Vance says Iran ‘screwed up,’ officials failed to control hardliners
Iran “screwed up” by renewing attacks on ships, and officials who opposed the move could not control hardliners, US Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday.
Speaking on Vince Coglianese’s VINCE podcast, Vance said US intelligence showed that “a lot of officials within the Iranian system didn’t want that to happen. They thought it was stupid for the hardliners to start shooting at ships again. But they did.”
“They weren’t able to control those hardliners.” He pointed to the Islamabad MOU and said Iran could have gained significantly had it adhered to the agreement, adding: “The Iranians know they screwed up.”
Asked who was leading Iran, Vance described its political system as “very confused” and said the new Supreme Leader was “very detached,” adding that Washington still believed he was alive. Vance also said President Donald Trump sees a possible path to an agreement with Tehran, but only if Iran behaves and honors its commitments.