Vice President JD Vance mentioned Sunday that regardless of the U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear websites final evening, the U.S. will not be at conflict with Iran.
“No, we’re not at conflict with Iran, Jon. We’re at conflict with Iran’s nuclear program,” Vance informed ABC Information’ “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl. “And I feel the president took decisive motion to destroy that program final evening.”
When requested if he may definitively say that Iran’s nuclear program has now been destroyed, Vance mentioned that the U.S. has set Iran’s nuclear program again “considerably.”
“Whether or not it is years or past that, we all know it is going to be a really very long time earlier than Iran may even construct a nuclear weapon in the event that they wish to,” Vance mentioned.
Vice President JD Vance speaks with ABC Information whereas showing on This Week, June 22, 2025.
ABC Information
Throughout his address to the nation Saturday evening, President Donald Trump mentioned that the strikes “fully and completely obliterated” Iran’s key nuclear enrichment amenities.
Pressed by Karl if the U.S. may say definitively that Iran’s nuclear amenities had been destroyed, Vance couldn’t straight affirm that and reiterated that Iran’s nuclear program had been “considerably set again.”
“I can say to the American folks with nice confidence — that they’re much additional away from the nuclear program immediately than they have been 24 hours in the past,” Vance mentioned. “That was the target of the mission, to destroy that Fordo nuclear website and naturally, do some injury to the opposite websites as effectively. However we really feel very assured that the Fordo nuclear website was considerably set again, and that was our objective.”
When requested about what occurred to the 900 kilos of extremely enriched uranium that Iran had, Vance mentioned that the administration would work within the coming weeks to do one thing concerning the gasoline and would have conversations with the Iranians.
Discussing the opportunity of Iran retaliating, Vance asserted that the U.S. would reply with “overwhelming pressure.”
“How Iran responds, I feel, is in the end — the ball is of their courtroom,” Vance mentioned. “However when you take a look at what we did, it was very exact, very narrowly tailor-made to our goal. And if the Iranians resolve to increase this, then that is in the end their determination. And the president of the United States will reply in variety.”
Vance mentioned that Trump will not be taken with a drawn-out battle within the Center East.
“That isn’t what we’re getting ourselves concerned in. What we’re getting ourselves concerned in is a really focused effort to eradicate the Iranian nuclear program. That may proceed to be the objective of American overseas coverage. And it is that objective that’s going to encourage our motion in — within the weeks and months to return.”
In a put up on his social media platform final week, Trump wrote a put up directed at Iran’s Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, writing that he was an “straightforward goal.”
Requested if the U.S. is concentrating on Khamenei and if the U.S. has dominated out trying to achieve regime change, Vance mentioned that regime change was not an goal for the Trump administration.
“Properly, to start with, we do not wish to obtain regime change. We wish to obtain the top of the Iranian nuclear program. Jon. That is America’s goal, and that is what the president has set us out to do.”
