U.S. Vice President, Jay D. Vance, stated that Donald Trump is prepared to use military force against Iran, provided that it serves a clear strategic objective. Meanwhile, Doha confirms that technical talks between Washington and Tehran are underway, while Iranian officials make it clear that they will not proceed to a new round of negotiations until the terms of the memorandum of understanding signed between the two countries are implemented.

Vance: “Trump is willing to drop bombs, but with a specific target”

Speaking on “The Michael Knowles Show,” U.S. Vice President Jay D. Vance addressed President Donald Trump’s strategy toward Iran, emphasizing that the White House does not rule out the use of military force.

“President Trump is willing to drop bombs, but only when it serves a specific objective,” he said.

JD Vance on Iran: President Trump is willing to drop bombs—but only if it serves an objective.

: The Michael Knowles Show pic.twitter.com/nN18Z1CVz1

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Vance also commented on Tehran’s stance toward talks with the United States, saying he finds it “interesting but also disappointing” that the Iranians publicly deny the existence of peace negotiations, while, as he argued, technical talks are continuing.

“This is a Persian negotiating tactic and rhetorical practice that I don’t understand,” he said.

JD Vance on Iran:

One of the things I find just fascinating and frustrating about the Iranians is that they’ll say, “No, no, there aren’t any peace talks going on,” but there are technical talks between the United States and Iran regarding the peace deal.

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It’s a Persian negotiating tactic… pic.twitter.com/eNd8t15TTl

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Qatar Confirms Technical Talks

Qatar also confirmed the continuation of technical talks between the United States and Iran, clarifying, however, that no high-level meetings are currently taking place between the two sides.

Majed al-Ansari, an advisor to the Prime Minister of Qatar and spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that the visit of U.S. envoys Steve Whitecoff and Jared Kushner to Doha is part of consultations with Qatari mediators on a range of regionalregional issues, including developments regarding Iran and Lebanon.

“At this time, there are no high-level meetings between the Iranian and American sides within the framework of the existing negotiation mechanism,” he said, clarifying that contacts are continuing both directly and indirectly, with the assistance of mediators.

He added that technical delegations from both countries continue to meet, with the aim of keeping the negotiation process going in Doha and at other locations.

Iran Sets Conditions for a New Round of Talks

For its part, Tehran’s Speaker of Parliament and chief negotiator, Mohammad Bayer Galibaf, made it clear that there will be no new round of negotiations with the United States toward a final agreement unless the commitments set forth in the memorandum of understanding(MoU) signed on June 17.

“We seek dialogue, but we remain ready for war at all times,” he emphasized, adding that Iran will not make any concessions regarding its sovereign rights in the Strait of Hormuz.

At the same time, he maintained that the free passage of ships through the Strait is provided for only for a period of 60 days from the signing of the memorandum, as stipulated in the agreement.

Galibaf also noted that, following the lifting of the naval blockade imposed by the U.S., Iran has already exported more than 40 million barrels of oil, claiming that over the previous 50 to 60 days, the country had not managed to export “a single barrel.”

Concerns Mount in the Strait of Hormuz

At the same time, the maritime threat level in the Strait of Hormuz has been upgraded to “substantial,” according to a new report from the Joint Maritime Information Center.

Despite the increase in the alert level, commercial shipping traffic has remained steady over the past two days. According to data from the shipping intelligence firm Kpler, a total of 40 ships transited the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, a number that remains significantly below the average daily volume prior to the start of the conflict with Iran.

Source: Protothema.gr