U.S. Vice President JD Vance said U.S.-Iran talks in Switzerland had made “great progress” within hours as technical-level negotiations officially began to turn the interim understanding between Washington and Tehran into a broader diplomatic process, APA reports.
Speaking at a live press conference from the talks in Switzerland, Vance said the objective of the negotiations with Iran was to “transform the Middle East” through diplomacy.
“We’ve already made great progress over just the last few hours, and I expect that we will make additional progress in the hours to come,” Vance said.
He described the talks as a “historic meeting,” saying Iranian and American leadership had not previously met at such a high level outside the last few months.
“Never before has the Iranian and American leadership met at such a high level,” Vance said.
He said U.S. negotiators were in Switzerland to work through diplomacy and cooperation to transform the Middle East, where “Iran and the Gulf have been at war with each other.”
Vance said President Donald Trump had “empowered” the U.S. side to seek a diplomatic solution to multiple issues.
“The question is whether we can change relations in the Middle East permanently,” Vance said.
He said Trump had asked the U.S. team to “turn over a new leaf” in relations with the people of Iran.
“What the president has asked us to do is turn over a new leaf to transform our relationship with the people of Iran and to extend an outstretched hand that says to the people of Iran that if your leadership is willing to give up being a driver of regional instability, if they are willing to give up nuclear weapons ambitions for the long term, then the United States is willing to fundamentally transform our relationship with that country,” Vance said.
“That is certainly our goal,” he added.
Vance said Iran had been a “driver of regional instability,” but added that he could see a future in which all sides work together.
“We see a future where everybody can work together to promote peace and prosperity for everyone,” he said.
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