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Politics chat: Vance says talks with Iran haven't reached an agreement

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− Here's what he said after the meeting ended.
+ Here he is after the meeting ended.
− (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) JD VANCE: We go back to the United States, having not come to an agreement, we've made very clear what our red lines are, what things we're willing to accommodate them on and what things we're not willing to accommodate them on.
+ (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) JD VANCE: We go back to the United States having not come to an agreement. We've made very clear what our red lines are, what things we're willing to accommodate them on and what things we're not willing to accommodate them on.
RASCOE: Vance reiterated that the U.S. would not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon. Joining us now is senior political correspondent Mara Liasson. Good morning, Mara. MARA LIASSON, BYLINE: Good morning.
− RASCOE: So Vance said the meeting lasted 21 hours, but he came back with nothing.
+ RASCOE: So Vance said the meeting lasted 21 hours, but he came back without an agreement.
What happened?
− LIASSON: Yesterday, Vance was joined by special envoy Steve Witkoff, President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
+ LIASSON: Well, what happened was that Vance was joined yesterday by special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
− They met with the Iranian delegation, made up of the foreign minister and the speaker of Iran's parliament.
+ The Iranian delegation was made up of the foreign minister and the speaker of Iran's parliament.
− And in that sense, the meeting was historic.
+ They met in Pakistan.
− It was the first time that senior officials of this high level from both sides have met face-to-face since the Iranian Revolution of 1979, but neither side was willing to compromise.
+ The meeting was historic in that sense - the first time senior officials of this high level from both sides have met face-to-face since the Iranian Revolution of 1979.
− But even though Vance said no agreement was reached, and the Iranians, he said, chose not to accept our terms, it seemed as though he was keeping the door open.
+ But neither side wanted to compromise, and Vance said no agreement was reached, although it seemed like he was keeping the door open by saying they left Pakistan with, quote, "a very simple proposal.
− He said he left Pakistan with, quote, "a very simple proposal.
+ We'll see if the Iranians accept it." He said, the Iranians right now chose not to accept our terms. Meanwhile, President Trump earlier said, whether or not we make a deal makes no difference to me.
− We'll see if the Iranians accept it." For his part, Donald Trump said, quote, "whether we make a deal or not makes no difference to me.
+ The reason is we've won.
− And the reason is because we've won." So I think the bottom line remains the same.
+ So it seemed as if the bottom line was that the war stayed the same, with the U.S.
− The United States has accomplished its military goals.
+ military goals accomplished, navy destroyed, the ballistic missile program decimated, but the political goals - not accomplished.
− It's decimated Iran's navy, set back its ballistic missile program, but it hasn't accomplished its political goals.
+ In other words, there's still no regime change.
− There's no regime change.
+ Iran has still not agreed to give up its nuclear weapons or its nuclear enrichment program.
− Iran still has nuclear-enriched material.
+ However, one of the political goals was to get Iran to stop controlling the Strait of Hormuz, and Donald Trump tried to do something about that today.
− And it has not agreed to give up its aspirations to a nuclear weapon, and it still controls the Strait of Hormuz.
+ He announced that he's imposing a naval blockade on the strait.
− RASCOE: Speaking of the Strait of Hormuz, it's clearly a flashpoint in the war.
+ RASCOE: He just posted that on social media.
+ The Strait of Hormuz, as you said, I mean, has been a flashpoint in this war.
This is what Trump said about it on Friday.
− (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: They're militarily defeated, and now we're going to open up the Gulf with them - with or without them.
+ (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: They're militarily defeated, and now we're going to open up the gulf with or without them.
But that'll be open. We're going to be - or the strait, as they call it. And I think it's going to go pretty quickly. And if it doesn't, we'll be able to finish it off one way or the other.
− RASCOE: Well, Trump seems to be saying that the U.S. has some role in, you know, to play in opening up the strait, but is that the case?
+ RASCOE: And so what is this blockade he posted about, and when is it supposed to start?
− LIASSON: Well, he's been saying that for a while.
+ LIASSON: Well, he said it's immediate.
− He said the strait would open up naturally.
+ He said he's imposing a naval blockade.
− But right now, the Strait of Hormuz is controlled by Iran.
+ This would mean that Iran could not export its oil.
− It's their biggest point of leverage.
+ Of course, neither could any other ships get through the strait.
− As Trump would say, they hold the cards when it comes to the Strait of Hormuz.
+ There's not much traffic going through there now.
− It's a choke point for global oil markets, so Iran can cause prices to rise or fall.
+ In his post, he said, we will begin destroying the mines the Iranians laid in the strait.
− They've been charging a toll for ships going through the Gulf.
+ Any Iranian who fires at the U.S.
− Donald Trump has said that's unacceptable, but he's also floated the idea of the U.S.
+ or at peaceful vessels will be blown to hell.
− and Iran somehow running the strait together and charging ships to pass through.
+ He also said that the U.S.
