US Vice President JD Vance has 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 country’s seven-month war, even as Washington was unsure how Tehran makes decisions in negotiations.
asserted
Tehran → say → negotiations
Vance, a longtime sceptic 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.
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that → take → June
The war has jolted global energy markets and become a political liability for President Donald Trump and fellow Republicans ahead of November midterm elections.
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war → jolt → elections
Speaking on Monday after a campaign trip in Alaska, Vance said any agreement would require Iran to reduce its nuclear enrichment capacity, rather than offer assurances of future nuclear drawdowns.
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agreement → speak → drawdowns
“If you don’t want a nuclear weapon, then why do you need 60 per cent enriched fuel?
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you → want → fuel
And if you want to show commitment to not building a nuclear weapon, don’t build highly enriched fuel.
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you → want → fuel
That’s a very basic threshold issue,” Vance said.
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Vance → ’ → ?
“I think if they want to show a commitment to not building a nuclear weapon, they would do something meaningful on their enrichment capacity.”
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they → think → capacity
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.
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Iran → exchange → Hormuz
Trump rejected Tehran’s latest offer and has warned that military operations could intensify after the midterms.
uncertain
operations → reject → midterms
Vance said the US remained open to an agreement but would require concrete Iranian nuclear concessions.
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US → say → concessions
“We’re not going to trade words for actions,” Vance said.
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Vance → go → actions
Unclear how Iran makes decisions
Complicating matters, Vance said Washington is uncertain who makes decisions in Tehran.
uncertain
who → make → Tehran
Vance said the US was in talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
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US → say → Pezeshkian
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 assassinated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
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strikes → wield → Khamenei
“One of the things we picked up on is it’s not totally clear how their country makes decisions,” Vance said.
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Vance → pick → decisions
Separately, Trump said on Tuesday his “biggest problem” is no one knows who is running Iran.
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who → say → 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 Baqaei told a weekly press conference.
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Baqaei → say → conference
Vance told Reuters he has held personal conversations with field commanders to gauge battlefield conditions.
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he → tell → 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.
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they → dismiss → waterway
Vance declined to say if he was leading peace talks, though he is frequently cited as the White House’s top negotiator.
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he → decline → negotiator
“We’re certainly involved,” he said.
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he → involve → ?
“Ultimately, the president of the United States is driving things.”
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president → drive → things
The war and its $3 billion monthly price tag have become a key issue on the campaign trail.
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war → become → trail
Higher energy prices have put Trump and Republicans on the defensive in competitive states that will decide control of Congress.
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that → put → 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.
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issue → seek → elections
In Alaska, Vance rallied for Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, who is locked in a tight reelection battle with Democratic challenger Mary Peltola.
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who → rally → Peltola
Trump carried Alaska by 13 percentage points in 2024, but rising everyday costs have put the state in play.
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costs → carry → play
Before speaking with Reuters, Vance focused much of his speech on affordability concerns, especially around energy.
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Vance → speak → energy
Alaska’s remote locale makes consumer goods more expensive, and energy production is a key industry.
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production → make → ?
Rally attendees roared when Sullivan nearly introduced Vance as the president of the US, rather than the vice president.
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Sullivan → roar → US
Vance is seen as a leading Republican contender to succeed Trump in the White House.
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Vance → see → House
Vance told Reuters afterwards that he had not decided whether to seek the presidency in 2028.
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he → tell → 2028
“I’m inherently a procrastinator,” he said.
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he → ’m → ?
“I really haven’t thought about it much.”
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I → think → it
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