Iran's closing of the strait constitutes economic terrorism against the entire world. They have essentially threatened every ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Well, as the President of the United States has shown, two can play that game. If the Iranians attempt to engage in economic terrorism, we will adhere to the simple principle that Iranian ships will not exit either," Vance said on Monday in an interview with Bret Baier on Fox News.
The naval blockade began at 10 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday, after weekend peace talks in Pakistan concluded without progress.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps promised retaliation, and Iranian officials warned of domino effects on the global economy, including American consumers. Vance stated that whether there will be new direct talks with the U.S. depends on Iran.
"That is a question best posed to the Iranians, because the ball is truly in their court. We must have their final commitment that they will not develop nuclear weapons. And I think if the Iranians are willing to meet us at that point, this could be a very, very good deal for both countries. If they are not willing to do so, that is their choice," Vance told Fox News on Monday.
The Vice President added that the Iranian team in Pakistan was not in a position to "reach an agreement," which is why, he said, the U.S. left the talks after 21 hours.
"I think we gained some insights into how the Iranians negotiate, and that is ultimately the reason why we left Pakistan. Because we realized they were not in a position to reach a deal; I believe the team that was there could not finalize an agreement and had to return to Tehran, either to the Supreme Leader or someone else, to get approval for the terms we set," Vance said.
He added that some progress was made, but not enough when it comes to removing Iran's enriched uranium and ensuring that Tehran cannot have nuclear weapons.
"They moved in our direction, which is why we can say there were some good signals, but they did not move far enough. There really is, I think, a great deal that can be achieved, but it is up to the Iranians to take the next step," Vance said, placing the responsibility on Iran to return to the negotiating table.