US Vice President JD Vance has said Iran must make a meaningful reduction in its uranium-enrichment capacity for Washington to agree to end the conflict, while saying the United States remains open to a negotiated settlement.
Vance’s wording is significant because he called for meaningful cuts rather than publicly demanding the complete elimination of all Iranian enrichment.
He questioned why Iran would need uranium enriched to 60% if its nuclear programme is not intended to produce a weapon. Enrichment at that level has become a central point in the dispute between Tehran and Washington.
President Donald Trump has rejected Tehran’s latest proposal and warned that US operations could intensify after the midterm elections if an agreement is not reached.
Vance said the United States has been communicating with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi. He also raised questions about how much authority Iranian officials have to negotiate following changes in the country’s leadership structure.
Iran has rejected the US description of its position. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei disputed Washington’s characterisation, underscoring that the two sides remain far apart over both the substance and presentation of the negotiations.
The conflict is also carrying a large direct cost for Washington. Reuters reported that US military operations are costing roughly $3 billion a month.
The public comments indicate that Washington still sees a negotiated end to the conflict as possible, but only if Tehran accepts a substantial change to its enrichment capacity.
They do not establish that Iran has accepted those terms or that a settlement is imminent. The exchanges described by US officials are diplomatic contacts, not evidence of a face-to-face agreement between the senior figures involved.
The next important development will be whether the two sides narrow their differences over enrichment and whether Iran presents a proposal the US administration considers sufficient to halt military operations.
For now, the verified US position is that a negotiated end remains available, but Washington expects meaningful reductions in Iran’s enrichment capability as part of any deal.
Pakistan Report illustration.