US vice president JD Vance has warned that negotiations with Iran will be “messy” and “take some time”. His remarks came as Tehran said it was in the “final stage” of drafting an agreement with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz, while president Donald Trump suggested a deal could be announced soon.Speaking to Fox News on Wednesday, Vance said Iran’s leadership was divided, with some factions seeking an end to the war while others wanted the conflict to continue.“The Iranians are extraordinarily difficult people. Number two, they have a fractured system. So there are people within their system who want the war to be over; there are also people within their system who are crazy radicals who want the war to continue,” Vance said.Iran’s political divide has sharpened over the war. News agency AP reported that ultra-hardline Paydari supporters oppose negotiations with the US and seek total victory, while allies of president Masoud Pezeshkian and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf favour using military pressure to secure a deal, driven also by economic strain and growing social change.Vance said the US would have to navigate those divisions while pursuing its objectives through military, economic and diplomatic means.“Our job is to navigate through that and get the best outcome for the American people, but for the President of the United States as well,” he said.He cautioned that an agreement would not come quickly, saying Washington was still in the middle of negotiations.“And I do think that where we will ultimately land–it’s going to be messy and it’s going to take some time to get there–where we will ultimately land, you see, oil, I think, was at $79 today. Those oil prices are going to come down and stay down. Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, and the United States will be in a stronger position,” Vance said.The vice-president also warned against judging the outcome while discussions were still underway.“But we’re kind of in the middle of the game, and I think people are trying to prejudge exactly how this is going to go,” Vance said.“I can tell you with confidence it’s going to go in a place that is good for the United States of America. But we’re going to use all the tools that we have–military, economic, and diplomatic–to make sure we bring this thing to the right resolution,” he added.Vance’s comments came as Iran said it was close to finalising a separate arrangement with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz, a development that could potentially reopen the key waterway and ease pressure on global energy markets.The comments also appears to contrast with Trump’s assessment of the talks. The US president had said on Wednesday that “a lot of progress” had been made and claiming that the situation would become clearer within 48 hours.“We’re moving along very nicely. We’ll find out. We’ll know in 48 hours, I would say,” Trump told reporters as he departed Los Angeles for Las Vegas as part of a two-day West Coast trip.The developments follow the collapse of the 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in June to end hostilities. Diplomatic contacts have since resumed, but major differences remain over Iran’s nuclear programme and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
