JUNEAU: Vice President JD Vance said Iran must make a "meaningful" reduction in its nuclear enrichment capacity to satisfy U.S. demands and end the seven-month war, even as Washington remains uncertain how Tehran makes decisions in negotiations.
Vance, who has taken a leading role in negotiating a settlement to the conflict, made the comments in an exclusive interview with Reuters on Monday after a campaign trip in Alaska. A provisional peace agreement he brokered in June quickly fell apart.
The war has jolted global energy markets and become a political liability for President Donald Trump and fellow Republicans ahead of November midterm elections. It carries a price tag of roughly $3 billion per month, and higher energy prices have put Trump and Republicans on the defensive in competitive states that will decide control of Congress.
Speaking after a rally for Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, Vance said 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."
Iran and the U.S. 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 U.S. remained open to an agreement but would require concrete Iranian nuclear concessions.
"We're not going to trade words for actions," he said.
Uncertainty Over Iran's Decision-Making
Complicating matters, Vance said Washington is uncertain who makes decisions in Tehran.
He said the U.S. 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 U.S.-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 Tuesday his "biggest problem" is that no one knows who is running Iran.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, said Sunday that U.S. 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 U.S. officials," Baghaei told a weekly press conference.
Vance: U.S. 'Certainly involved' in talks
Vance told Reuters he has held personal conversations with field commanders to gauge battlefield conditions. He dismissed concerns over critical munitions shortages and said 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.
He 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."
War Looms Over Midterm Campaign
The conflict has become a key issue on the campaign trail. Vance has sought to temper criticism of Trump's handling of the war, telling voters they should not let that issue keep them from backing Republicans in next month's elections.
In Alaska, Vance rallied for 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 the president of the U.S. rather than the vice president. Vance is seen as a leading Republican contender to succeed Trump in the White House.
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."
