Vance: Lots of progress made in Pakistan talks, there could be ‘a grand deal’ but ball is in Iran’s court

The United States made “a lot of progress” in talks with Iran, US Vice President JD Vance says in an interview on Fox News’ Special Report with Bret Baier.

Vance, asked whether more negotiations are coming, says the ball is in Iran’s court, explaining that he left the talks in Pakistan last weekend because “the [Iranian] team that was there was unable to cut a deal and they had to go back to Tehran — either from the supreme leader or somebody else — and actually get approval for the terms that we had set.”

“The big question from here on out is whether the Iranians will have enough flexibility, whether the Iranians will accept the critical things that we need to see in order for things to get done,” Vance says during the interview. “We must have the enriched material out of Iran. We must have their conclusive commitment to not develop a nuclear weapon.”

“If the Iranians are willing to meet us there, then this can be a very, very good deal for both countries.”

“Whether we have further conversations, whether we ultimately get to a deal, I really think the ball is in the Iranian court because we put a lot on the table,” Vance continues. “We actually made very clear what our red lines were. We also made really clear, Bret, we actually would be very happy… if Iran was treated like a normal country, if it had a normal economy, if its people were able to prosper and thrive. But in order for Iran to be a normal country economically, it’s going to have to be a normal country from the perspective of not pursing a nuclear weapon, and its going to have to be a normal country from not pursuing terrorism.”

“I really think there is a grand deal to be had here, but it’s up to the Iranians I think to take the next step.”

Vance adds that the US expects Iran will make progress on opening the Strait of Hormuz, warning that the negotiation would change if Tehran does not.

“We have the cards, we have the military advantage, we now have additional economic pressure that we’re applying on them through the blockade that we’ve imposed on their oil coming out of the Straits of Hormuz,” he says.

WATCH: "The ball really is in their court," @VP JD Vance tells @BretBaier, stating that while the U.S. has defined its red lines for a "grand deal," the Iranian delegation lacked the authority to finalize terms without approval from Tehran. pic.twitter.com/h0dpzDaP7O

— Special Report (@SpecialReport) April 13, 2026