Vance cites progress in Iran talks as Tehran says ball is in US court
US Vice President JD Vance said on Monday that Washington has made "progress" in indirect peace talks with Iran. Tehran responded that the "ball is in US court" and insisted that the United States must lift its naval blockade and meet its demands before any agreement is reached.
The talks are indirect, meaning messages pass through intermediaries rather than negotiators meeting face to face. Reuters reported that Iranian and Qatari mediators held a third day of talks aimed at ending the US-Iran war.
The blockade dates to April. President Donald Trump ordered the US military to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway in the Gulf region. A naval blockade is a military effort to stop ships from entering or leaving a particular area.
The terms of a settlement remain in dispute. In October, Vance said Iran must meaningfully reduce its enrichment capacity, meaning its ability to enrich uranium, a process that can produce nuclear fuel or material for weapons, to end the war. Reuters
Maritime incidents have added to the tension. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said two crude oil tankers caught fire after hitting sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Gulf nations condemned Friday's attack on a Qatari liquefied natural gas carrier, a ship that transports gas chilled into liquid form.
