JD Vance calls Iran's denial of US talks “frustrating”

US Vice President JD Vance described Iran's denial of ongoing technical-level negotiations with the United States as a "frustrating" rhetorical tactic.

Speaking on The Michael Knowles Show, Vance said he doesn’t understand the way how Tehran is dealing with the negotiation process, Caliber.Az reports.

“One of the things I find just fascinating and frustrating about the Iranians is they’ll say ‘No, no, there aren’t peace talks ongoing, but there are technical talks between the US and Iran about the peace deal’. It’s like OK. It’s a Persian negotiating tactic and a Persian rhetorical device that I don’t understand, but that is the way Iranian have done this,” he noted.

Earlier, the United States said its envoys held "positive discussions" with regional leaders in Qatar as indirect negotiations with Iran continued, while President Donald Trump has opted to pursue diplomacy rather than expand military action despite recent tensions.

A senior US administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made it clear that special envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential envoy Jared Kushner met regional leaders in Doha as part of ongoing efforts to secure a longer-term agreement between Washington and Tehran following a fragile ceasefire.

According to him, lower-level technical discussions between US and Iranian representatives were continuing, and that progress was being made, although no direct meeting between the senior American envoys and Iranian officials was expected during the latest round of talks.

The negotiations follow an interim agreement reached earlier this month that established a 60-day window for talks aimed at easing tensions after weeks of conflict. The process was briefly disrupted by renewed clashes around the Strait of Hormuz before the two sides agreed to halt attacks.

Qatari officials had previously sought to temper expectations for the Doha meetings, saying the senior US envoys would not meet their Iranian counterparts face to face.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov