Vance breaks silence after Iranian foreign minister 'snubs' him on-camera
What's the story
United States Vice President JD Vance has downplayed an apparent snub by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during peace talks in Switzerland on Sunday. Footage from the talks showed Araghchi greeting Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif but not engaging with Vance. Vance brushed aside the incident, saying, "I have spent a lot of time dealing with the Iranians over the last few months" and "sometimes, I find them extremely confusing as negotiators."
Diplomatic dynamics
Vance brushes off Iranian FM's snub
While Vance described Iranian negotiators as "extremely confusing," he said the discussions laid a "good foundation for a successful final deal." He added progress was made during the nine-hour talks. "I would just encourage the media, mistrust a little bit what you see coming out of Iranian social media. They can be confusing negotiators, but we feel like we're making progress," he said.
Media claims
Iranian state media claim of snubbing Vance
Meanwhile, Iranian state media claimed their delegation snubbed Vance during a photo opportunity before the talks. They also said they refused to participate in a joint media appearance. However, US officials disputed this, saying Iranian representatives even brought state media with them to cover it, who were pre-staged at the event. "They left the meeting upon seeing the volume of press in attendance and then distributed an inaccurate account of the situation through state media," an official told The Post.
Official response
US disputes Iranian state media claims
Iranian state media also claimed Tehran's delegation walked out of negotiations due to a "difficult phase" in talks following President Donald Trump's remarks. However, another US official insisted negotiations continued deep into the night, covering topics like the Strait of Hormuz and Lebanon. "We've talked about the Strait, Lebanon, nuclear issues, and details of implementing the MOU, among other topics. President Trump works all hours of the day and night, and our delegation is taking the same approach," they said.