Vance says talks with Iran made progress, defends shipping blockade

US Vice President JD Vance said recent talks between Washington and Tehran in Islamabad marked “a lot of progress,” while defending the administration’s decision to block Iranian shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

“I wouldn’t just say that things went wrong… we made a lot of progress,” Vance told Fox News, adding the talks clarified areas of flexibility and US red lines.

He described the meeting as a historic milestone, saying it was among the highest-level engagements between the two sides in years.

Vance also justified the blockade as a response to what he called Iranian “economic terrorism,” arguing that if Iran threatens global shipping, “no Iranian ships are getting out either”.

He said the United States is applying economic pressure while still seeking a deal that allows the Iranian people to “thrive and succeed.”