Vice President Vance: "Talks Are Positive... Our Response Will Change If They Try to Deceive Us"

New York, The Financial News —As the United States of America (USA) and the Islamic Republic of Iran move into talks to end a war now in its sixth week, Washington has issued a hard-line warning that "deception will not work." With tensions persisting over restrictions on passage through the Strait of Hormuz, the outcome of the negotiations has emerged as a key variable for the global energy market.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance told reporters on the 10th (local time), while en route to a visit to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, that he expects the talks to proceed positively. At the same time, he warned, "If the Islamic Republic of Iran tries to deceive us, our negotiating team will by no means respond favorably." The negotiations are scheduled to begin on the 12th in Islamabad, Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
The talks are taking place as a two-week ceasefire that began on the 8th shows signs of strain. Israel has continued airstrikes in Lebanon, while the Islamic Republic of Iran is still restricting ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, driving tensions higher.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical maritime chokepoint through which about 20% of the world’s crude oil shipments pass. Before the war, it functioned as the "aorta" of global oil supply, but vessel traffic has now been sharply curtailed.
President Donald Trump has made the full reopening of the strait a central condition for any deal. The USA has previously stated that it could agree to a two-week halt in hostilities on the condition that the Islamic Republic of Iran immediately and completely reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
However, even after the ceasefire, ship traffic through the strait remains heavily restricted. Tensions have intensified further amid allegations that the Islamic Republic of Iran is charging transit fees to oil tankers.
President Trump sharply criticized Tehran on social media, saying, "If the Islamic Republic of Iran is imposing costs on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, it must stop immediately," and adding, "Its current behavior is completely inconsistent with the agreement."
The USA appears to be pursuing a two-track strategy, keeping the door open to negotiations while simultaneously ratcheting up pressure. Vice President Vance stressed, "If the Islamic Republic of Iran engages in the talks in good faith, the United States is also prepared to cooperate."





pride@fnnews.com Lee Byung-chul Reporter