"Confusing Negotiators": JD Vance On Iran's Araghchi's On-Camera 'Snub'

Brushing aside speculation over an apparent on-camera snub by Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, US Vice President JD Vance said American and Iranian officials went on to hold nearly nine hours of talks in Switzerland, describing Tehran's negotiators as "extremely confusing" but insisting the discussions have laid a "good foundation for a successful final deal" to end the war.

The visuals from the talks had sparked attention as Vance was present in the room while Araghchi appeared to ignore him and walk away without any interaction. Footage from the summit showed the US Vice President in the room with his delegation as negotiations got underway, but without any direct engagement with the Iranian foreign minister.

Instead, Araghchi was seen greeting and embracing Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while Vance remained behind the negotiation table, watching the exchange.

Vance Plays It Down

JD Vance, however, downplayed the significance of the incident at the talks and described Iranian officials as "extremely confusing" negotiators while cautioning the media against relying on foreign social media narratives. 

"No, trust me, I have spent a lot of time dealing with the Iranians over the last few months. Sometimes, I find them extremely confusing as negotiators. But look, we had a little press conference. They obviously don't quite have the same First Amendment protections in Iran that we have in the United States of America," Vance said.

He added, "What I did find kind of funny is that after that initial meeting, there was this sort of social media firestorm where everybody said the Iranians are going to leave. And then we proceeded to talk to them for like the next nine hours. So 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."

'Good Foundation For Successful Final Deal'

Vance on Monday also said his lengthy talks with senior Iranian officials in Switzerland created a "good foundation for a successful final deal." 

Vance and US officials claimed progress on multiple fronts, including the establishment of "mechanisms" to ensure the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global energy shipments, stays open and to address fighting between Israel and Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon, where a ceasefire appeared to be holding.

The interim deal to end the fighting in Iran, signed last week by the leaders of the US and Iran, sets a 60-day period for negotiations on key issues, including the future of Tehran's nuclear program amid concerns that Iran wants to use it for military purposes, a claim the country denies.

The vice president departed Switzerland as technical teams were still negotiating, and US President Donald Trump talked up the efforts to keep the strait open to create "an oil gusher" as he stressed that the key to resolving the war was "respect" from Iran.

(With inputs from agencies)