US V-P Vance says ball now in Iran’s court on peace talks
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US Vice-President JD Vance boarding Air Force Two after attending talks on Iran in Islamabad on April 12.
PHOTO: AFP
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WASHINGTON - US Vice-President JD Vance on April 13 said that Washington has made its red lines clear in talks with Iran on ending the Middle East war and it is now up to Tehran to take action.
He led a delegation that met Iranian officials in Pakistan over the weekend, but the talks ended without securing a deal to end the more than five-week US-Israeli assault against the Islamic republic.
“I really think the ball is in the Iranian court, because we put a lot on the table. We actually made very clear what our red lines were,” he said in an interview with Fox News.
“There are two things in particular where the president of the United States really said we have no flexibility,” he said. He listed them as US control of Iran’s enriched uranium, and a verification mechanism to ensure it does not develop a nuclear weapon in the future.
“It’s one thing for the Iranians to say that they’re not going to have a nuclear weapon. It’s another thing for us to put in place the mechanism to ensure that’s not going to happen,” Mr Vance said.
He also said that in return for a two-week ceasefire agreed to by the two sides last week, Washington expects Iran to fully reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz waterway, which has been effectively closed by Tehran’s forces.
Vatican should ‘stick to matters of morality’
During the interview, Mr Vance also urged the Vatican “stick to matters of morality” amid an escalating row between President Trump and Pope Leo over the Iran war.
“I certainly think that in some cases, it would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality... and let the President (of the) United States stick to dictating American public policy,” Mr Vance told Fox News’ Special Report With Bret Baier programme.
Turning his attention to Europe, Mr Vance said he was “sad” that Hungarian Prime Minister and right-wing ally Viktor Orban had lost the election, but he promised Washington would work with his successor.
Mr Orban, who was Hungary’s PM for 16 years, was ousted by Mr Peter Magyar, who outlined sweeping changes following his landslide election victory that will redefine the country’s ties with the European Union, Russia and the Trump administration.
“I’m sad that he lost. We’ll work very well, I’m sure, with the next prime minister of Hungary,” said Mr Vance, who was at a rally alongside Mr Orban in Budapest last week in a show of support. AFP, BLOOMBERG
