U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance ridiculed an initial peace proposal from Tehran on Wednesday, suggesting the 10-point plan was drafted using artificial intelligence. Speaking to reporters in Budapest, Vance said he, U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, and presidential advisor Jared Kushner discarded the document immediately.
“We threw it in the trash because we thought it was written with ChatGPT,” Vance said. The Vice President indicated that he has been actively involved in negotiations mediated by Pakistan, noting that Tehran has submitted three different proposals to end the hostilities that began between the U.S., Israel, and Iran on February 28.
Diplomacy in the Strait of Hormuz
The initial proposal rejected by the U.S. team included demands for the lifting of international sanctions, the withdrawal of American troops from the region, and a protocol for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has kept the strategic waterway partially closed since the conflict began.
White House officials confirmed Wednesday that the U.S. accepted a separate, condensed two-week ceasefire agreement earlier this week. Unlike the initial proposal, this version does not require the Pentagon to withdraw the thousands of troops currently deployed in the region.
Vance also addressed accusations from Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammed Ghalibaf, who claimed the U.S. violated the ceasefire terms through recent Israeli strikes in Lebanon. Vance rejected the premise that the U.S. ever promised to shield Lebanon from attacks.
“I really wonder how well he understands English because there are things that he said that, frankly, didn’t make sense in the context of the negotiations we’ve had,” Vance said of Ghalibaf’s claims.
According to the Vice President, Israel has committed to "regulating" its operations in Lebanon to ensure the ongoing peace negotiations remain viable. Iran and the United States are scheduled to meet in Islamabad later this week to continue discussions aimed at a permanent resolution to the conflict.
