U.S. Vice President Vance [Reuters=Yonhap News]

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said on the 13th (local time) regarding the ceasefire negotiations with Iran, "Whether further dialogue will take place in the future and whether an agreement will ultimately be reached is entirely up to the Iranian side."

In an interview with Fox News on the same day, Vice President Vance stated, "We have already proposed a lot (to Iran)."

He emphasized, "The ball is now in Iran's court."

Vice President Vance, who led the U.S. delegation in negotiations with Iran in Pakistan on the 11th-12th, explained that the U.S. side left the negotiating table because it determined that the Iranian negotiating team did not have the authority to finalize an agreement.

"We believe we have gained some understanding of how the Iranian side negotiates, and that is ultimately why we left Pakistan," Vance said.

He further explained, "Based on our understanding, the negotiating team on the ground lacked the capacity to reach an agreement and had to return to Tehran (the Iranian capital) to obtain approval from the supreme leader or someone else for the terms we presented."

Regarding the breakdown of the first face-to-face negotiations with Iran, Vice President Vance said, "It's not just that things went wrong. There were also positive aspects," adding, "We clearly conveyed our position, and I believe that is part of the progress we have made."

It is reported that the U.S. demanded the removal of highly enriched uranium possessed by Iran and the abandonment of control over the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. media also reported that the U.S. demanded Iran halt uranium enrichment for 20 years.

Meanwhile, Vice President Vance commented on the public exchange of words between Pope Leo XIV, who opposes war with Iran, and President Donald Trump, saying, "When the Vatican inevitably offers its opinion on public policy, sometimes opinions align and sometimes they diverge."

He added, "In some cases, it is best for the Vatican to focus solely on moral issues or matters within the Catholic Church, and for the U.S. President to be dedicated to determining U.S. public policy. However, when the two conflict, they are bound to clash."

Regarding the results of the Hungarian general election, where Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's ruling party suffered a major defeat, Vice President Vance said, "Viktor Orbán is an outstanding individual who has done a remarkable job. It is regrettable that he lost," but added, "We will cooperate very well with the next Prime Minister of Hungary."