US vice president says Trump seeking ‘grand bargain’ with Iran

US Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday that President Donald Trump is pursuing a sweeping agreement with Iran rather than a narrower deal.

Speaking at an event in the state of Georgia, Vance described ongoing negotiations as part of a broader strategy tied to a fragile ceasefire that has been in place for nearly a week.

"What's interesting about this is that we have this ceasefire that's in place. I think it's six or seven days old right now. The ceasefire is holding," he said.

Vance said Trump does not want to make "a small deal."

"He wants to make the grand bargain. And what he's basically offering to Iran is very simple...He said that 'if you're willing to act like a normal country, we are willing to treat you economically like a normal country.' He doesn't want a small deal," he added.

The US and Iran failed to reach an agreement in Pakistan's capital over the weekend during talks that were part of broader efforts to end a US-Israeli offensive on Iran launched on Feb. 28 which killed more than 3,300 people before a fragile two-week ceasefire was brokered last week.

Vance noted that a final agreement has not yet been reached, citing the Trump administration’s insistence on strict nuclear conditions.

"The reason why the deal is not yet done is because the president, he really wants a deal where Iran doesn't have a nuclear weapon," he said.

The US and Israel accuse Iran of maintaining nuclear and missile programs that threaten allies in the region, while Tehran says its nuclear program is peaceful, denying claims of seeking nuclear weapons.

Vance added that negotiations would continue, expressing optimism about the potential global impact of a successful agreement.

"We're going to keep on negotiating and try to make it happen, because it would be great for the world. It'd be great for our country, it'd be great for everybody. So I'm going to keep on fighting to make it happen," he said.

Trump struck an upbeat tone on the prospects for the resumption of direct US-Iranian talks, saying Tuesday that they could restart in Pakistan within the next two days.

Vance said there is "a lot of mistrust" between Iran and the US.

"You're not going to solve that problem overnight. But yeah, I think the people we're sitting across from wanted to make a deal, and I know the president of the United States told us to go out there and negotiate in good faith. That's what we did. That's what we're going to keep on doing," he added.