US Vice President JD Vance said ongoing negotiations with Iran are exceptionally difficult, describing the process as one step forward and two steps back. In a Fox News interview cited in a report published on August 6, 2026, Vance addressed questions over how the Trump administration is approaching talks with Tehran. He said he was prepared to take responsibility for trying to end the war successfully and was making every effort to bring it to a close.

Vance said progress in such negotiations does not follow a straight line. At times, he said, parties may move forward one step and retreat two, or advance three steps before falling back one. As a result, Americans may sometimes believe talks are progressing, only to conclude shortly afterward that no progress is being made.

He identified divisions within Iran's political system as a major reason the talks are difficult. Vance said some people inside Iran want the war to end, while others he described as hardliners want it to continue. He said the US task is to navigate those internal divisions and secure the best outcome for the American people and the US president.