US Vice President JD Vance warned Iran on Wednesday that the two-week ceasefire between Washington and Tehran was a "fragile truce" and that any attempt to undermine it would cost Tehran dearly.
Speaking in Budapest, Vance said Iran must negotiate in good faith or face severe economic consequences.
"If they're going to lie, if they're going to cheat, if they're going to try to prevent even the fragile truce that we've set up from taking place, then they're not going to be happy, because what the president has also shown is that we still have…extraordinary economic leverage," Vance said, according to AP.
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The remarks came around 12 hours after US President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire deal, brokered by Pakistan, which called for a two-week pause in hostilities in exchange for Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which 20% of all globally traded oil and natural gas passes.
Trump had described Iran's 10-point proposal as a "workable basis" for negotiations, with peace talks expected to begin in Islamabad as early as Friday.
However, the ceasefire showed immediate signs of strain. The United Arab Emirates reported an incoming Iranian missile barrage hours after the announcement, while Kuwait's military said its forces were responding to drones. Iran, for its part, said an oil refinery had come under attack.
Further complicating matters, when, reportedly, a Farsi version of Iran's 10-point plan emerged indicating Tehran would be permitted to continue enriching uranium, a critical step toward building a nuclear weapon. Trump called the document "fraudulent" without elaborating.
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Iran's demands, which include the withdrawal of US combat forces from the region, the lifting of sanctions and the release of frozen assets, are widely seen as non-starters for Washington and its Western allies.Trump also suggested American warships would remain in the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz, a potential flashpoint in the days ahead.
Meanwhile, Israel backed the ceasefire with Iran but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the deal does not cover Lebanon, where Israeli ground operations against Hezbollah are continuing.
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