Vance breaks down U.S.-Iran deal, denies Iran will receive "billions of dollars of assets"

[0:00] TO GET MORE CLARITY ON THE [0:01] DETAILS OF THIS DEAL. [0:02] WE'RE JOINED NOW BY VICE [0:03] PRESIDENT J.D. Vance. [0:05] MR. VICE PRESIDENT, GOOD [0:06] MORNING. [0:06] IT'S REALLY GOOD TO HAVE YOU [0:07] HERE. [0:08] GOOD MORNING, GUYS. [0:10] THANKS FOR HAVING ME. [0:11] YES. [0:12] SO FAR, THE ONLY DETAILS WE'VE [0:13] HEARD HAVE BEEN FROM THE IRANIAN [0:16] OFFICIALS. [0:17] WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT WHEN [0:18] THE ADMINISTRATION PLANS TO [0:19] SHARE THE EXACT DETAILS? [0:24] YEAH, GAIL, AS YOU KNOW, [0:25] SOMETIMES WITH THESE [0:26] AGREEMENTS, THERE ARE SOME [0:27] DIPLOMATIC PROTOCOLS, SOME [0:28] MORE TECHNICAL THINGS TO WORK [0:29] OUT. [0:30] BUT WE PLAN TO RELEASE THE FULL [0:31] TEXT THIS WEEK. [0:32] WE WANT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO [0:33] SEE IT. [0:34] BUT WE'VE ALSO SEEN, OF COURSE, [0:35] SOME MISREPORTING ABOUT WHAT'S [0:36] ACTUALLY IN THE AGREEMENT. [0:37] WE'VE SEEN SOME ACCURATE [0:38] REPORTING ABOUT WHAT'S IN THE [0:39] AGREEMENT. [0:40] I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING [0:41] FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO [0:42] APPRECIATE IS THAT WHAT THIS [0:43] AGREEMENT DOES IS REALLY TWO-FOLD. [0:45] ON THE ONE HAND, IT ENSURES THAT [0:46] IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR [0:48] WEAPON WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY [0:50] OPENING THE STRAIGHT OF HORMUZ. [0:51] YOU ALREADY SEE OIL PRICES FROM [0:53] A HIGH OF $126 A BARREL DOWN TO [0:56] ABOUT $80 A BARREL TODAY. [0:57] THAT'S A LOT OF PROGRESS. [0:59] BUT IT ALSO, GAIL, FUNDAMENTALLY [1:02] EXTENDS A HAND TO IRAN AND SAYS [1:04] LOOK, IF YOU GUYS ARE WILLING TO [1:06] HONOR YOUR OBLIGATIONS, IF YOU'RE [1:08] WILLING TO ALLOW REAL INSPECTIONS [1:10] OF YOUR NUCLEAR PROGRAM, THEN WE [1:12] WILL WELCOME YOU BACK INTO THE [1:13] WORLD ECONOMY. [1:14] I THINK WHAT THE PRESIDENT OF THE [1:16] UNITED STATES WANTS TO DO IS [1:17] TURN OVER A LEAF OF 47 YEARS [1:20] OF A FAILED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN [1:21] THE UNITED STATES AND IRAN. [1:23] BUT THAT REQUIRES THE IRANIANS [1:25] TO ACTUALLY HONOR THEIR END OF [1:26] THE BARGAIN. [1:27] SO WHEN PEOPLE SAY THAT BILLIONS [1:29] OF DOLLARS OF ASSETS WILL BE [1:30] RELEASED, THAT'S NOT TRUE. [1:32] WHAT IS TRUE IS THAT IRAN WILL [1:34] HAVE A MUCH BETTER AND MUCH MORE [1:36] PROSPEROUS FUTURE IF THEY MEET [1:38] THE OBLIGATIONS THEY MAKE IN [1:39] THIS AGREEMENT. [1:40] WE'LL OF COURSE SEE THAT'S ONE OF [1:41] THE THINGS WE'RE GOING TO WORK [1:42] OUT IN THE TECHNICAL TALKS THAT [1:44] WILL FOLLOW THE OFFICIAL SIGNING [1:45] ON