US Vice President JD Vance said in an exclusive interview with Reuters that Iran must make a “meaningful” reduction in its nuclear enrichment capacity to satisfy US demands and end the countries’ seven-month war, even as Washington was unsure how Tehran makes decisions in negotiations.
Vance, a longtime skeptic of US involvement in foreign wars, has taken a leading role in negotiating a settlement to the conflict and brokered a provisional peace agreement in June that quickly fell apart. The war has jolted global energy markets and become a political liability for US President Donald Trump and fellow Republicans ahead of November midterm elections.
Vance said on Monday after a campaign trip in Alaska that any agreement would require Iran to reduce its nuclear enrichment capacity, rather than offer assurances of future nuclear 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.
"I think if they want to show a commitment to not building a nuclear weapon, they would do something meaningful on their enrichment capacity."
Washington's "requests and ideas" about Iran's nuclear program are at odds with Tehran's demands, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday when asked about Vance's comment that Tehran must cut enrichment to end the war.
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. Trump rejected Tehran's latest offer and has warned that military operations could intensify after the midterms.
Vance said the US remained open to an agreement but would require concrete Iranian nuclear concessions.
"We're not going to trade words for actions," Vance said.
Trump and administration officials have consistently called for blocking Iran's path to building a nuclear weapon, including the destruction or removal of its highly enriched uranium stockpile that can be used for a nuclear bomb.
The message has been less clear on whether Iran, under a possible peace deal, might be permitted to maintain some enriched uranium, at levels below what would be necessary to quickly build a weapon.
TEHRAN'S RED LINE
The senior Iranian official said no negotiations had taken place with the US about Iran's nuclear program, and Washington must first meet Tehran's conditions before nuclear talks can start.
The official said US recognition of Iran's right to nuclear enrichment is Tehran's red line, which he said "it will not show flexibility on in any way." However, he said details of enrichment can be discussed later.
"Vance's comments are Washington's ideas and requests. ... Americans are free to make requests and have ideas, but they are at odds with Iran's demands," said the senior Iranian official, who is involved in indirect negotiations with the US.
Israel, the US and other Western states have long accused Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, including pointing to its move to enrich uranium to 60%, far higher than needed for civilian uses and closer to the 90% needed for a weapon. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons; Iranian authorities have said that Tehran could agree to dilute its most highly enriched uranium.
UNCLEAR HOW IRAN MAKES DECISIONS: VANCE
Complicating matters, Vance said Washington is uncertain who makes decisions in Tehran.
Vance 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, he said, after joint US-Israeli strikes at the start of the war killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
"One of the things we picked up on is it's not totally clear how their country makes decisions," Vance said. Separately, Trump said on Tuesday that his "biggest problem" is no one knows who is running Iran.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Sunday that US officials are well aware of who their Iranian counterparts are and how Iran's decision-making system works.
"The problem is actually the opposite: it lies in the contradictory positions and mixed messaging from US officials," Esmaeil Baghaei told a weekly press conference.
Vance told Reuters he has held personal conversations with field commanders to gauge battlefield conditions. He dismissed concerns over critical munitions shortages and added that while Iranian troops are periodically able to strike commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, they are largely unable to prevent energy exports through the waterway.
Vance declined to say whether he was leading peace talks, though he is frequently cited as the White House's top negotiator.
"We're certainly involved," he said. "Ultimately, the president of the United States is driving things."
The war — and its $3 billion monthly price tag — has become a key issue on the campaign trail. Higher energy prices have put Trump and Republicans on the defensive in competitive states that will decide control of Congress.
Vance has sought to temper criticism of Trump’s handling of the conflict, telling voters they should not let that issue keep them from backing Republicans in next month's elections.
In Alaska, Vance rallied for Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, who is locked in a tight reelection battle with Democratic challenger Mary Peltola. Trump carried Alaska by 13 percentage points in 2024, but rising everyday costs have put the state in play.
Before speaking with Reuters, Vance focused much of his speech on affordability concerns, especially around energy. Alaska's remote locale makes consumer goods more expensive, and energy production is a key industry.
Rally attendees roared when Sullivan nearly introduced Vance as US president, rather than vice president. Vance is seen as a leading Republican contender to succeed Trump.
Vance told Reuters afterward that he had not decided whether to seek the presidency in 2028.
"I'm inherently a procrastinator," he said. "I really haven't thought about it much."
Source: Reuters
-Agencies
