Washington, DC – 2025/06/23 03:34:39 By Invented Reporter

JD Vance has stated that the US is “not at war” with Iran, but rather with its nuclear weapons program. this position is what the White House hopes to maintain as the Iranian regime considers its response to the recent US strike on three of its nuclear installations.

“We’re not at war with Iran. We’re at war with Iran’s nuclear program.”

In a Sunday interview on NBC News’ Meet the Press, Vance was questioned about the current state of US-Iran relations.

While Vance declined to definitively confirm the complete destruction of Iran’s nuclear sites, he asserted that the US has “substantially delayed” Iran’s ability to develop a nuclear weapon.

“I’m not going to get into sensitive intelligence about what we’ve seen on the ground there in Iran, but we’ve seen a lot, and I feel very confident that we’ve substantially delayed their development of a nuclear weapon, and that was the goal of this attack,” Vance said.

He added, “Severely damaged versus obliterated – I’m not exactly sure what the difference is. What we certainly know is we set their nuclear program back substantially.”

conflicting reports have emerged regarding the extent of the damage. An Iranian member of parliament claimed the Fordo enrichment plant was not seriously damaged. Bloomberg News cited satellite images suggesting the underground nuclear sites at Fordo and Natanz were not destroyed.

Maxar Technologies’ satellite images showed new craters and possible collapsed tunnel entrances, but the main support building at Fordo remained undamaged. Images of Natanz revealed a new crater, but no conclusive evidence of a breach.

Gen Dan Caine, chair of the joint chiefs of staff, stated that initial assessments indicate “extremely severe damage and destruction” across all three sites.

Nuclear non-proliferation analysts are divided on whether the strikes will lead Iran to negotiate or accelerate its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

darya Dolzikova, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, told Bloomberg that increased IAEA cooperation is unlikely. “The more likely scenario is that they convince Iran that cooperation and clarity don’t work,” she said.

Iran’s foreign minister plans to meet with Russia’s president for consultations, while Israel’s prime minister stated his forces are progressing toward destroying Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile threats.