− That would violate a long-standing principle of freedom of navigation that, at least until now, the U.S.
+ Navy will be stopping any ships that paid a toll because the Iranians have been charging millions of dollars for ships - the very few ships it's allowed to go through.
− has upheld.
+ So it would deprive Iran of revenue, but it's unclear how the blockade would open the strait.
− Maritime law says a natural waterway like the strait should be free and clear for passage.
+ It certainly seems as though Trump now understands that as long as Iran controls the strait the U.S.
− You don't have to pay for it, the way ships might have to pay to go through the Suez Canal or the Panama Canal.
+ has not won the war, but it's not clear how the naval blockade will open the strait.
− But the big question is if Iran continues to control the strait, even if they are allowing some ships to go through, that would be a big defeat for the United States because before the war, they were not doing this.
+ And as long as it's closed, either by Iran or by the U.S., oil prices are going to stay high, inflation will stay high because, as you said, the strait is a chokepoint for the global oil market.
RASCOE: So how does all this get resolved?
− LIASSON: That's not clear.
+ LIASSON: Well, it's not clear.
− I suppose negotiations could restart.
+ Maybe the naval blockade will cause Iran to say, OK, we'll agree to the Americans' terms.
− The two sides are still far apart, but that's one resolution.
+ They could start negotiations again.
− Donald Trump, as he seems to be threatening and hinting in those bites you just played, he could send in ground troops.
+ Or Donald Trump could decide to send in ground troops.
− He could send in the U.S.
+ I don't know if a naval blockade is enough to forcibly open the strait.
− military to forcibly open the strait, or, as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said, if Iran doesn't turn over its enriched uranium, the U.S.
+ Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said recently that if Iran doesn't turn over its enriched uranium, the U.S.
− will go in and get it.
+ would go in and get it.
− That also would involve ground troops, which could be a red line politically for a lot of voters in the United States.
+ But experts say that also would involve ground troops, which could be a red line politically for a lot of voters in the U.S.
It also could be very risky.
− Or Donald Trump could declare victory and leave without his major political goals accomplished, with Iran still holding nuclear-enriched material or controlling the strait.
+ I guess another way this gets resploved is that Donald Trump declares victory - he's already been doing that - and he leaves Iran without his major political goals accomplished, without Iran giving up its nuclear program.
− And that's - right now, it's really unclear what happens.
+ So it's really unclear how this gets resolved. For now, no ground troops yet, but still no political goals accomplished.
− RASCOE: So Trump had a closed-door meeting with the secretary general of NATO on Wednesday.
+ RASCOE: And quickly, Trump had a closed-door meeting with the secretary general of NATO.
− And obviously, he had some more harsh words for the organization. On Truth Social, he said, quote, "NATO wasn't there when we needed them, and they won't be there if we need them again." He's obviously still very mad.
+ He's still very mad at NATO, right?
− LIASSON: Yes, and the implication is - what he's been threatening is that we wouldn't be there for NATO.
+ LIASSON: Yes, and I think you could say that NATO has really become a casualty of the Iran war.
− The beating heart of NATO is Article 5, which says an attack on one is an attack on all, and Donald Trump has called that into question, and that's a big problem for Europe and a gift to Vladimir Putin.
+ He's been talking about leaving NATO for many years. Now he said it more definitively that since NATO didn't come to the U.S.'s aid in the war in Iran, that he might not be there to protect them. So I think that if he continues with that, that's a big gift to Vladimir Putin.
RASCOE: That's NPR senior political correspondent Mara Liasson. Mara, thank you so much. LIASSON: You're welcome. Copyright &copy; 2026 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. Transcript text may be revised to correct errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org may be edited after its original broadcast or publication. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Facebook Flipboard Email Read & Listen Home News Culture Music Podcasts & Shows Connect Newsletters Facebook Instagram Press Public Editor Corrections Transcripts Contact & Help About NPR Overview Diversity NPR Network Accessibility Ethics Finances Get Involved Support Public Radio Sponsor NPR NPR Careers NPR Shop NPR Extra Terms of Use Privacy Your Privacy Choices Text Only Sponsor Message Sponsor MessageBecome an NPR sponsor (function () { var loadPageJs = function () { (window.webpackJsonp=window.webpackJsonp||[]).push([[22],{1167:function(e,n,c){e.exports=c(323)},323:function(e,n,c){"use strict";c.p=NPR.serverVars.webpackPublicPath,Promise.all([c.e(1),c.e(2),c.e(3),c.e(4),c.e(82)]).then(function(e){c(3),c(1140),c(116),c(94),c(52),c(493),c(239),c(102),c(104),c(1141),c(143),c(1142),c(238),c(48),c(1143)}.bind(null,c)).catch(c.oe)}},[[1167,0]]]); }; if (document.readyState === 'complete') { loadPageJs(); } else { window.addEventListener('load', function load() { window.removeEventListener('load', load, false); loadPageJs(); }); } })();