FRIDAY. [1:46] WE'RE SO GLAD YOU'RE HERE IN [1:48] PART BECAUSE AS REPUBLICAN SENATOR [1:49] LINDSEY GRAHAM SAID YESTERDAY YOU [1:50] ARE THE ARCHITECT OF THIS DEAL. [1:51] SO LET'S WALK THROUGH SOME OF [1:52] THIS. [1:53] THE IRANIANS ARE SAYING THAT [1:54] THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE ACCESS TO [1:55] A $300 BILLION DOLLAR [1:56] RECONSTRUCTION FUND. [1:57] TRUE OR FALSE? [1:58] WELL, ED, THAT'S THE SORT OF [2:02] THING THEY COULD HAVE ACCESS TO [2:04] FUNDED BY THE GOLF COAST [2:05] COALITION SO LONG AS THEY HONOR [2:06] THEIR END OF THE OBLIGATION. [2:07] I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS YOU'RE [2:08] GOING TO SEE, ED, AND PEOPLE [2:09] HAVE TO BE SKEPTICAL OF THIS, [2:11] IS THAT THE HARDLINERS IN THE [2:12] IRANIAN SYSTEM WILL OVEREMPHOSIZE [2:13] THE BENEFITS THAT IRAN GETS [2:15] WHILE UNDEREMPHOSIZING ALL THE [2:16] THINGS THAT THEY HAVE TO CONCEDE [2:18] AND ALL THE THINGS THEY HAVE TO [2:20] PROVIDE IN ORDER TO GET THESE [2:21] BENEFITS. [2:22] SO WE ABSOLUTELY ARE OPEN TO THE [2:24] GULF COAST COUNTRIES INVESTING [2:26] IN THE RECONSTRUCTION OF IRAN, [2:28] BUT ONLY IF IRAN ENDS THEIR [2:30] NUCLEAR PROGRAM, ENDS THEIR [2:32] ENRICHED STOCKPILE OF [2:34] MATERIALS. [2:35] IT'S REALLY OPEN TO AN INSPECTION [2:38] AND ENFORCEMENT REGIME THAT [2:40] GIVES THE AMERICAN PEOPLE CONFIDENCE [2:42] THEY'RE NEVER GOING TO HAVE A [2:43] NUCLEAR WEAPON. [2:44] I THINK THE DANCE YOU'RE GOING [2:46] TO SEE, ED, WHICH IS GOING TO [2:48] BE INTERESTING IS THE IRANIAN [2:50] MEDIA, ESPECIALLY THE HARDLINE [2:51] MEDIA, THEY'RE GOING TO TALK A [2:53] LOT ABOUT WHAT THEY GET WITHOUT [2:55] TALKING ABOUT WHAT THEY GIVE. [2:57] IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF US TO [2:59] CORRECT THAT RECORD. [3:00] LET'S DO THAT HERE. [3:02] THEY SAY THEY'RE GOING TO GET [3:04] INSPECTIONING THEIR ECONOMY SO [3:06] LONG AS THEY MAKE THE LONG-TERM [3:10] COMMITMENTS ON THE NUCLEAR [3:11] PROGRAM. [3:12] THEY'RE GOING TO GET THE [3:13] FUNDS IF THEY HIT CERTAIN [3:14] BENCHMARKS. [3:15] IS THAT TRUE? [3:16] WELL, AGAIN, ED, WE'RE OPEN [3:18] TO A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE ON [3:19] THE TABLE. [3:20] THAT $24 BILLION JUST DOESN'T [3:21] APPEAR ANYWHERE IN ANY OF THE [3:23] TEXT THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT [3:24] WITH THE IRANIANS. [3:25] WHAT WE HAVE SAID IS THAT WE'RE [3:27] WILLING TO TALK ABOUT UNFREEZING [3:28] ASSETS, BUT A MUCH, MUCH [3:29] BIGGER DEAL IS UNSANCTIONING [3:30] THEIR NUCLEAR PROGRAM. [3:31] SO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, ONE OF [3:33] THE THINGS THESE HARDLINER [3:34] ELEMENTS IN THEIR COUNTRY ARE [3:35] GOING TO DO IS MISREPRESENT THE [3:37] DEAL SO THAT THEY CAN SELL IT [3:39] TO