Speaking from the White House, Vance said the administration’s plan does not include transferring the uranium stockpiles to Russia. “So, first on the Russia taking possession of the enriched uranium, look, these things are being discussed through negotiation. That is not currently our plan. That has never been our plan,” he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin floated the idea during a phone call with President Donald Trump in April, Trump said at the time. Iran has rejected transferring the stockpiles outside its territory.

Trump has repeatedly said that his intent is for Iran to hand over the enriched uranium — “nuclear dust,” as he frequently calls it — to the United States.

Vance framed the White House’s objective around nonproliferation. “We are not going to have a deal that allows the Iranians to have a nuclear weapon,” he said.

“It’s not just that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Vance said. “We know that a lot of nations all across the Gulf would then want their own nuclear weapon.”

The US vice president, who led the last round of negotiations with Iran in Islamabad in April, said the administration prefers a diplomatic solution but that Trump is prepared to resume the war. “The president just told me we’re locked and loaded; we don’t want to go down that pathway. But the president is willing and able to go down that pathway if we have to,” he added.