US Vice President J.D. Vance expressed doubts about the allegations that Iran wanted him to be included in the negotiations.
“I don't know. I would be surprised if that was true“, he told reporters before leaving Budapest, where he supported Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban ahead of parliamentary elections in the European country.
“I wanted to participate because I believe I can change things“, said Vance, adding that so far the US side has been represented in the negotiations by special presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law of the US President Jared Kushner. "But we will continue to work as a team," the vice president stressed.
White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt announced hours earlier that Vance, along with Witkoff and Kushner, would travel to Islamabad for talks with an Iranian delegation this weekend.
He said the Israeli side had expressed a willingness to take more restrained action in Lebanon to facilitate an agreement between Washington and Tehran.
“My understanding is that the Israeli side actually offered to take a little more restraint in Lebanon because they wanted our negotiations to succeed,” he said. “The reason is not because Lebanon is also a party to the ceasefire agreement. I think Israel was trying to create the conditions for us to succeed. We'll see how the situation develops over the next few days," the US vice president added.
“I think there's a misunderstanding. The Iranians clearly thought the ceasefire was about Lebanon, which it's not. We never made that promise. We never indicated that it would be. We said the ceasefire would apply to Iran, US allies, Israel and the Gulf Arab states“, Vance added.
“If Iran wants the negotiations on the conflict that they're heavily involved in over Lebanon to fail“, then that's their choice“. We think that would be foolish. "But it's up to them," the vice president said.
The United States is prepared to offer Iran a lot if Tehran negotiates in good faith with Washington, including on nuclear development, he added.
“The president has said we don't want Iran to enrich uranium to levels suitable for nuclear weapons. And we want Iran to hand over its nuclear fuel. Those will be our demands in the negotiations. We'll see what the Iranians are willing to give up. If they make a good faith effort to give us what we're trying to negotiate successfully for the safety of the American people, then there's a lot for Tehran,“ Vance noted. He did not specify whether the United States could drop its demand that Iran completely abandon uranium enrichment, even for civilian purposes.
“If they don't give us what we need, that would be bad“, Trump's vice president said. “But I'm optimistic that the Iranians will behave sensibly and negotiate in good faith“, he added.
“We're not really worried about what they claim to be entitled to. We're just worried about what they're actually doing. And I think the president has been very clear on the issue of uranium enrichment. Our position on that issue has not changed“, Vance stressed.
According to him, the United States certainly continues to insist that Iran should not have the ability to develop nuclear weapons. “We want the nuclear fuel, as the president has made clear. And you have to think of it this way: The US has certain demands, the Iranians want to get something out of the negotiations. The more they are willing to give us, the more they will get out of these negotiations“, Vance said. He also mentioned “sanctions relief“ and “economic partnerships“.
“This will not happen unless Iran makes a firm commitment to stop anything that comes close to developing a nuclear weapon“, the vice president concluded.
The US administration considers the attempts by the EU leadership to influence the outcome of the Hungarian election to prevent the victory of the current Prime Minister Viktor Orban to be absurd, Vance said.
“We came here primarily to try to counter the propaganda coming from the bureaucracy in Brussels. "I've never seen anything like this - the EU bureaucracy trying to impose additional costs on the Hungarian people to influence the outcome of the election," he said.
“I think it's absurd. The president thinks it's absurd. Viktor obviously has the full support of the president, my full support, and we wish him and the Hungarian people all the best,“ Vance added.
Hungary's parliamentary elections will be held on April 12. Orban's ruling Fidesz-Hungarian Civic Union party is battling the opposition Tisza party, whose leader, Peter Magyar, enjoys the support of the EU leadership.
US Vice President Jay D. Vance has left Budapest.