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Vice President JD Vance has indicated that recent talks between the US and Iran were not entirely successful, with Iranian officials still not willing to accept key American demands.

Some shit you should know before you dig in: If you’re unaware, the United States is continuing to move military assets into the Middle East in a show of force aimed at Iran. In the last month, two US aircraft carrier strike groups have been deployed to the region along with a range of additional military assets that include fighter jets, air refuelers, and air defense systems. Trump has confirmed that Iran needs to make a “deal” to avert the US taking military action against the country. While Trump hasn’t been clear about what a “deal” would entail, he has acknowledged that any agreement would have to revolve around Iran’s nuclear program, though there are indications that the US is seeking additional curbs on Iran’s ballistic missile program and support for proxy groups in Lebanon and Iraq.

What’s going on now: During an interview with Fox News, Vice President Vance said the latest round of negotiations was mixed at best. “One thing about the negotiations this morning is — in some ways it went well. They agreed to meet afterward,” he explained, before adding, “but in other ways it was very clear that the president has set some red lines that the Iranians are not yet willing to actually acknowledge and work through.” While he did not spell out every condition, Vance was explicit about the central demand: “Our primary interest here is we don’t want Iran to get a nuclear weapon.” He added that President Trump “reserves the ability” to determine when diplomacy has run its course, saying, “We’re going to keep on working it, but of course, the president reserves the ability to say when he thinks that diplomacy has reached its natural end.”

As talks continue, Iran has floated some proposals aimed at keeping negotiations alive without conceding to Washington’s demand for zero enrichment. Iranian officials have suggested pausing uranium enrichment for up to three years, diluting highly enriched uranium, or shipping portions of their stockpile abroad to a third country such as Russia. They’ve also raised the possibility of economic cooperation, including joint oil and gas ventures, mineral investments, and even aircraft purchases, arguing that any durable agreement must deliver economic benefits to both sides.

This all comes as Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has taken a hard line publicly, casting doubt on the prospects for a deal. He rejected the notion of ending enrichment outright, calling such a demand “foolish,” and said that Iran “will not pledge allegiance to corrupt leaders like those who are in power in America today.”