Washington seeks to ensure Iran's prosperity as part of grand bargain: Vance
The United States is pursuing a “Trumpian grand bargain” with Iran that would begin to normalise relations and see the rogue state reintegrate with the global economy, US Vice President JD Vance says, as he struck a highly optimistic tone about the possibility of a deal to end the war, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump said in a television interview on Tuesday (US time) that while he believed the Iranians wanted to make a deal, he would be comfortable walking away because so much of the country’s military had been destroyed.
The remarks came as diplomats from Israel and Lebanon met in Washington for what both sides said were constructive talks amid ongoing warfare between the Israelis and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.
Vance, who led US negotiations with Iran in Pakistan at the weekend, remains bullish about the prospect of a comprehensive deal to end the war, claiming that Trump was pursuing a much broader agreement that would reintegrate Tehran into global markets.
“We made a tonne of progress,” Vance said of the negotiations so far.
“That’s the trade that he’s offering. He said: ‘If you guys commit to not having a nuclear weapon, we are going to make Iran thrive, we’re going to make it economically prosperous’.
White House officials said a second round of in-person talks with Iran was under consideration, but nothing had yet been scheduled.
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