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Vance told Reuters that Iran needed to demonstrate its commitment to not developing nuclear weapons by changing its enrichment programme.
US President Donald Trump speaks with Vice President JD Vance. (AFP file photo)
US Vice President JD Vance has called on Iran to make a “meaningful” reduction in its uranium enrichment capacity as part of an agreement to end the war, raising questions over whether Washington has softened its earlier demand that Tehran abandon enrichment altogether.
Vance’s comments come alongside tougher statements from other senior US officials. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reiterated that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, while President Donald Trump has warned that the war will end through either “the nice way or the not-so-nice way”.
Iranian officials, meanwhile, have questioned whether Washington genuinely wants negotiations as the US-Israel war on Iran enters its eighth month.
Simon Mabon, professor of international relations at Lancaster University, told Al Jazeera that the prospect of Iran seeking a nuclear weapon remained remote. He said Iranian negotiators were more concerned about sanctions, frozen Iranian assets, the US naval blockade and fighting across the region, which he described as the main obstacles to a deal.
What has the US said?
Vance told Reuters that Iran needed to demonstrate its commitment to not developing nuclear weapons by changing its enrichment programme. “If you don’t want a nuclear weapon, then why do you need 60 percent enriched fuel?” he said.
“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,” he added.
At A Glance
US Vice President JD Vance called for a meaningful reduction in Iran’s uranium enrichment capacity.
The US-Israel war on Iran has entered its eighth month.
The International Atomic Energy Agency reported Iran enriched uranium to 60 percent.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated negotiations with Washington were futile.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi suggested room for talks based on justice and fairness.
Uranium enrichment can make the material usable as fuel for nuclear reactors or, at much higher levels, for nuclear weapons. The International Atomic Energy Agency has reported that Iran enriched uranium to 60 percent, below the roughly 90 percent level considered weapons-grade.
In its May 2025 assessment, the IAEA found no credible indications of a structured nuclear programme.
Vance also said the US was speaking with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, although he added that “it’s not totally clear how their country makes decisions”.
Rubio, meanwhile, accused Iran of missing several opportunities to reach an agreement while speaking to reporters in Athens.
“Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, simple, period, end of story,” Rubio said.
He also claimed Iran had “lost complete control” of the Strait of Hormuz and that its economy was in “total and complete freefall”. He said Iran, under “crippling” sanctions, was “about to reach a place few countries in the world have been”.
What has Iran said?
Pezeshkian said on Monday that negotiations with Washington were “futile”, accusing the US of using talks while pursuing Iran’s government. “Our problem with the United States is that every time we come to the negotiating table, war is immediately imposed upon us,” he said during a meeting with Armenia’s foreign minister.
“They have attacked us three times following talks so far; this demonstrates that they do not seek dialogue. On the contrary, their goal is to bring down the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he said, according to Iran’s official IRNA news agency.
“With an enemy that resorts daily to assassination, sanctions, pressure and threats – and breaks its promises – negotiations become futile, and our nation will not accept such an approach.”
However, Araghchi, speaking to foreign ambassadors in Tehran on October 4, said, “Only negotiations based on justice and fairness” could end the conflict, suggesting there is still room for talks to continue and a deal to follow.
This came after an Iranian proposal presented during the United Nations General Assembly in New York in late September to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume negotiations. However, Trump subsequently rejected the proposal.
Quick Answers
Ask News18US Vice President JD Vance stated that Iran must make a meaningful reduction in its uranium enrichment capacity and stop producing 60 percent enriched fuel to demonstrate its commitment to not building a nuclear weapon.
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Shuddhanta Patra is an Indian journalist with about nine years of experience in covering national politics, geopolitics, defence, diplomacy and international affairs. Her reporting focuses on South As…Read More
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