WASHINGTON – Vice President JD Vance said on Sunday that the US was not at war with Iran, but at war with Tehran’s nuclear weapons programme, and refused to confirm with 100% confidence that the country’s nuclear sites had been completely destroyed.
In an interview with NBC News on “Meet the Press,” moderator Kristen Welker asked the vice president if the US is currently fighting Iran after President Donald Trump said he dropped bombs on three Iranian nuclear sites on Saturday.
The move marks the first time the US has attacked Iran directly, and has sparked concerns about whether the attack could drag the US into a wider war. Hours later, Iran launched a retaliatory strike against Israel, causing damage in Tel Aviv.
“We are not a war with Iran,” Vance said. “We are fighting Iran’s nuclear program.”
Vance also refused to make sure Iran’s nuclear sites were completely destroyed, and instead said he believes the US has “substantially delayed” Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons.
“Are you 100% confident that Iran’s nuclear site has been completely destroyed?” asked Welker.
“I am not going to enter into sensitive intelligence about what I saw on earth in Iran, but we have seen a lot. I am sure it has slowed the development of nuclear weapons significantly, and that was the target of this attack,” Vance said.
He separately said in an interview that the United States “destroyed Iran’s nuclear program.”
Trump said the facility was “completely and completely wiped out” on Saturday night, but Iranian parliament members said Sunday that Ford had not suffered any serious damage from the strike. NBC News cannot independently verify either claim.
“Iran’s major nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely wiped out,” Trump said in a speech to the nation on Saturday night. “Iran, a bully in the Middle East, must now create peace.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegses said Sunday morning that “Iran’s nuclear ambitions have disappeared.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Aragut also said Iran “reserves all options” to respond. In all capitalized posts on True Social on Saturday, Trump said “Iran’s retaliation against the United States will be filled with much greater force than what was seen tonight.”
In the first time since the strike, the US has received “indirect messages from Iranians,” Vance said.
Asked if the US would draw a red line if Iran disrupts its transport in the Strait of Hormuz, the main route, Vance said the move would be a “suicide” for Iran.
“Their entire economy is through the Strait of Hormuz. If they want to destroy their economy and cause chaos in the world, I think that’s their decision,” he said. “But why do they do that? I don’t think that makes any sense.”
The Vice President said the US wants peace with Iran “in the context that it does not have a nuclear weapons program.” He argued that the US had not “blown up” diplomacy and instead held Iran responsible for not diplomacy with “real chances.”
“Iranians are clearly not very good at war. Perhaps they should follow President Trump’s lead and give a chance in peace,” Vance said. “If they’re serious about it, I assure you that the president of the United States is too.”
The US attack comes after Israel launched a strike at Iran’s nuclear facility earlier this month, prompting Iran to retaliate with a strike against Israel. The two countries have since been trapped in military conflicts.
The US initially refused to be involved, but in the days after the initial attack, the president weighed the US as to whether it should release its troops to support Israel. The United States has a “bunkerbuster” bomb that can penetrate Ford, built in the mountains, the only country known to have this type of weapon.
