Vance says US 'has all the cards' in Iran nuclear deal

US Vice President JD Vance said on Monday that Washington holds significant leverage in negotiations with Iran, stating that the Trump administration hopes to release the text of a prospective agreement this week as direct talks replace previous back-channel communications.

US negotiating position

Speaking to CNBC, Vance said the administration seeks a deal that serves American interests while highlighting the shift toward direct engagement with Iranian officials. "I think the best outcome is a good deal for the American people, which we have fundamentally," he stated, adding that senior representatives would participate in Friday's negotiations. "We've been talking to these people sometimes indirectly, but sometimes directly, and that's what's fundamentally changed under the president's leadership," he said.

Vance emphasized Washington's dominant position ahead of the talks, saying the US could walk away without conceding anything if Tehran refuses to meet long-term commitments regarding its nuclear program. "We fundamentally have all the cards here. We don't have to give the Iranians anything if they don't make the commitments that we want long term on the nuclear program," he said. He noted that even without a deal, Iran's military capabilities and nuclear infrastructure have been degraded while the Strait of Hormuz remains open, leaving Washington with "incredible economic leverage" unmatched eighteen months ago.

Economic incentives and conditions

In separate interviews with ABC News and CBS News, Vance outlined specific conditions for sanctions relief and economic reconstruction aid. He told ABC that the peace agreement had been signed digitally, stressing that no funds would be released until Tehran takes concrete steps to eliminate its enriched uranium stockpile and accept a verification regime. Speaking to CBS, he mentioned a potential $300 billion reconstruction fund from Gulf states while denying that $24 billion in frozen assets formed part of the current agreement text.

"That's the sort of thing they could have access to, funded by the Gulf Coast Coalition, so long as they honor their end of the obligation," Vance said. He emphasized that any economic opening would require Iran to dismantle its nuclear infrastructure completely. "We absolutely are open to the Gulf Coast countries investing in the reconstruction of Iran, but only if Iran ends their nuclear program, ends their enriched stockpile of material, and it was really open to an inspections and enforcement regime that gives the American people confidence they're never going to have a nuclear weapon," he told CBS. He accused hardline media outlets in Tehran of misrepresenting the agreement's terms to domestic audiences.

Israel and regional dynamics

Addressing concerns regarding Israeli approval, Vance suggested that some factions within Israel support the prospective agreement despite reported tensions. "Well, first of all, I think there are elements within Israel that like the deal quite a bit, and I also think there's been some misreporting about the deal," he said. He indicated that the administration expects all regional actors to honor any finalized agreement while remaining open to fundamentally altering bilateral relations with Tehran. "If you guys want to meet us, if you guys want to change your relationship with the United States, we will change our relationship with Iran," he said, describing the offer as contingent on Iranian compliance.

The Trump administration has pursued direct diplomacy with Tehran since early this year, moving away from the indirect negotiations that characterized previous efforts to constrain Iran's nuclear ambitions. Vance said the text of the agreement would be released this week, claiming the deal would create "a new Middle East, not just for the next few years, but for the next generation."