U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Wednesday that Washington is making progress in negotiations with Iran aimed at ending hostilities and preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Vance said discussions were continuing despite President Donald Trump rejecting Iran’s latest proposal as “unacceptable.”
He said he had spent “a good amount of time” speaking with U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, as well as partners in the Arab world, regarding the ongoing diplomatic efforts.
“I think that we are making progress,” Vance said.
“The fundamental question is, do we make enough progress that we satisfy the president’s red line?”
Vance said Trump’s primary condition remained ensuring that Iran could “never have a nuclear weapon.”
He added that the administration was seeking guarantees and protections that would prevent Tehran from developing nuclear capabilities in the future.
Vance also said progress had accelerated following talks in Pakistan.
“I thought we made some progress in Pakistan, but we've made more since then,” he said.
He described diplomacy as the administration’s current strategy, saying, “The President has set us off on the diplomatic pathway for now.”
The negotiations come amid heightened regional tensions following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran earlier this year and retaliatory actions by Tehran against Israel and U.S. allies in the Gulf.
A ceasefire mediated by Pakistan took effect on April 8, though negotiations in Islamabad did not produce a permanent agreement.
The truce was later extended by Trump without a specified deadline.
On Sunday, Iran submitted its response to a U.S. proposal aimed at ending the conflict, but Trump later dismissed the proposal as “totally unacceptable.”
Vance said the administration remained focused on diplomacy while maintaining its position on Iran’s nuclear ambitions.