Vance: US will not release frozen Iranian funds without concrete progress in talks

WASHINGTON, United States — WASHINGTON — U.S. Vice President JD Vance said on Monday that Washington will not release frozen Iranian funds without concrete progress in negotiations with Tehran. Speaking to reporters, Vance said technical talks had advanced and that the United States has asked Qatar to help establish a mechanism for where the Iranian funds would be transferred. The vice president said Washington would judge the other side by its actions rather than its words, stressing that the funds would not be released unless negotiations moved forward. He did not specify a timeline or a dollar amount for any potential transfer. The first round of high-level talks between the United States and Iran concluded overnight from Sunday to Monday in Bürgenstock, Switzerland, under joint mediation by Qatar and Pakistan. Both sides said the discussions were held in a positive and constructive atmosphere and announced that a mechanism had been set up to continue technical negotiations, with a 60-day roadmap adopted to reach a final agreement. Under the framework, a high-level committee was established to provide political oversight, alongside working groups on the nuclear file, sanctions, monitoring mechanisms and dispute resolution. No further details on the next round of talks were immediately available.