Iran must “significantly“ reduce its uranium enrichment capacity to meet US demands and end the seven-month-long war between the two countries, US Vice President J.D. Vance said in an interview with Reuters.
According to him, the United States is ready to reach an agreement with Tehran, but Washington is demanding concrete action on Iran's nuclear program, not just promises. “We will not trade words for action”, Vance said. He cited the level of uranium enrichment as the main issue and said that if Iran does not intend to create a nuclear weapon, there is no reason to produce highly enriched fuel.
In recent weeks, the United States and Iran have exchanged proposals to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz - a key route for global energy supplies, Reuters notes. US President Donald Trump rejected the latest Iranian proposal and warned that military action could be intensified after the US midterm elections in November.
Vance said the US side continues to hold talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezizkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. At the same time, he said, Washington is not fully aware of who makes the final decisions in Tehran and what powers the two officials have in the Iranian power system, after joint US-Israeli strikes killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the beginning of the war.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghai said on Sunday that US officials are well acquainted with their Iranian counterparts and the way decisions are made in the country. According to him, the problem lies in the contradictory positions and mixed messages from US officials.
Vance also said that he had personally spoken with field commanders to obtain information about the situation on the battlefield. He dismissed concerns about a shortage of critical munitions and said that while Iranian forces are capable of periodically attacking commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, they are generally unable to stop energy exports through it.
The war is costing the United States about $3 billion a month and has become a major campaign issue ahead of the midterm elections, Reuters reports. Rising energy prices pose political problems for Trump and Republicans in states where a close fight for control of Congress is expected.
Vance, who is considered one of the potential Republican presidential candidates in the 2028 election, said he had not yet decided whether to run. “I really haven't thought much about it”, he said.
Source: www.bta.bg