CERTAIN ELEMENTS OF THEIR [3:40] DOMESTIC AUDIENCE. [3:41] BUT I THINK, AGAIN, THE TEXT IS [3:43] VERY CLEAR. [3:44] THERE'S NOTHING ABOUT $24 [3:45] BILLION. [3:46] WHAT THERE IS CLARITY ABOUT, [3:47] ED, IS THAT IRAN GIVES UP THEIR [3:49] NUCLEAR PROGRAM FOR THE LONG [3:50] HALL. [3:51] THEY ALLOW A REAL INSPECTIONS [3:52] REGIME. [3:53] AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE WANT [3:54] THEM TO HAVE A LOT OF BENEFITS. [4:00] WE WANT TO TURN OVER A NEW LEAF [4:02] WITH IRAN. [4:03] BUT THAT REQUIRES THEM TO MEET [4:05] US IN THE MIDDLE. [4:06] YOU SAID A RESPONSIBLE... [4:08] HOW EXACTLY THEN ARE THESE [4:10] BENCHMARKS GOING TO BE MEASURED [4:11] BY THE UNITED STATES OR BY THE [4:13] INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY? [4:14] WHO IS GOING IN TO VERIFY, FOR [4:16] EXAMPLE, THAT ALL THE NUCLEAR [4:17] MATERIAL HAS BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR, [4:18] THAT THEY'RE NOT, IN FACT, [4:20] DEVELOPING SOME KIND OF A WEAPON? [4:21] IS IT U.S. OFFICIALS? [4:22] IS IT U.S. MILITARY FORCES? [4:23] WELL, IT'S GOING TO BE A [4:24] COMBINATION OF THE UNITED STATES [4:28] MONITORING AND ENFORCING THIS [4:29] THING, BUT ALSO THE IAEA, THE [4:31] ORGANIZATION THAT SORT OF HAS THE [4:33] EXPERTISE TO ENSURE THAT THAT [4:35] ENRICHED STOCKPILLE IS DESTROYED [4:37] AND THAT IRAN OVER THE LONG HALL [4:39] DOESN'T TRY TO REBUILD IT. [4:40] WILL U.S. GROUND TROOPS GO IN [4:42] TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE [4:43] EVERYTHING? [4:44] WELL, LOOK, ED, WE CERTAINLY [4:49] TALKED WITH THE IRANIANS ABOUT [4:50] HOW WE'RE GOING TO DESTROY THAT [4:52] ENRICHED STOCKPILLE. [4:53] THE TECHNICAL DETAILS ARE ONE [4:55] OF THESE THINGS WE'LL FIGURE OUT [4:57] IN TECHNICAL TALKS. [4:58] THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO WORK [4:59] ON WHEN WE START THOSE TECHNICAL [5:01] TALKS ON FRIDAY. [5:02] BUT ABSOLUTELY, WE'RE TALKING [5:03] ABOUT WORKING WITH THE IAEA AND [5:05] WORKING WITH THE IRANIANS TO GO [5:07] IN AND DESTROY THAT ENRICHED [5:08] STOCKPILLE OF MATERIAL. [5:09] WHETHER WE PLAY AN OBSERVER ROLE [5:11] OR WHETHER WE PLAY A MORE ACTIVE [5:12] ROLE, THESE ARE THE SORTS OF [5:13] THINGS THAT WE'LL FIGURE OUT IN [5:14] TECHNICAL TALKS. [5:15] BUT WHAT THE PRESIDENT HAS MADE [5:17] VERY CLEAR IS THE UNITED STATES [5:19] OF THE NUCLEAR MATERIAL IS [5:21] DESTROYED. [5:22] SO YOU DON'T RULE OUT THAT [5:24] U.S. MILITARY FORCES MIGHT BE [5:25] PART OF ENSURING THIS THAT THEY [5:28] MAY HAVE TO GO IN? [5:29] WELL, I DON'T THINK THAT U.S. [5:30] MILITARY FORCES ARE GOING TO [5:31] BE NECESSARY. [5:32] I DO THINK THAT WE HAVE SOME [5:34] EXPERTISE ON THE NON-MILITARY [5:35] SIDE IN THE DESTRUCTION OF [5:36] NUCLEAR MATERIAL. [5:37] AND