H.R. McMaster, who served as national security adviser during President Trump's first term, says Iran should be required to completely end uranium enrichment on its own soil, pointing to the regime's long history of hiding nuclear activity from international inspectors. The retired lieutenant general, now a CBS News contributor, raised the comments while discussing a notable shift in tone from Vice President JD Vance, who recently said Iran only needs to make a meaningful reduction in its enrichment capacity rather than eliminate the program entirely. McMaster said his real concern is not just the policy itself but how it is being communicated, warning that mixed messages coming out of the administration risk sending the wrong signal to both allies and Tehran. What I'm concerned about is inconsistency in the messaging, McMaster said, suggesting that blurred red lines could weaken the credibility of U.S. demands at a critical moment in negotiations.

The remarks come as the United States and Iran work to formally end a war that has dragged on for roughly seven months, with President Trump pledging no new military strikes before the upcoming midterm elections. McMaster has argued that any ambiguity in Washington's position gives Tehran more room to maneuver and could undercut the deterrent message the administration has tried to project throughout the conflict. He has also suggested that U.S. allies in the region are closely watching how firmly Washington holds its line on enrichment, since any perceived softening could shape how those partners calibrate their own security posture going forward. With talks still unresolved and enrichment remaining one of the central sticking points, McMaster's warning underscores the high stakes riding on whether the administration can speak with one voice in the final stretch of negotiations.