JD Vance says Iran’s denial of Doha talks ‘Persian negotiating tactic’ as US envoys traveled to Qatar

US Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday that Iran’s public denials of ongoing talks amount to a deliberate “Persian negotiating tactic,” as he confirmed that technical talks between Washington and Tehran are underway.

“There were scheduled talks, really technical talks, building on the negotiation that we’ve already had. Those are definitely happening tomorrow,” Vance said during an interview on “The Michael Knowles Show” that was released Tuesday.

He said he found Tehran’s public statements “fascinating and frustrating,” noting that Iranian officials deny peace talks while acknowledging technical discussions.

“They’ll say, ‘No, no, there aren’t peace talks ongoing, but there are technical talks between the United States and Iran about the peace deal.’ It’s a Persian negotiating tactic and a Persian rhetorical device that I don’t understand,” he said.

White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner traveled to Doha after President Trump announced Monday that Iran requested a meeting in the Qatari capital.

Iran, however, has denied that any direct talks with Washington are scheduled, while saying consultations with intermediaries continue.

“What will be done in Doha tomorrow (Wednesday) is a discussion about the implementation of clauses of the memorandum of understanding (MoU), including the release of Iran’s frozen assets, which is with the Qatari side,” said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei.

Separately, a senior US official said Witkoff and Kushner will meet Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani and other mediators Tuesday in Doha to continue regional dialogue on the agreement.

Addressing criticism of the US administration’s deal with Iran, Vance defended Trump’s approach, saying the president has demonstrated a willingness to use military force when necessary but only to achieve specific objectives.