US Vice-President J.D. Vance said Iran must make a “meaningful” reduction in its nuclear enrichment capacity to end the seven-month war, in an interview with Reuters on Monday.
Vance said any deal would need an actual cut in capacity rather than assurances of future reductions. “We’re not going to trade words for actions,” he said.
He said Washington was unsure how Iran makes decisions. The United States is in talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, but it is unclear how much authority they hold, he said.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Sunday that US officials know how Iran’s system works, and that the problem lay in mixed messaging from Washington.
The war has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy supplies. For Sri Lanka, which imports its fuel, higher global energy prices can raise import costs.
President Donald Trump has rejected Iran’s latest offer and has warned that military operations could intensify after the US midterm elections in November.
