US is ‘not at war with Iran...’ says US Vice President JD Vance

Washinton DC: Vice President JD Vance said on Sunday that the United States is not at war with Iran, but is focused solely on dismantling “Iran’s nuclear programme”, hours after the Trump administration conducted surprise strikes on three nuclear facilities — Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan.

Vance’s remarks, made during an appearance on NBC News’ “Meet the Press”, came shortly after Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth declared that “Iran’s nuclear ambitions have been obliterated” following the overnight bombing mission, dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer.

“We’re not at war with Iran,” Vance said. “We’re at war with Iran’s nuclear programme.” When pressed by moderator Kristen Welker on the possibility of Iranian retaliation, Vance responded, “We do not want war with Iran. We actually want peace — but peace must come in the context of a non-nuclear Iran. That’s exactly what the president accomplished last night.”

Vance refrained from confirming whether the three targeted facilities still have any functioning capacity, citing the sensitivity of the intelligence. However, he expressed confidence in the mission’s impact: “We’ve seen a lot on the ground, and I feel very confident that we’ve substantially delayed their development of a nuclear weapon. That was the goal of this attack.”

The Pentagon previously confirmed that the three sites had sustained “extremely severe damage and destruction.”

In response, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that “Iran reserves all options” to defend itself. Speaking from Turkey, Araghchi criticised the strikes as a violation of international law and said, “They crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities.”

The US strikes, which began just after 6:40 PM ET on Saturday, were reportedly executed with stealth bombers, Tomahawk missiles, and elaborate decoy tactics, targeting Iran’s most fortified nuclear installations.

World powers including Russia and China condemned the attack, while regional analysts warned that the situation risks escalating into a broader Middle East conflict.

Despite international alarm, Vance stressed that the administration sees the strikes as an opportunity. “If Iran chooses to abandon its nuclear ambitions, they’ll find a willing negotiating partner in the United States,” he said, hinting at a possible diplomatic “reset” if Tehran steps back from its weapons programme.