Vance says Iran talks will be ‘complicated’ and lengthy, citing fragmented regime
The US vice-president described Iranians as ‘extraordinarily difficult’ and predicted lower oil prices, while Tehran denied negotiations were under way.
Negotiations with Iran will be a protracted and complex process, US Vice President JD Vance said in a Fox News interview on Wednesday, because the Iranian leadership is divided between those who want to end the war and “crazy radicals” who wish it to continue. “The reality is, first, the Iranians are extraordinarily difficult people,” Vance stated. “Second, they have a fragmented system.” He added that the administration’s task was to navigate that reality and secure “the best outcome for the American people, but also for the president of the United States.”
Viewed from Washington, Vance’s remarks were intended to project resolve and unity. He insisted that no rift existed between himself and President Donald Trump on the Iran file, saying the administration was “united” in executing the president’s decisions. “The president makes the decisions and we all try to implement those decisions as the president wishes,” he said. A Pentagon spokesman separately dismissed as “pure fiction” reports of internal discord and ammunition shortages, telling the Washington Post that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had not misled anyone about munitions stocks.
Vance forecast that oil prices, which he noted stood at $79 a barrel that day, would fall and remain low, and that “Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, and the United States will be in a stronger position.” He said Washington would use “all the tools we have — military, economic, diplomatic — to make sure we arrive at the right solution.” The vice-president acknowledged that the process would be marked by advances and setbacks, describing it as “one step forward, two steps back, then three steps forward and one step back.”
From Tehran, the official line was markedly different. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Iran had not yet decided whether to move ahead with implementing a memorandum of understanding between the two countries, and Iranian officials denied that negotiations with the United States were taking place. The dossier therefore remains in a preliminary phase, with no agreed framework and no indication of when direct talks might begin.
| Atlantic / Anglosphere press | 0.00 | neutral |
|---|---|---|
| Russian & CIS press | +0.20 | neutral |
| Arab Levant-Maghreb press | +0.30 | aligned |
| Arab Gulf press | 0.00 | neutral |
Vance attributes the complexity of negotiations to the fragmentation of the Iranian system, taking responsibility for the process.
The narrative isolates Iran's internal divisions as the main cause of difficulties, shifting focus away from US negotiating positions.
Missing is the reference to the military and economic tools at the US disposal and the goal of lowering oil prices, present in other accounts.
Russia frames Vance's statements as a sign of American firmness, while acknowledging Iranian complexities.
The account balances US determination with objective difficulties, creating a picture of strategic realism.
The Pentagon's denial of alleged internal divisions within the Trump administration, present in the Arab Levant-Maghreb bloc, is not mentioned.
The Trump administration presents itself as united, denying rumors of internal divisions and reaffirming that all options are available.
The rhetorical strategy consists of preemptively denying criticism, presenting unity as an indisputable fact.
Vance's characterization of Iranians as 'extremely difficult people' and the fragmentation of their system, present in other accounts, is omitted.
Gulf countries record Vance's statements, focusing on effects on oil prices and nuclear non-proliferation.
The narrative ties negotiations to concrete, measurable outcomes (oil price, nuclear weapons), making the complexity of talks secondary to results.
The Pentagon's denial of internal US divisions and the emphasis on administration unity are not reported.
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