US Vice President JD Vance has called on Iran to “come to the table seriously”, but warns that if Tehran “breaks their end of the bargain”, serious consequences will follow.

“I encourage the Iranians to come to the table seriously. We’ve seen some signs that they’re going to do that, we’ve seen some signs of bravado,” he tells reporters.

“Fundamentally, we’re in a good spot. They’re reopening the straits, we have a ceasefire and frankly, if they break their end of the bargain, they’re going to see some serious consequences.”

Asked about US President Donald Trump’s threat to destroy Iran’s “whole civilisation”, Vance says Iran’s leadership was really to blame for the condition of the country and that Trump “made it very clear that the United States has a lot of leverage here”.

“What he’s trying to do is make sure the American people are safe and strike a deal that’s good for the American people,” he says.

Pressed further on the question, he adds, “The President of the United States is saying that unless the Iranians do the right thing, he is going to have some serious consequences for the regime.

“We obviously don’t want the people of Iran to suffer, but we have a lot of leverage that the President of the United States can use, and it’s why I think it’s so important for the Iranians to be negotiators in good faith.”