Burgenstock, Switzerland: US Vice President JD Vance drew widespread attention online on Sunday after a light-hearted remark about two “very, very important” people in his life his wife Usha Vance and Pakistan’s Army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir made on the sidelines of US-Iran diplomatic talks in Switzerland.
Speaking to reporters at the alpine resort of Burgenstock following sessions with Iranian officials aimed at reaching a durable regional settlement, Vance recalled a personal anecdote about his dealings with Pakistan’s leadership in Islamabad.
“Since Field Marshal Asim Munir welcomed us with the (Pakistani) Prime Minister (Shehbaz Sharif) in Islamabad, I have joked that I have two very, very important people in my life. An Indian and a Pakistani. The Indian is my wife, and the Pakistani is Field Marshal Munir,” Vance said.
The remark came in the presence of Sharif and Munir, who had travelled to the Swiss venue for the peace talks, which are being mediated by Pakistan and Qatar.
Vance also spoke about his extensive contact with Munir over the past three months, underlining how frequently the two had been in touch during the diplomatic process. “I have probably talked to Munir more than I have talked to anyone else over the last three months. We would not have been here without his statesmanship and military leadership. He has shown himself to be a great diplomat,” he said.
The comments quickly went viral on social media, reviving attention on Vance’s frequent public references to his wife, Usha Vance, whose parents emigrated to the United States from Andhra Pradesh in India. They also brought back memories of his earlier remarks praising Pakistan’s role in the diplomatic process.
US Vice Prez JD Vance
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) June 21, 2026
"I have joked that I have two very very important people in my life, an Indian🇮🇳 & a Pakistani🇵🇰. The Indian is my wife and the Pakistani is Field Marshal Munir. I've probably talked to Munir more than I've talked to anybody else over the last 3 months" pic.twitter.com/xOEaOLNShK
During the first round of US-Iran talks in April, which broke down after a gruelling 21-hour session, Vance had called Munir and Sharif “incredible hosts” and “incredible statesmen” for opening a channel of communication between Washington and Tehran after decades of estrangement. He maintained at the time that the collapse of that round was not down to the mediators, saying Munir and his team “did an amazing job” trying to broker an understanding between the two sides.
Vance has often spoken publicly about his 12-year interfaith marriage. In a recent podcast appearance, he recalled telling his mother that Usha was Indian, to which she reportedly asked, “Which tribe?” a question Vance put down to a lack of cultural exposure rather than any ill intent.
The couple met in 2010 while studying at Yale Law School and married in 2014 in an interfaith ceremony that included Hindu rituals. They have three children together, with a fourth on the way.
Their personal life has drawn public attention before. Last year, Vance sparked debate after saying he hoped his Hindu wife might eventually convert to Christianity, following his own conversion to Catholicism in 2019. The remarks drew criticism from sections of the Indian-American community, who called the comments insensitive to Hindu traditions. Usha Vance later addressed the controversy, playing down suggestions of friction over religion in the marriage. “It’s not like he’s proselytising to me every day. I am not Catholic, and I do not intend to convert or anything like that,” she said.
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