Vance says not snubbed by Araghchi, says Iranians lack US press freedoms
Asked whether he felt snubbed after Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi did not shake hands with him and left the room ahead of a press conference, US Vice President JD Vance told reporters that Iranian officials lack the same “First Amendment protections” as Americans, suggesting their limited engagement with reporters reflected political constraints rather than a breakdown in talks.
"Trust me, I've spent a lot of time dealing with Iranians over the last few months. Sometimes I find them extremely confusing as negotiators. But look, we had a little press conference. They obviously don't quite have the same First Amendment protections in Iran that we have in the United States of America," he said before departing Switzerland.
"We talked to you guys and then had a series of really good meetings. What I did find kind of funny is that after that initial meeting, there was this, you know, sort of social media firestorm where everybody said the Iranians are going to leave. And then we proceeded to talk to them for like the next nine hours."
"So I would just encourage the media, mistrust a little bit what you see coming out of Iranian social media. They can be confusing negotiators, but we feel like we're making progress," he added.
