JD Vance: "Iran Must Agree to Abandon Nuclear Weapons... Military Action Remains an Option"

Red Line of "No Nuclear Weapons" Reiterated

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, on May 19 (local time), publicly pressured Iran to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions and warned that the United States could resume military operations if negotiations fail.

JD Vance US Vice President. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News

At a White House briefing that day, Vice President Vance stated, "Regarding the situation with Iran, we have two options." He said the options are either reaching an agreement in which Iran commits not to possess nuclear weapons, or for the United States to resume military operations.

He defined the possibility of Iran possessing nuclear weapons as a threat to international security. Vice President Vance pointed out that if Iran acquires nuclear weapons, it could become the "first domino" in nuclear proliferation.

He emphasized, "We are trying to keep the number of nuclear-armed states as low as possible, and that is precisely why Iran cannot have nuclear weapons."

He added, "Currently, the President has instructed us to actively negotiate with Iran. We believe significant progress has been made, and we think Iran also wants an agreement."

However, he also left open the possibility of negotiations failing. Vice President Vance said, "While the current situation is fairly good, there is also 'Option B,'" explaining that this means resuming military operations to continue efforts to achieve U.S. objectives.

He further stated, "We are ready to act immediately," and added, "We do not want to go down that path, but if necessary, President Trump has both the willingness and the capability to take that course."

Vice President Vance cited internal divisions within Iran as one of the reasons for the difficulties in negotiations, saying, "It is sometimes difficult to determine exactly what the Iranian side is trying to achieve through negotiations."

He also reiterated the core demands of the United States. Vice President Vance explained, "Iran cannot have nuclear weapons," and added, "We want not only a promise from Iran that it will not possess nuclear weapons, but also a commitment to cooperate with us in ensuring that, not only during President Trump's term but also for years to come, Iran will not be able to rebuild its nuclear capabilities."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.