Vice President JD Vance stated Sunday that regardless of the U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear websites final evening, the U.S. is just not at struggle with Iran.
“No, we’re not at struggle with Iran, Jon. We’re at struggle with Iran’s nuclear program,” Vance instructed ABC Information’ “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl. “And I believe the president took decisive motion to destroy that program final evening.”
When requested if he might definitively say that Iran’s nuclear program has now been destroyed, Vance stated 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 may be a really very long time earlier than Iran may even construct a nuclear weapon in the event that they need to,” Vance stated.
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 stated that the strikes “utterly and completely obliterated” Iran’s key nuclear enrichment services.
Pressed by Karl if the U.S. might say definitively that Iran’s nuclear services had been destroyed, Vance couldn’t instantly verify 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 at this time than they had been 24 hours in the past,” Vance stated. “That was the target of the mission, to destroy that Fordo nuclear website and naturally, do some harm 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 aim.”
When requested about what occurred to the 900 kilos of extremely enriched uranium that Iran had, Vance stated that the administration would work within the coming weeks to do one thing concerning the gas and would have conversations with the Iranians.
Discussing the potential for Iran retaliating, Vance asserted that the U.S. would reply with “overwhelming drive.”
“How Iran responds, I believe, is finally — the ball is of their courtroom,” Vance stated. “However if you happen to have a look at what we did, it was very exact, very narrowly tailor-made to our goal. And if the Iranians determine to develop this, then that is finally their resolution. And the president of the United States will reply in type.”
Vance stated that Trump is just not eager about 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 aim of American overseas coverage. And it is that aim 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 stated that regime change was not an goal for the Trump administration.
“Effectively, to start with, we do not need to obtain regime change. We need to obtain the tip of the Iranian nuclear program. Jon. That is America’s goal, and that is what the president has set us out to do.”
