Up to Iran to push peace talks amid Hormuz Strait blockade

Vice President J.D. Vance, returning from failed talks with Iran over the weekend, said Monday it is up to the Islamic Republic to take the next step in peace talks with the United States.

“Even if we talk more, even if we eventually come to an agreement, I think the ball is in Iran’s court because we’re putting a lot of things on the table,” Vance said in an interview with Fox News.

He stressed that if America’s “red lines” on Iran’s nuclear ambitions were met, it “could be a very, very good deal for both countries.”

These remarks came just hours after the United States began blocking ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz; This was what President Donald Trump said was an attempt to pressure Tehran’s leaders to return to the negotiating table.

The blockade was announced shortly after US negotiators left peace talks in Islamabad without reaching a deal to end the war.

It also aimed to force Iran to reopen the strait, a vital route for oil transportation that was effectively closed during the war and with global energy prices soaring.

“We can’t allow one country to extort or blackmail the world because that’s what they do,” Trump said of Iran on Monday.

“We need to see the Strait of Hormuz wide open. Frankly, that’s one of the things the Iranians are trying to move the goalposts in the negotiation,” Vance told Fox.

The fragile 14-day ceasefire with Iran that began last week was partly based in Tehran Vance said they agreed to reopen the strait.

“But we haven’t seen a full reopening. So our expectation is that the Iranians will continue to make progress on opening the Strait of Hormuz, and if they don’t, that will fundamentally change our negotiations with them,” he said.

He said the blockade puts “additional economic pressure” on Iran.

The vice president said all of America’s “red lines” for the peace deal stem from the position that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.

Vance said Washington and Tehran have failed to reach a final agreement on two of Trump’s non-negotiables: removing Iran’s enriched uranium from the country and implementing verification measures to ensure they cannot obtain nuclear weapons.

The vice president said the U.S. negotiating team, including Vance and special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, had made progress with Iran in the Islamabad talks.

“They moved in our direction, so we can say we’re getting some good signs. But they haven’t moved far enough,” he said.

“And we decided, you know, if we don’t think the current team and the current timeline can make a deal, let them go back to Tehran, we’ll go back to Washington, and here we are today,” he said.

Asked if there were further talks, Vance said: “That’s the best question to ask the Iranians, because the ball is really in their court.” he said.

“I think there’s a really big deal here,” he said, “but I think it’s up to the Iranians to take the next step.”

Vance said, “The President wants the Iranian people to develop and succeed. He presented a serious proposal to the negotiating team.” The ball is in Iran’s court. Have we made progress? “Yes, but we will learn from the Iranians whether we can make the final breakthrough that will lead us to great success.”