Trump wants 'grand bargain' with Iran, not 'small deal': Vance

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump wants a "grand bargain" with Iran rather than a "small deal" through negotiations with the Islamic Republic, Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday, amid speculation that peace talks between Washington and Tehran could resume in the coming days.

Vance made the remarks during a public event at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, after the United States and Iran failed to reach an agreement during their negotiations in Pakistan over the weekend, with their two-week ceasefire set to expire next week, Yonhap news agency reported.

"He doesn't want to make, like, a small deal. He wants to make a grand bargain," Vance said, referring to Trump.

The vice president was apparently saying that Trump seeks to achieve a comprehensive peace agreement with Iran rather than a limited deal that might not cover all major issues.

He pointed out that Trump is making an offer under which the US will treat Iran "economically like a normal country" if Iran is willing to act like a "normal country."

"The reason why the deal is not yet done is because the president... he really wants a deal where Iran doesn't have a nuclear weapon, Iran is not a state sponsor of terrorism, but also the people of Iran can thrive and prosper and join the world economy," he said.

Vance, Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, joined the first round of negotiations with Iran in Islamabad. Following the talks, Vance stressed the need for an "affirmative" commitment by Iran not to seek a nuclear weapon.

During the talks, the US proposed a 20-year suspension of all nuclear activity, The New York Times reported. In response, Iran offered a counterproposal that it would suspend nuclear activity for up to five years, it said, citing two senior Iranian officials and one U.S. official.

In a phone call with the New York Post, Trump indicated that he was not happy with news reports that Washington had called on Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment for two decades.

"I've been saying they can't have nuclear weapons," he said. "So I don't like the 20 years." - BERNAMA