Vance Declines to Set Public Enrichment Red Lines in Iran Talks

United States Vice President JD Vance said Monday that the United States is declining to define any public red lines on Iran’s uranium enrichment program, signaling a move away from publicly stated deterrent threats as nuclear negotiations with Tehran continue. Vance made the position explicit during a press conference in Yerevan, saying the administration would not announce where it intends to draw the line on enrichment in a critical stage of the talks

Asked whether the United States would permit any level of uranium enrichment by Iran, Vance said such decisions would be left to the president and handled privately. “I’ll let the president speak to exactly where he wants to set the line of negotiation,” Vance said, adding that public statements could restrict flexibility in closed-door talks. “The president is going to preserve decisional space for himself and that means not revealing too many of his cards publicly.”

The remarks made clear that the lack of a U.S. red line is intentional. By keeping enrichment limits private, Washington is giving up public pressure in favor of closed-door bargaining.

Vance’s remarks came as U.S.–Iran negotiations remain active following talks last Friday in Oman. The meeting brought together U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump adviser Jared Kushner, and U.S. Central Command Commander Brad Cooper with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and other senior Iranian officials.

Sources familiar with the discussions described the meeting as a “good start,” noting that it focused primarily on the structure and mechanics of negotiations rather than substantive agreements. U.S. officials reportedly expect Iran to arrive at the next round prepared to offer concessions on the nuclear issue and related matters.

While Washington has avoided defining its limits publicly, Tehran has done the opposite. On Sunday, Araghchi stated that a complete halt to uranium enrichment is “absolutely unacceptable” to Iran. He said future talks should be based on scenarios in which enrichment continues, alongside assurances that Iran’s nuclear activities remain peaceful.

The difference between the two sides is now clear. Iran has publicly ruled out any halt to uranium enrichment, while the United States has declined to define its own limits, leaving its threshold to be tested inside the talks rather than in public.

Vance was also asked whether Iran’s violent crackdown on protesters had factored into the talks, and whether the United States would seek human rights commitments as part of any agreement. He said human rights have been raised in discussions and condemned the crackdown as “brutally violent,” adding that the administration stands with the Iranian people and their right to peaceful protest.

Vance’s comments made clear that human rights concerns are not shaping the structure of the nuclear talks. As negotiations move toward a next round, Washington will test its enrichment limits privately, without having declared them in advance.