US vice president JD Vance accused Iran of engaging in “economic terrorism” over its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, before threatening to do the same as American warships moved to blockade Iranian ports.
Mr Vance told Fox News on Monday that negotiators had “made a lot of progress” over the weekend after a first round of talks in Islamabad concluded without a clear breakthrough.
“I wouldn’t just say that things went wrong. I also think things went right ... They moved in our direction ... but they didn’t move far enough,” he said, suggesting the Iranian delegation had to return to Tehran for approval on terms “set” by the US side.
He spoke as the US military began its blockade of Iranian ports, jeopardising the fragile ceasefire agreement as Tehran threatened retaliation.
Mr Vance pinned the blame on Iran, which he accused of engaging in an “act of economic terrorism against the entire world” with its effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
“They’ve basically threatened any ship that's moving through the Strait of Hormuz. Well, as the President of the United States showed, two can play at that game,” he said.
Donald Trump has ordered the military to block Iranian vessels and any ships paying tolls to cross the regime. He said in a statement that any “fast-attack” ships that approach the blockade would be eliminated.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards responded in kind, saying that military vessels approaching the strait would be considered a ceasefire breach and dealt with harshly and decisively.
Nato allies Britain and France said they would not be drawn into the conflict by taking part in the blockade. Sir Keir Starmer told BBC 5 Live on Monday that he was focused on getting the strait reopened “as quickly as possible”, in an effort to reduce soaring energy prices.
UK minesweepers and anti-drone capabilities will continue operating in the region.
The steady escalation comes with just a week left of the two-week ceasefire agreement intended to pave the way for diplomats to agree a more enduring peace deal.
Mr Vance suggested the US had communicated where it could “make some accommodation” and where it would remain inflexible during the first round of talks over the weekend.
He said Trump was adamant that any enriched nuclear material must be taken out of Iran, and a mechanism put in place to verify Iran isn’t developing nuclear weapons.
People familiar with negotiations told the New York Times that the US had proposed a 20-year “suspension” of all nuclear activity, leaving the issue to be resolved by a future administration.
Four unnamed sources told the Reuters news agency today that negotiating teams from both sides could look to reconvene in the Pakistani capital this week.
European shares rose on Tuesday, suggesting investors were hopeful about potential peace negotiations despite the blockade. Benchmark prices for crude oil fell below $100 per barrel.
BP sees ‘exceptional’ oil trading result as Iran war sends crude costs soaring
UK workers should stay at home to save fuel, says ex-government adviser
Starmer and Macron to co-host Strait of Hormuz talks in Paris on Friday
Starmer and Macron to hold summit in bid to reopen Strait of Hormuz
Mamdani quotes Margaret Thatcher during 100-day address
JD Vance weighs in after Trump removes ‘Jesus’ Truth Social post
