US Vice President JD Vance said Iran must make a “meaningful” reduction in its nuclear enrichment capacity to meet US demands and end the US-Israeli war on Tehran. Speaking to Reuters after a campaign trip to Alaska, Vance said Washington would require concrete Iranian concessions rather than promises of future reductions. “If you don’t want a nuclear weapon, then why do you need 60% enriched fuel?” he said, adding that Iran should “do something meaningful on its enrichment capacity.” “We’re not going to trade words for actions,” Vance said.

Vance also said Washington remains uncertain about how decisions are made in Tehran. “One of the things we picked up on is it’s not totally clear how their country makes decisions,” he said, echoing Trump’s claim that “nobody knows who is running Iran.” Vance said he has spoken with field commanders about battlefield conditions, dismissed concerns about critical munitions shortages, and said Iranian forces can periodically strike commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz but are largely unable to stop energy exports. He declined to say whether he is leading peace talks, saying, “We’re certainly involved. Ultimately, the president of the United States is driving things.”

Vance, considered a leading Republican contender to succeed Trump, drew cheers when Sullivan nearly introduced him as president rather than vice president. Asked about a 2028 presidential bid, Vance said he had not decided: “I’m inherently a procrastinator. I really haven’t thought about it much.”