US Vice President JD Vance said the United States has made “a lot of progress” in negotiations with Iran and insisted the conflict would not become “a forever war”.

Speaking during a White House briefing, Vance repeated the Trump administration’s position that Iran must not obtain a nuclear weapon.

He argued that allowing Tehran to develop nuclear arms would lead to other countries “scrambling” to acquire them, adding that it would “make us all less safe”.

Vance described Iran as a “proud civilisation” with “amazing people” but said the country’s leadership appeared “fractured”, making it “not totally clear” what position Iranian negotiators hold.

The vice president also addressed reports suggesting Russia could take possession of Iran’s enriched uranium.

He said such a move was not part of the current US plan but declined to discuss negotiation details publicly.

When asked about the economic impact of the conflict, Vance said he felt “confident” that “prices are going to come down” after the war.

He also defended remarks made by Donald Trump last week regarding Americans’ financial concerns, saying the president’s comments had been “totally taken out of context”.