Sawt Falasteen - Vance defends Iran deal, eyes Swiss talks

"The Iranians have to perform," Vance told a briefing at the White House as President Donald Trump faced mounting criticism over the deal.

"If they don't perform as we've said before, they don't get any of the benefits of the bargain."

Vance -- a war skeptic who has become the public face of the deal Trump signed at Versailles on Wednesday -- rejected claims that the deal rewards Iran without achieving Trump's war aims.

The most controversial points have been around oil sales, sanctions relief and a $300 billion reconstruction fund for Iran, while there is no firm program for destroying Iran's nuclear program.

But Vance said Iran would only get the rewards if it proves that it has complied with the terms that will be hammered out in a 60-day period that he said began on Thursday following the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU).

"There's a lot of discussion -- the MoU, the gentleman's agreements, the final deal. Words don't matter, ladies and gentlemen, we're about verification," Vance told reporters.

He added that oil prices were falling, and said the US had lifted its blockade of Iran.

The US military "has allowed north of a dozen ships to go through our naval blockade, and so we're also honoring our end of the early part of the agreement," Vance told journalists.

- 'Smell the reality' -

Vance said he now planned to head to Switzerland for technical talks on a long-term deal, although the arrangements were not yet finalized.

"I plan to go to Switzerland," Vance said. "I suspect this weekend but I'm not sure. It just depends on exactly when the Iranians can get there."

Vance's new role as Iran pointman is a political gamble for a man who is widely expected to run for president in the 2028 US election.

If a deal to end the war succeeds it will be a boost for a long-term skeptic of US military entanglements -- but if it fails, Trump has already said that he will blame Vance.

"I mean, I think the president was joking, as he often does," Vance said when asked if he feared that Trump would make him the fall guy.

"But, no, look, the entire team has worked very well on this, and we've got this thing to a very good place for the American people."

Vance meanwhile issued an extraordinary rebuke to Israeli critics of the Iran deal, amid growing tensions between Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world," Vance said.

"Anybody in Israel who thinks their biggest problem is the president of the United States needs to wake up and smell the reality of the situation."

Z.Ramadan--SF-PST