Vance Says Iran Must Not Obtain Nuclear Weapon, Warns Military Option Remains
US Vice President JD Vance said Wednesday that Iran will not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon, emphasizing that diplomacy remains the preferred approach of President Donald Trump’s administration while warning that other options remain available.
Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Vance said Trump has been as “crystal clear as he could be” on the issue, stressing that Iran cannot possess a nuclear weapon. He noted that while diplomacy is the administration’s preferred route, military action would remain an ultimate objective if chosen.
Vance argued that most Americans agree Iran should not be permitted to develop nuclear weapons capabilities, describing the issue as a matter of national and global security. He added that Trump is pursuing a diplomatic solution but retains “a number of other tools” to prevent Iran from acquiring such weapons.
Delegations from Iran and the United States are set to hold a third round of indirect nuclear negotiations under Oman’s mediation in Geneva, Switzerland, on Thursday. Vance said he hopes Iranian officials will take the talks seriously.
When asked whether US policy could involve seeking the removal of Iran’s supreme leader, Vance declined to speculate, saying Trump would ultimately determine the appropriate course of action to ensure Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons.
“We’re sitting down having another round of diplomatic talks with the Iranians trying to reach a reasonable settlement, but a reasonable settlement toward what end? Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon. It’s very simple,” Vance said, expressing hope that the issue could be resolved without military action while affirming the president’s authority to use force if necessary.
In a separate news conference with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz, Vance said the United States had seen evidence that Iran was attempting to rebuild its nuclear arms capacity following US strikes last June that the administration claims destroyed Tehran’s nuclear facilities.
“If they try to rebuild a nuclear weapon, that causes problems for us. In fact, we’ve seen evidence that they have tried to do exactly that,” he said.
On Tuesday, Trump claimed that Iran is developing long-range missiles capable of reaching the United States. However, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said the country’s missile program is defensive in nature.
