Trump Vows to Finish Iran War as Vance Demands Nuclear Enrichment Cuts for Peace Deal

President Donald Trump issued pointed remarks Tuesday about the eight-month-old U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, warning that the conflict must be concluded and that Americans would learn "pretty soon" whether that would happen "the nice way or the not-so-nice way." Trump described Iran as "a mess" that is "doing very poorly" and said the country's drone-making capacity would "soon be gone," while also noting that oil continues to flow through the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump identified Iran's uncertain leadership as the central obstacle, saying "the biggest problem is that nobody knows who is running the country," before adding, "maybe that's a good thing." Iran's foreign ministry pushed back, with a spokesman stating that Washington is well aware of how Iran's decision-making system works. The White House separately pushed back on characterizations of Trump's comments regarding Los Angeles and San Diego.

Vice President JD Vance, speaking in a separate interview conducted in Alaska, laid out concrete U.S. terms for ending the war: Iran must make a "meaningful" reduction in its nuclear enrichment capacity. Vance argued Tehran cannot credibly claim it does not seek a nuclear weapon while enriching uranium to 60%, and said Washington would not "trade words for actions." Vance confirmed the U.S. is negotiating with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi but expressed uncertainty about how much authority those officials actually hold. Trump also said the Russia-Ukraine war is getting closer to ending and predicted oil prices would fall once the Iran conflict concludes, noting the U.S. dollar remains very strong. Trump separately disclosed the U.S. will hold a 40% stake in a new Maryland defense shipyard.