PANews reported on May 20 that, according to a report by CCTV News cited by Cailian Press, US Vice President Vance stated at a White House press briefing on May 19 that direct negotiations between the US and Iran have made "significant progress" in establishing communication channels and advancing the diplomatic process, but he declined to disclose the specific details of the current behind-the-scenes consultations. Vance stated that the US is still engaged in extensive "back and forth communication" with Iran, and said that the negotiations are "making good progress."

Vance revealed that he, along with Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Joshua Witkov, had engaged in lengthy discussions with Iranian officials, primarily with two objectives: first, to rebuild long-severed direct communication channels between the two countries; and second, to lay the groundwork for subsequent formal negotiations. He said the negotiating team was not "very confident" of a swift agreement at the time, but believed they could "take an important step towards an agreement," and that goal has now been achieved. Vance stated that the United States will continue to push forward with the negotiations, "ultimately either an agreement is reached or not," but the administration still hopes to resolve the issue diplomatically.