US Vice President JD Vance said Iran must make a "meaningful" reduction in its nuclear enrichment capacity to satisfy US demands and end the seven-month war, in an exclusive interview with Reuters conducted after a campaign trip to Alaska.
The US demand
Vance, a longtime skeptic of US involvement in foreign wars who has taken a leading role in negotiating a settlement to the conflict, said any agreement would require Iran to actually reduce its enrichment capacity rather than offer assurances of future drawdowns.
"If you don't want a nuclear weapon, then why do you need 60% enriched fuel? And if you want to show commitment to not building a nuclear weapon, don't build highly enriched fuel. That's a very basic threshold issue," Vance said. "We're not going to trade words for actions."
Iran and the US have exchanged proposals in recent weeks aimed at ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy shipping route. US President Donald Trump rejected Tehran's latest offer and has warned that military operations could intensify after the midterms.
Who decides in Tehran?
Vance said Washington is unsure how Iran makes decisions in negotiations. He said the US was in talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, but it was unclear how much authority they wield within Iran's power structure, after joint US-Israeli strikes at the start of the war killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as reported by Reuters.
Trump separately said his "biggest problem" is that no one knows who is running Iran. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei countered on Sunday that US officials are well aware of who their Iranian counterparts are and how Iran's decision-making system works, saying the problem lies in "contradictory positions and mixed messaging from US officials."
The stakes
The war — which Reuters estimates carries a $3 billion monthly price tag — has jolted global energy markets and become a political liability for Trump and fellow Republicans ahead of November's midterm elections. Vance told Reuters he had held personal conversations with field commanders to gauge battlefield conditions, dismissing concerns over critical munitions shortages, while acknowledging Iranian troops can periodically strike commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz though they are largely unable to prevent energy exports through the waterway.
In Alaska, Vance campaigned for Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, who faces a tight reelection battle with Democratic challenger Mary Peltola, and is seen as a leading Republican contender to succeed Trump. Asked about a 2028 presidential run, he said he had not decided: "I'm inherently a procrastinator. I really haven't thought about it much."
Sources: Reuters: In interview, US Vice President Vance says Iran must cut enrichment to end war; Haaretz: Vance — Iran must cut nuclear enrichment to end war with U.S.; Times of Israel: Vance — Iran must cut enrichment to end war
The US demand
Vance, a longtime skeptic of US involvement in foreign wars who has taken a leading role in negotiating a settlement to the conflict, said any agreement would require Iran to actually reduce its enrichment capacity rather than offer assurances of future drawdowns.
"If you don't want a nuclear weapon, then why do you need 60% enriched fuel? And if you want to show commitment to not building a nuclear weapon, don't build highly enriched fuel. That's a very basic threshold issue," Vance said. "We're not going to trade words for actions."
Iran and the US have exchanged proposals in recent weeks aimed at ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy shipping route. US President Donald Trump rejected Tehran's latest offer and has warned that military operations could intensify after the midterms.
Who decides in Tehran?
Vance said Washington is unsure how Iran makes decisions in negotiations. He said the US was in talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, but it was unclear how much authority they wield within Iran's power structure, after joint US-Israeli strikes at the start of the war killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as reported by Reuters.
Trump separately said his "biggest problem" is that no one knows who is running Iran. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei countered on Sunday that US officials are well aware of who their Iranian counterparts are and how Iran's decision-making system works, saying the problem lies in "contradictory positions and mixed messaging from US officials."
The stakes
The war — which Reuters estimates carries a $3 billion monthly price tag — has jolted global energy markets and become a political liability for Trump and fellow Republicans ahead of November's midterm elections. Vance told Reuters he had held personal conversations with field commanders to gauge battlefield conditions, dismissing concerns over critical munitions shortages, while acknowledging Iranian troops can periodically strike commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz though they are largely unable to prevent energy exports through the waterway.
In Alaska, Vance campaigned for Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, who faces a tight reelection battle with Democratic challenger Mary Peltola, and is seen as a leading Republican contender to succeed Trump. Asked about a 2028 presidential run, he said he had not decided: "I'm inherently a procrastinator. I really haven't thought about it much."
Sources: Reuters: In interview, US Vice President Vance says Iran must cut enrichment to end war; Haaretz: Vance — Iran must cut nuclear enrichment to end war with U.S.; Times of Israel: Vance — Iran must cut enrichment to end war
