US is 'not at war with Iran,' says vice president

WASHINGTON

Following the US strikes on Iran, Vice President JD Vance said Sunday that Washington is "not at war with Iran," but rather with its nuclear program.

"We're not at war with Iran. We're at war with Iran's nuclear program," Vance said during an interview with NBC.

His remarks came after US President Donald Trump announced that American forces carried out “very successful” strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz, and Esfahan, amid growing fears of a broader conflict.

Calling the operation "really extraordinary," Vance said: "What we did is we destroyed the Iranian nuclear program. I think we set that program back substantially."

The vice president said Iran is “much further away from a nuclear program” than it was 24 hours ago.

The US "actually" wants peace, Vance said, and added, "but we want peace in the context of them not having a nuclear weapons program, and that's exactly what the president accomplished last night."

"We didn't blow up the diplomacy. The diplomacy never was given a real chance by the Iranians," he said.

Stressing that the US is prepared in the event that the Iranians retaliate, Vance said, adding, "But ... if the Iranians want to enlarge this by attacking American troops, I think that would be a catastrophic mistake."

Vance warned that Iran would face “overwhelming force” if it attacked American targets, adding that Washington is in a “maximum defensive posture.”

"We have no interest in a protracted conflict. We have no interest in boots on the ground," he noted.

He reiterated that the US does not want a regime change.

"We want to end their nuclear program, and then we want to talk to the Iranians about a long-term settlement here," he said.

Vance also discussed the possibility of Iran taking action that would disrupt traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, saying that such a move would be “suicidal” for Tehran.

“If they want to destroy their own economy and cause disruptions in the world, I think that would be their decision,” he said.

Iran's Parliament agreed to close the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, waiting for a final decision from the Supreme National Security Council, Major General Esmaeil Kowsari, a member of the parliament’s National Security Commission, said.

Following the US strikes, Iran called on the UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting to condemn the US aggression and to hold accountable those who violate international law.

Hostilities broke out on June 13 when Israel launched airstrikes on several sites across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes.