Vance Sets Enrichment Cut as Condition for Ending Iran War

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Iran must make a meaningful reduction in its nuclear-enrichment capacity for Washington to agree to a deal ending the seven-month war, setting a concrete condition while leaving the size and form of any reduction unspecified. In an interview on Monday, Vance said the United States remained open to an agreement but would not accept verbal assurances in place of action. He argued that reducing Iran’s ability to produce highly enriched uranium would demonstrate a commitment not to build a nuclear weapon. Vance did not say whether Washington would measure a reduction by uranium purity, production output or the number of enrichment sites. The exact threshold is uncertain in part because Iran’s current enrichment capacity and uranium stockpile have not been verified since attacks on nuclear facilities. The International Atomic Energy Agency estimated Iran held 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to up to 60% when the first bombs fell. In March, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said the agency believed a little more than 200 kilograms remained in tunnels at Isfahan, with some also at Natanz.