JD Vance admits he is a 'procrastinator' as Vice President plays down rumours of 2028 White House run

Mr Vance was in the northernmost State to rally support for Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, who is locked in a tight reelection battle with Democratic challenger Mary Peltola.

In the 2024 Presidential Election, President Trump carried Alaska by 13 per cent, but rising everyday costs have put the state back in play.

Rally attendees roared when Mr Sullivan nearly introduced Mr Vance as the president of the US instead of the vice president.

While Mr Vance is seen as a leading Republican contender to succeed President Trump in the White House, he quickly downplayed the rumours.

When asked by Reuters if he would run for President, the 42-year-old said: "I've been asked that question a lot. I'm inherently a procrastinator, and I really haven't thought that much about it.

"We're going to try to win the midterms, get Dan Sullivan elected, which I'm very confident we're going to do, and then, you know, we'll figure it out after that."

The Vice President has not ruled out a 2028 run

REUTERS

The Vice President was also asked about potential updates on the suspected terror plot near RAF Fairford.

Mr Vance said: "I'm not going to speak to classified intelligence. Nothing has happened yet.

"We're very aware that the Iranians are trying to conduct strikes against American assets all over the world.

"You know, we also have incredibly capable guys on the military side and the intelligence side. So far, nothing has happened. We'll keep praying and working to ensure that it doesn't."

Mr Vance said he was focused on getting Dan Sullivan elected

REUTERS

Turning to the war with Iran, Vice President Vance said any agreement would require Tehran to reduce its nuclear enrichment capacity, rather than offer assurances of future nuclear drawdowns.

He said: "If you don't want a nuclear weapon, then why do you need 60 per cent enriched fuel? If you want to show commitment to not building a nuclear weapon, don't build highly enriched fuel. That's a very basic threshold issue.

"I think if they want to show a commitment to not building a nuclear weapon, they would do something meaningful on their enrichment capacity."

Mr Vance declined to say if he was leading peace talks, though he is frequently cited as the White House's top negotiator, adding: "We're certainly involved. Ultimately, the President of the United States is driving things."

Both JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have been tipped as potential successors to President Trump

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Iran and the US have exchanged proposals in recent weeks to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy shipping route.

The war, with its $3billion monthly price tag, has become a key issue on the campaign trail, with higher energy prices putting President Trump and Republicans on the defensive in competitive states that will decide control of Congress.

President Trump rejected Tehran's latest offer and has warned that military operations could intensify after the midterms.

Mr Vance said the US remained open to an agreement but would require concrete Iranian nuclear concessions, adding: "We're not going to trade words for actions."

JD Vance did not rule out running for the White House

REUTER

Further complicating issues, Vice President Vance said Washington is uncertain who makes decisions in Tehran.

Mr Vance said the US was in talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi but it was unclear how much authority they wield within Iran's power structure.

President Trump said his "biggest problem" is that no one knows who is running Iran, with Mr Vance adding: "One of the things we picked up on is it's not totally clear how their country makes decisions."

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Sunday that US officials are well aware of who their Iranian counterparts are and how Iran's decision-making system works.

Esmaeil Baghaei told a weekly press conference: "The problem is actually the opposite: it lies in the contradictory positions and mixed messaging from US officials."