Vice President JD Vance offered his perspective on the unique negotiation tactics employed by Iran and their approach towards the peace talks with the U.S. In an interview with conservative commentator Michael Knowles, Vance expressed his intrigue over Iran’s constant denial of ongoing peace talks while simultaneously acknowledging technical discussions with the U.S. about a peace deal. He referred to this as a "Persian negotiating tactic and a Persian rhetorical device," a strategy he recognizes as typically Iranian but said that he does not fully understand.

Vance also shed light on the current strategy of the U.S. administration regarding the issue, which he said is "underappreciated." Vance pointed out that President Donald Trump’s approach is to constantly "reshuffle the deck" to identify leverage and pressure points, and then evaluate potential areas of progress. In another interview on Tuesday with Fox News, Vance stated, "We care a lot less about what the Iranians say. We care a lot more about what they do," while discussing the positive and negative aspects of the negotiations.

Iran’s 'Bazaar Style' Diplomacy

Vance’s remarks come in the wake of Iran’s refusal to engage in direct talks with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, saying any communication will go through Qatari mediators. Notably, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described Tehran’s approach in his 2025 Persian political memoir Negotiations: the Power of Diplomacy, later translated into English, as a "bazaar style" of diplomacy, one that relies on continuous, patient, and relentless bargaining.

Araghchi wrote that successful bargaining depends on repeatedly restating the same demands with different arguments while remaining patient and persistent. He said negotiators keep presenting examples and reasoning until the other side "gets numb" and agrees. The approach, he suggested, helps Iran prolong negotiations, maintain ambiguity, resist pressure, and seek gradual concessions despite military disadvantages.

Contrasting Strategies

Aurélien Colson of ESSEC Business School told The Independent that Iran’s negotiating approach deliberately prolongs talks to expose the other side’s impatience, divisions, or bottom line. He contrasts this with Trump’s "Art of the Deal", which prioritizes speed, high-profile negotiations, and quick agreements, while Iran emphasizes patience, ambiguity, repetition, and wearing down its counterpart.