Switzerland: US Vice President JD Vance sparked online attention on Sunday after jokingly naming his wife, Usha Vance, and Asim Munir as the two most important Indian and Pakistani people in his life during the US-Iran peace talks in Switzerland.
Speaking at the Burgenstock resort following discussions on a permanent peace deal with Iranian officials, Vance said he had “an Indian and a Pakistani” in his life, referring to Usha Vance and Pakistan Army chief Munir. The remark was made in the presence of Shehbaz Sharif and Munir, who attended the talks mediated by Pakistan and Qatar.
Vance praised Munir’s role in the negotiations, saying he had spoken to him more than almost anyone else over the past three months and credited his “statesmanship and military leadership” for helping advance the peace process.
The comment quickly went viral, drawing attention to Vance’s frequent references to his wife, whose parents immigrated to the US from Andhra Pradesh.
Vance and Usha met at Yale Law School in 2010 and married in 2014 in an interfaith ceremony incorporating Hindu traditions. They have three children and are expecting a fourth.
The Vice President has previously praised Munir and Sharif for facilitating US-Iran dialogue. He has also faced scrutiny over remarks expressing hope that Usha might one day convert to Christianity, comments she later said were being misinterpreted.
