US VP indicates Trump could target Iran, rules out prolonged conflict

US Vice President JD Vance stated that while military strikes against Iran remain under consideration by President Donald Trump, there is “no chance” that such strikes would lead the United States into a prolonged, years-long war.

Speaking with The Washington Post, Vance emphasised that potential strikes could act as a deterrent, stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons if diplomatic efforts fail, while adding that he does not know what Trump will ultimately decide regarding Iran.

However, if Trump goes ahead with another round of strikes — which some US officials suggest could be broader than the bombing of nuclear sites in June — Vance said confidently that it would not escalate into the kind of conflict he has previously criticised.

“The idea that we’re going to be in a Middle Eastern war for years with no end in sight — there is no chance that will happen,” he noted.

Vance highlighted that last year’s operation in Iran and the January capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro were “very clearly defined.”

“I think we all prefer the diplomatic option,” Vance added. “But it really depends on what the Iranians do and what they say.”

When asked if, during his time as a commentator and senator critiquing the Iraq War, he could have imagined being part of a presidency focused on foreign regime change, he chuckled.

“I do think we have to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. I also think that we have to avoid overlearning the lessons of the past. Just because one president screwed up a military conflict doesn’t mean we can never engage in military conflict again. We’ve got to be careful about it, but I think the president is being careful,” he said.

Talks between the United States and Iran continued on February 26 in Geneva amid a large-scale buildup of US forces near Iran, though no resolution was reached, and mediators said negotiations would continue next week.

Trump has openly expressed interest in bringing about regime change to remove Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, telling reporters this month that it “would be the best thing that could happen.”

The current US military presence in the region is among the largest in over two decades, dating back to before the Iraq War began in 2003.

By Jeyhun Aghazada