Vance appears to soften U.S. demands on Iranian nuclear enrichment

Vice President JD Vance has signaled a more flexible U. S. position on Iran's nuclear program. In a Reuters interview published Tuesday, he said Tehran must make a meaningful cut to its enrichment capacity and refrain from producing highly enriched fuel, but he did not say enrichment must end entirely. That differs from President Trump, who the day before the war began said he wanted no enrichment at all, and who later said Iran had agreed to ship its enriched uranium abroad. Vance questioned why Iran would need 60% material if it truly sought no bomb, and said the goal is preventing an Iranian weapon, according to CBS News.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to reporters in Athens on Wednesday, took a harder line. He said oil is moving through the Strait of Hormuz at nearly prewar levels, so Iran has lost control of the waterway, and he described Iran's economy as in freefall under sanctions. Iran, he said, can never have a nuclear weapon.

Separately, Wednesday marked three years since the Hamas-led attack of Oct. 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people and led to 251 hostages being seized. Gaza's health ministry says the ensuing Israeli campaign has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians.

Summarized by PolitiKool from CBS News’s reporting. Read the full story at CBS News →