He said the United States had succeeded in weakening Iran.
“If we reach a final agreement, that’s great. If we don’t reach a final agreement, their nuclear program will still be destroyed. They are still a much weaker country, so I believe America wins either way,” Vance said.
Vance added that increased oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz were “a sign that something real is happening.”
He said talks with the Iranian delegation in Switzerland had been successful, noting that oil prices had “fallen to $73 a barrel” and that Iran’s nuclear program had been “effectively destroyed.”
“If they are willing to abandon their nuclear weapons ambitions over the long term, then the United States is prepared to fundamentally transform its relationship with that country. If they are willing to change, we are willing to change as well. If they are not willing to change, we still have every option available, and I think we are in a very strong position,” Vance said.
Reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the first attack on a civilian vessel
On the night of June 18, U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian separately signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at resolving tensions in the Middle East.
Earlier, CNN published the text of the 14-point memorandum. Under the agreement, the United States would allow Iran to export oil and lift sanctions, while Tehran committed to ensuring safe navigation between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman within 30 days.
On June 18, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz had been fully lifted.
On June 25, CBS News reported that a Singapore-flagged commercial cargo vessel was struck while transiting the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Oman. The incident was initially attributed to an “unknown projectile,” but U.S. officials later said the vessel had been hit by an Iranian drone.
The U.S. military said it carried out strikes on several Iranian military facilities on June 26 in response to the attack on the merchant vessel Ever Lovely in the Strait of Hormuz.
CENTCOM said the strikes targeted missile and drone storage sites, as well as coastal radar installations. U.S. officials described the operation as “a decisive response” to the attack on the Singapore-flagged civilian vessel.
Following the strikes, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had shelled locations hosting U.S. military forces in the Middle East.