Vance reveals Trump lesson guiding Iran deal strategy as Tehran faces 60-day deadline

EXCLUSIVE: Vice President JD Vance said Tehran is effectively entering a probationary period under the Trump administration’s agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran required to demonstrate through its actions — not its promises — that it has abandoned nuclear weapons development and support for terrorism.

“The thing I’ve learned from the President of the United States is whether friend or foe, you shouldn’t trust anybody, you should trust people’s actions,” Vance told Fox News Digital in a sit-down interview. “That’s why the way this agreement is built is that if they act in the right way, if they behave in the way, they get a lot of benefits.”

The agreement would test whether Iran is willing to trade decades of isolation for economic relief and renewed ties with the West. While Tehran could gain access to sanctions relief and foreign investment, administration officials say those benefits will depend on whether Iran can prove it has abandoned its nuclear ambitions and support for terrorist organizations during a 60-day negotiating period.

“The Iranians have two pathways. If they behave like a normal country, if they don’t try to build nukes, if they try to fund terrorism, then the United States is going to change our relationship with Iran. We’re going to lift some sanctions. We’re going to welcome them back into the international community,” Vance said.

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He said the United States would be prepared to ease sanctions and normalize relations with Tehran, including welcoming it back into the international community, if Iran abandons its nuclear ambitions and ceases support for terrorism.

But if Iran attempts to rebuild what Vance described as its “destroyed” nuclear program or continues funding terrorist groups, Vance said it would forfeit any benefits offered under the agreement.

Under consideration is a proposed $300 billion investment fund for Iran that would be financed by private companies seeking to do business in the country.

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“If they’re serious, the president has said we want to have a good relationship with them. And if they are not serious, of course, we still have all the options we have today. We’ll continue to have them a month from now, two months from now as well,” Vance said.

Vance argued that with the Strait of Hormuz remaining open, the United States is in a stronger economic position to confront Iran.

“Oil is flowing, gas is flowing. It’s ticking back up every single day. We think within a week, two weeks, you’re going to see the substantial resumption of the oil and gas flows. So that means energy prices come down for Americans,” Vance said.

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Oil prices fell on Monday to their lowest levels since early March after a preliminary U.S.-Iran agreement raised hopes that traffic through the Strait of Hormuz could soon return to normal.

“It gives us a little bit more time, fundamentally, but the most important thing it does for us is it strengthens our hand, it allows some of the oil to flow, and it fundamentally allows us to see are they serious or not,” Vance said.

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Trump, Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf have signed the memorandum, paving the way for a formal signing ceremony later this week, according to officials.