Following in Trump's footsteps... Vance: It is not clear "who makes the decisions" in Iran

(CNN) - US Vice President J.D. Vance said that the United States is holding talks with Iranian leaders, but "is still not sure who is actually making the decisions in Tehran."

Vance told Reuters news agency in an interview on Monday that Washington is talking with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, but he added that he was not sure how much power the two men had. He added: “One of the things we noticed is that it is not completely clear how their country makes decisions.”

He reiterated that ending the war that has been ongoing for 7 months depends on Iran reducing its nuclear program. Pointing out that Tehran must make a “tangible” reduction in its enrichment capabilities.

"If you don't want to have a nuclear weapon, why do you need 60% enriched fuel? If you want to show a commitment not to make a nuclear weapon, don't produce highly enriched fuel. This is a very fundamental and fundamental issue. I think if they want to show their commitment not to make a nuclear weapon, they have to take a concrete step about their enrichment capabilities," Vance said. "We will not exchange actions for mere words," he added.

Vance's comments come days after US President Donald Trump told a rally in Alabama that the state of confusion over who holds power in Iran is complicating efforts to reach an agreement. "They have lost everything, including their leaders, by the way," Trump said, describing the existence of a "leadership vacuum" in Tehran, and claiming that "there is no one ready to take over and run the country."

He continued: "And that's part of our problem; I don't know who the hell I should be dealing with. There's no one to deal with. No one wants to be president. I wonder, 'Who am I talking to in Iran?' There's no one, no one is there. I knock on the door... and no one's in." And yet, he insisted, this war "will be over soon, one way or another."