AGAIN, THAT'S ONE OF THE [5:38] THINGS THE PRESIDENT CARES SO [5:39] MUCH ABOUT IS ENSURING THEY [5:41] DON'T REBUILD THAT ENRICHED [5:42] STOCKPILLE. [5:43] AND, ED, ONE FINAL POINT ON [5:44] THIS. [5:45] I THINK THAT FUNDAMENTALLY [5:47] MISUNDERSTANDS WHERE WE ARE. [5:48] WE HAVE COMPREHENSIVELY [5:50] DESTROYED THEIR NUCLEAR PROGRAM. [5:52] AND THIS AGREEMENT IS ABOUT [5:54] ENSURING THAT THEY DON'T [5:55] REBUILD IT. [5:56] THE JCPOA WAS FUNDAMENTALLY [5:58] ABOUT BRIBING THEM TO STOP THE [6:00] CONSTRUCTION OR TO CEASE A [6:02] NUCLEAR PROGRAM THAT WAS [6:03] ALREADY IN PROGRESS. [6:04] IT'S A VERY DIFFERENT [6:06] BACKGROUND, A VERY DIFFERENT [6:08] SORT OF LEVERAGE. [6:09] AND I THINK REALLY A DIFFERENT [6:11] OUTCOME FOR THE AMERICAN [6:12] PEOPLE. [6:13] OKAY. [6:15] THAT IS ONE POINT OF YOU, [6:16] MR. VICE PRESIDENT. [6:17] BUT LET ME ASK YOU THIS BEFORE [6:18] YOU GO. [6:19] IS ISRAEL ON BOARD WITH THIS? [6:20] IT DOESN'T APPEAR SO AT THIS [6:21] TIME. [6:22] WHAT ARE YOU HEARING? [6:23] WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? [6:24] WELL, GAIL, OF COURSE, [6:27] ISRAEL HAS BEEN A GOOD PARTNER. [6:28] BUT WE DO EXPECT EVERYBODY IN [6:29] THE REGION. [6:30] THEY'VE BEEN PARTICIPATING IN [6:31] THIS PEACE AGREEMENT. [6:32] THEY'VE BEEN PARTICIPATING IN [6:33] OUR TALKS WITH IRAN. [6:34] THEY UNDERSTAND WHERE OUR [6:35] PERSPECTIVE IS. [6:36] AND WHAT THE PRESIDENT HAS SAID [6:38] IS THAT WE EXPECT EVERYBODY TO [6:40] HONOR THIS AGREEMENT. [6:41] THERE ARE ALWAYS, GAIL, THESE [6:43] BUMPY MOMENTS WITH THESE [6:45] CEASE-FIRES. [6:46] SOMETIMES SOMEONE WILL FIRE AND [6:48] SOMETIMES SOMEBODY RESPONDS. [6:49] WE THINK RIGHT NOW THAT THERE [6:51] ARE PROBABLY PEOPLE WITHIN IRAN [6:53] BECAUSE OF THE INTERNET [6:54] BLACKOUT. [6:55] THEY'RE NOT EVEN AWARE THAT THIS [6:56] DEAL HAS HAPPENED. [6:57] SO WE CERTAINLY EXPECT THE [6:58] ISRAELIS ARE GOING TO BE A [6:59] PARTICIPANT IN THIS PEACE [7:00] PROCESS. [7:01] BUT WE THINK IT'S GOING TO BE [7:03] GOOD FOR THEM. [7:04] IT'S GOING TO BE GOOD FOR US. [7:05] IT'S GOING TO BE GOOD FOR THE [7:07] GOLF COAST COALITION. [7:08] AND, GAIL, IF THE IRANIANS [7:10] COMPLY WITH THEIR END OF THE [7:11] BARGAIN, IT'S GOING TO BE GOOD [7:12] FOR IRAN. [7:13] IT'S GOING TO TOTALLY CHANGE [7:14] THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE [7:15] REGION IN A WAY THAT WILL [7:16] GENERATE A LOT OF PROSPERITY [7:17] FOR THEIR PEOPLE. [7:18] BUT, AGAIN, ONLY IF THEY MEET [7:19] THEIR END OF THE BARGAIN. [7:20] ALL RIGHT. [7:21] WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS ON [7:22] FRIDAY. [7:23] A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SAYING WHY [7:24] WE'LL BE WATCHING. [7:25] WE THANK YOU, J.D. Vance, [7:30] FOR YOUR TIME THIS MORNING.