hungary, Vance said a deal was possible if Iran negotiated honestly, but warned that while some parts of the Iranian establishment were approaching the talks constructively, others were "lying" about the ceasefire, Reuters reported.
He described the situation as a "fragile truce."
"The President of the United States said to me — and he said to the entire negotiating team, the Secretary of State, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff — he said: go and work in good faith to reach an agreement," Vance said.
"He's impatient. He's impatient for progress to be made," Vance added.
"He told us to negotiate in good faith and I think if they negotiate in good faith too, we will be able to reach an agreement. But that is a big if, and ultimately it is up to the Iranians how they negotiate. I hope they make the right decision."
The United States and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan, which could end a six-week war that has killed thousands, spread across the Middle East and caused unprecedented disruptions to global energy supplies.
Trump announced the deal late Tuesday, just two hours before a deadline he had set for Iran to open the blocked Strait of Hormuz or face the destruction of "its entire civilization."
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he had invited Iranian and US delegations to meet in Islamabad on Friday. The deal depends on Iran agreeing to lift its blockade of oil and gas through the strait, Trump said.
Vance said that, under the ceasefire currently in place, Iran has agreed to open the Strait of Hormuz, but warned that within the Iranian system there are different parts with different approaches, according to Reuters.
"In the reactions that we've seen from different segments of Iran, on the one hand you have people inside Iran who have responded very positively... and then you have some people on social media within their system who are essentially lying about what we've achieved militarily... They're lying about the nature of the ceasefire," Vance said, adding that that's why he described the ceasefire as "fragile."
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would halt counterattacks and allow safe passage through the waterway — if attacks on Iran were stopped.
If the Iranians do not negotiate in good faith, Trump will return to using Washington's military and economic power, Vance said.
"They will understand that the President of the United States is not someone to be played with."
See more:
Download the app and follow the news
FOLLOW US ON
