Vance said Iran must cut enrichment to end the war.

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — Vice President JD Vance said Iran must make a “meaningful” reduction in its nuclear enrichment capacity to end the seven-month war. He told Reuters, in an interview after a campaign stop here on Monday, that an agreement has to cut the capacity itself. Assurances about some later drawdown will not do. “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.”

The United States and Iran have traded proposals in recent weeks to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump rejected Tehran’s latest offer and has warned that military operations could intensify after the midterms. Vance said Washington remains open to a deal and will require concrete steps. “We’re not going to trade words for actions,” he said. He also said it is “not totally clear” how Iran makes decisions, even after talks with President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.

We’re not going to trade words for actions.

The photograph shows Vance at a podium, mid-remark, one hand raised. It is not a studio portrait. The Politics desk files the terms. The anniversary is on the world page. The birthday barrage is on the war page.