Vance says to push for 'grand bargain' as fresh US-Iran talks loom

WASHINGTON - US Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday he will push for a "grand bargain" with Iran as he is expected to lead potential fresh in-person US-Iran talks which US President Donald Trump has said could happen this week in Pakistan.

All parties across the negotiation table in Islamabad "wanted to make a deal" in spite of decades of deep "mistrust" between the two countries, Vance said at an event in the southern US state of Georgia. He led the 21-hour talks with the Iranians in Pakistan on Saturday.

Trump "doesn't want to make like a small deal. He wants to make the grand bargain," Vance told the audience, adding that Trump's policy is that Iran "doesn't have a nuclear weapon."

Along with the vice president, Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are also expected to attend any possible second meeting, CNN reported on Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

"Future talks are under discussion, but nothing has been scheduled at this time," a US official told CNN.

Trump told The New York Post earlier on Tuesday that another round of US-Iran talks "could be happening over next two days" in Pakistan.

"Something could be happening over the next two days, and we're more inclined to go there," Trump said of the talks in a phone interview.

Trump said Monday that the sticking point in talks with Iran "was over nuclear" and a priority for the United States is to retrieve Iran's enriched uranium.

Washington has proposed a 20-year suspension of Iran's nuclear activities, and Tehran has countered with a proposal to suspend its nuclear program for up to five years during their first round of talks, The New York Times reported on Monday.