As President Donald Trump strongly criticized Iran's revised ceasefire proposal, Vice President JD Vance announced that progress is being made in ceasefire negotiations with Iran.
On May 13, during a press conference at the White House, Vance stated, "I believe we are making progress" regarding the ceasefire talks with Iran. He emphasized that the fundamental issue is whether sufficient progress can be made to satisfy President Trump's red line.
Vance explained, "The red line is very simple: we must have confidence that Iran will never possess nuclear weapons and that adequate safeguards are in place."
His comments contrast sharply with Trump's hardline stance. Before departing for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump labeled Iran's revised ceasefire proposal as "unacceptable" and "garbage."
Additionally, Vance acknowledged concerns about inflation resulting from the conflict with Iran. The U.S. Department of Labor reported that the Producer Price Index (PPI) rose 6.0% in April compared to the same month last year, marking the highest increase since December 2022. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for April also showed a 3.8% year-over-year increase, the highest in nearly three years since May 2023.
Vance remarked, "Last month's inflation numbers were not good," adding that there is much work to be done to achieve the prosperity that Americans deserve.
However, he stressed that Trump is well aware of the inflation issue. Vance refuted reports suggesting that Trump does not care about Americans' financial situations, stating that those reports were incorrect.
Earlier, when asked whether Americans' financial situations would influence the negotiations with Iran, Trump replied, "Not at all. The only thing that matters is that they (Iran) cannot have nuclear weapons. I do not think about the financial situation of Americans."
When asked about the upcoming presidential race against Secretary Marco Rubio, Vance responded jokingly, saying, "I don’t think it’s presidential to have a televised competition for succession." This remark appeared to reference Trump's role as a host on NBC's reality show "The Apprentice."
While calling Secretary Rubio a "valuable friend," Vance emphasized that his focus should remain on his duties as Vice President.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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