VP Vance: US 'Making Progress' on Iran Nuclear Talks — Red Line Is Iran Must 'Never Have a Nuclear Weapon' — Day 76

US Vice President JD Vance told reporters at the White House on May 14, 2026 (Day 76) that the United States is 'making progress' in negotiations with Iran to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons. 'I think that we are making progress. The fundamental question is, do we make enough progress that we satisfy the president's red line?' Vance stated, describing Trump's red line as straightforward: 'He needs to feel confident that we put a number of protections in place such that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.' Vance's comments — delivered the same day as the Trump-Xi summit in Beijing where both leaders agreed Iran can never have a nuclear weapon — represent one of the most optimistic US public statements on Iran talks since Trump rejected Iran's counter-proposal on May 10 as 'TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.' The 'progress' framing diverges from both the ceasefire's status as being on 'massive life support' and the Pentagon's simultaneous consideration of resuming combat under a renamed 'Operation Sledgehammer.' The disconnect between Vance's diplomatic optimism and the military planning track underscores the dual-track pressure-and-negotiate strategy the Trump administration has maintained throughout the conflict.