Vance Says US Seeks Verifiable Commitments on Iran's Nuclear Programme

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US Vice President J.D. Vance.

US Vice President J.D. Vance said the United States would seek to verify the dismantling of Iran's nuclear programme through ongoing inspections, stressing that any agreement with Tehran must include permanent and verifiable commitments.

In a television interview, Vance said President Donald Trump had instructed his team to use the memorandum of understanding with Iran to help restore global oil supplies before assessing how the situation develops.

He added that Trump wanted to review the evolving situation with Iran in order to identify areas of leverage and opportunities for diplomatic progress.

"Things have changed significantly with Iran," Vance said. "Its military capabilities have been weakened, its economy has deteriorated, and Israel and Lebanon are now engaged in dialogue."

Speaking to Fox News, Vance said Trump remained committed to continuing negotiations with Tehran, provided they were backed by verifiable commitments. "We want permanent commitments from Iran," he said.

Vance added that the United States would remain in a favourable position regardless of the outcome of the talks. "If negotiations succeed, which we all hope they will, Iran could undergo a fundamental transformation. But if Tehran fails to honour its commitments, its nuclear programme and military capabilities will remain severely degraded, while the United States will continue to hold a much stronger position."

On Tuesday, Trump said a planned meeting between US and Iranian representatives in Doha later this week "may be important, and it may not be", despite Tehran denying that any negotiations with Washington were scheduled in the coming days.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump described the anticipated meeting as a potentially significant milestone but declined to provide details about its agenda or the level of representation.

Meanwhile, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid Al-Ansari said US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were in Doha to meet mediators and discuss the negotiation process, while confirming that no high-level meeting with Iranian officials had been arranged.

Al-Ansari also said that the $6 billion in Iranian funds frozen in Qatar had not yet been released to Tehran and remained subject to the 2023 agreement, under which the money is designated exclusively for humanitarian purchases.

He added that a direct communication channel had been used in recent days to help ease tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and prevent further escalation.

"We are coordinating with the Sultanate of Oman on ensuring the safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz," Al-Ansari said.

Washington and Tehran have also agreed to suspend the attacks that resumed in recent days, despite having signed a memorandum of understanding in mid-June aimed at ending the conflict in the Middle East.

The memorandum, brokered by Pakistan and Qatar, laid the groundwork for negotiations intended to reach a comprehensive agreement within 60 days.


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