Vance Says He Was Not Snubbed by Iran’s Araghchi, Iran Lacks Press Freedoms

22/06/2026

GENEVA, Jun 22: US Vice President JD Vance said he did not feel snubbed after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declined to shake hands with him and left the room before a press conference, suggesting the episode reflected Iran’s political constraints rather than a breakdown in negotiations.

Speaking to reporters before departing Switzerland, Vance said Iranian officials do not operate under the same press freedoms as those in the United States.

“Trust me, I’ve spent a lot of time dealing with Iranians over the last few months. Sometimes I find them extremely confusing as negotiators,” Vance said. “But look, we had a little press conference. They obviously don’t quite have the same First Amendment protections in Iran that we have in the United States of America.”

Vance said that despite speculation on social media that the Iranian delegation would walk away from the talks, discussions continued for hours afterward.

“What I did find kind of funny is that after that initial meeting, there was this sort of social media firestorm where everybody said the Iranians are going to leave,” he said. “And then we proceeded to talk to them for like the next nine hours.”

The vice president urged reporters to be cautious about information circulating on Iranian social media, while maintaining that the talks had been productive.

“I would just encourage the media, mistrust a little bit what you see coming out of Iranian social media,” Vance added. “They can be confusing negotiators, but we feel like we’re making progress.”