US Sets New Demand for Iran Deal: What Exactly Is It?

US Vice President JD Vance has called on Iran to make "substantial" cuts to its uranium enrichment capacity as part of a deal to end the war. According to experts, the move could signal a softening of Washington's previous hardline stance, which demanded that Tehran abandon uranium enrichment entirely.

Vance's remarks came as other senior US officials maintained a tough tone. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, while President Donald Trump warned the war would end "the nice way or the not-so-nice way."

In Tehran, officials questioned whether Washington genuinely wants to negotiate as the US-Israeli war against Iran entered its eighth month.

As both sides set out their positions, Simon Mabon, a professor of international relations at Lancaster University, told Al Jazeera that the prospect of Iran pursuing a nuclear weapon remains highly remote. According to him, Tehran's negotiators are more focused on sanctions, Iran's frozen assets, the US naval blockade and regional conflict — issues he described as the main obstacles to a deal.

What has the US said?

Vance told Reuters that Iran needs to prove its commitment not to develop a nuclear weapon by changing its enrichment program. "If you don't want a nuclear weapon, why do you need 60 percent enriched fuel?" he said.

"If you want to demonstrate a commitment not to build a nuclear weapon, don't build high-enriched fuel. It's a very basic threshold issue."

Enriching uranium makes it usable as fuel for nuclear reactors or, at much higher levels, for nuclear weapons. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported that Iran has enriched uranium to 60 percent, below the roughly 90 percent considered weapons-grade. In its May 2025 assessment, the agency found no credible indications of a structured nuclear weapons program.

Vance added that the US is in contact with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, although it is "not entirely clear how their country makes decisions."

Meanwhile, Rubio, speaking to reporters in Athens, accused Iran of missing multiple opportunities to reach a deal.

"Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, plain and simple, full stop, period," he said.

He also claimed Iran has "completely lost control" of the Strait of Hormuz and that its economy is in "total freefall." Under "devastating" sanctions, the country is "nearing a point few nations in the world have ever experienced," he argued.

Analysts say the comments show that pressure on Tehran remains central to Washington's approach, even as Vance's language leaves open the question of what nuclear limits the US would accept.

What has Iran said?

President Pezeshkian said on Monday that negotiations with Washington are "useless," accusing the US of using talks as cover while pursuing the Iranian government.

"Our problem with the US is that every time we come to the negotiating table, war is immediately imposed on us," he said during a meeting with Armenia's foreign minister.

"They have attacked us three times after talks so far; this proves they are not seeking dialogue. On the contrary, their goal is to overthrow the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said, according to Iran's official IRNA news agency.

"With an enemy that uses assassination, sanctions, pressure and threats every day — and breaks its promises — negotiations become useless, and our nation will not accept such an approach."

However, Foreign Minister Araghchi, speaking to foreign ambassadors in Tehran on October 4, said that "only negotiations based on justice and fairness" can end the conflict, suggesting there is still room for talks to continue and for a deal to follow.

The statements came after an Iranian proposal presented at the United Nations General Assembly in New York in late September to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume negotiations. Trump later rejected the proposal.

How does it compare with previous proposals?

Iran's latest proposal seeks to build on a June 17 memorandum of understanding signed by the two countries, which temporarily eased the conflict before collapsing. The new proposal, put forward several weeks ago, essentially shortens the timetable and changes the sequencing of steps toward a solution.

The proposal states that fighting would stop on all fronts, including Israel's campaign in Lebanon. Washington would lift its naval blockade and oil sanctions and release Iran's frozen assets. The Strait of Hormuz would reopen within seven days, followed by negotiations on Iran's nuclear program.

Experts say the proposal could offer Trump a path to restoring shipping before the US midterm elections in November. But disagreements over the sequencing of events remain unresolved.

However, Mabon told Al Jazeera that Washington's focus on uranium enrichment risks overlooking Tehran's priorities. "The US is trying to soften its position on the nuclear issue with Iran, but for the Iranians, this is not really the sticking point. It's the blockade, the lifting of sanctions, the release of assets and ending regional conflict."

A deal allowing limited enrichment would also invite comparisons with the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) negotiated under US President Barack Obama. That agreement restricted Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump withdrew the US from the deal in 2018.

Mabon argued that a nuclear deal could have been reached before the current war. "Arguably, a nuclear deal was within reach at various points. We of course had the JCPOA, but then the Iranians were close to agreeing to a similar deal in February and January. The mediated talks at the time all showed that a nuclear deal was possible, yet the decision to go to war was taken."

What other obstacles stand in the way of a deal?

Mabon said Tehran would need commitments that go beyond the nuclear issue. "I think the Iranians will demand the lifting of sanctions, the lifting of the blockade and the release of assets, or at least a roadmap for that, along with an end to the conflict in Lebanon and a permanent ceasefire in the Gulf."

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains another source of uncertainty, despite Rubio's claim that Iran has lost control of the waterway.

Although Gulf oil exports have recovered significantly, attacks on vessels continue. On Tuesday, 12 sailors on a Panama-flagged tanker were wounded by an unidentified object while passing through the strait, according to India's Ministry of External Affairs.

Gulf oil flows, excluding Iran, reached more than 81 percent of pre-war levels in September, according to maritime intelligence firm Kpler. Crude exports across the Middle East exceeded pre-war levels during a 14-day stretch that month.

The recovery may ease pressure on the US to reach a deal, although continued attacks still raise questions about the safety of the shipping route.

Mabon said that Washington's apparent softening on uranium enrichment suggests it is still unsure how fully shipping through Hormuz has recovered.

"If the Americans were confident that the strait had properly reopened, then they would push for a tougher deal."