WASHINGTON — US Vice President JD Vance said the United States remains prepared to use military force against Iran if diplomatic efforts to reach a lasting nuclear agreement collapse, while insisting President Donald Trump still prefers a negotiated settlement.
Speaking in an interview released recently on The Michael Knowles Show, Vance said Washington’s objective is to secure a comprehensive agreement that would permanently prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons through strict and verifiable international inspections. He said the White House would continue diplomatic engagement only if Tehran accepted enforceable restrictions on its nuclear activities.
Vance presented the administration’s policy as a choice between diplomacy backed by pressure and renewed military action.
“The president is willing to use force if necessary,” Vance said, arguing that military action would be employed only to achieve specific strategic objectives rather than prolong conflict.
The vice president also accused Iran of sending mixed signals about negotiations, saying Iranian officials publicly deny the existence of peace talks while acknowledging technical discussions with US representatives aimed at advancing a possible agreement. According to Vance, Washington is focused less on Tehran’s public statements than on whether it is prepared to make meaningful concessions regarding its nuclear program.
His comments came as uncertainty surrounded the next phase of indirect negotiations between the two countries. Iranian negotiators did not meet US envoys in Doha on June 30 as had been anticipated, raising doubts about the prospects for quickly transforming the current 60-day memorandum of understanding (MOU) and ceasefire into a broader political settlement. Iranian officials have said key differences over the ceasefire and broader issues remain unresolved.
The temporary agreement, reached after weeks of heightened military tensions, halted open hostilities but left major disputes unresolved, including the future of Iran’s nuclear program, regional security arrangements, and wider sanctions relief. Diplomats and analysts say the current framework is intended to create space for negotiations rather than serve as a final peace agreement.
Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, analysts described the present situation as a fragile pause rather than a durable peace, warning that negotiations remain vulnerable to collapse unless both sides narrow significant differences over nuclear restrictions and regional security issues.
The United States and Iran have remained at odds for decades over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Washington insists Iran must permanently abandon any pathway to developing nuclear weapons, while Iranian officials maintain that their nuclear program is intended solely for peaceful civilian purposes. The outcome of the current negotiations is expected to determine whether the two sides move toward a comprehensive agreement or return to confrontation.
