Vice President JD Vance addressed the escalating tensions with Iran on Wednesday, telling reporters that the administration remains focused on a diplomatic resolution while maintaining military readiness as a secondary option.
Speaking on the tarmac before departing Azerbaijan, Vance responded to questions regarding the potential for military strikes and the long-standing debate over regime change in the Islamic Republic.
The Vice President’s comments come amid reports that the White House is considering the deployment of a second carrier strike group to the Middle East.
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When asked if the administration was leaning toward a kinetic military response or if diplomacy remained the priority, Vance noted that the President has directed his senior team to pursue a deal that ensures Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon.
“The president’s told his entire senior team that we should be trying to cut a deal that ensures the Iranians don’t have a nuclear weapon,” Vance said. “But if we can’t cut that deal, then there’s another option on the table.” He added that while negotiations are the current path forward, the President is actively preserving all available options. “He’s going to have a lot of options because we have the most powerful military in the world. But until the president tells us to stop, we’re going to engage in these conversations and try to reach a good outcome through negotiation.”
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The exchange took a more direct turn when a reporter asked if the Vice President personally supported the idea of regime change in Tehran and what a post-regime landscape might look like.
Vance stopped short of calling for an American-led overthrow, placing the agency on the local population instead. “If the Iranian people want to overthrow the regime, that’s up to the Iranian people,” Vance stated.
He quickly pivoted back to the administration’s primary objective, which he identified as the prevention of Iranian nuclear capabilities. “
What we’re focused on right now is the fact that Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon,” he said, noting that this focus has remained a central pillar of the President’s policy since his first administration.
As Vance prepared to board his flight, he reiterated that the diplomatic team would continue to engage in conversations unless the White House shift gears.
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