US Vice President JD Vance said June 14 that President Donald Trump is pursuing diplomatic talks with Iran while remaining "locked and loaded" to restart military action if negotiations fail [1, 2]. Vance outlined two possible outcomes for the administration: a negotiated settlement that blocks Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons or renewed military action against Tehran [1, 2].
Trump paused plans for a major military strike on June 9 after talks showed signs of progress, reflecting a preference for diplomacy over conflict. "We were getting ready to do a very major attack, and I put it off for a little while — hopefully maybe forever," Trump said [1]. He added, "If we can do that without bombing the hell out of them, I’d be very happy" [2].
Vance emphasized that the administration does not want war but is prepared to act militarily if needed. "So as the president just told me, we're locked and loaded. We don't want to go down that pathway. But the president is willing and able to go down that pathway if we have to," he said [2]. He rejected any characterization of a future conflict as a prolonged war and said, "It takes two to tango. We are not going to have a deal that allows the Iranians to have a nuclear weapon" [1].
Trump repeatedly warned Iran over recent weeks about the risk of renewed fighting and set then withdrew deadlines for securing a deal [2]. Vance said the US is negotiating in good faith but remains ready to restart military action to achieve national objectives if diplomacy collapses. "There’s an option B, and the option B is that we could restart the military campaign to continue to prosecute the case, to continue to try to achieve America’s objectives. But that’s not what the president wants. And I don’t think it’s what the Iranians want either," Vance stated [2].
On June 9, Trump disclosed he had paused strike plans and warned Iran the US military was ready for a large-scale assault on short notice if no deal is reached [1, 2]. Vice President Vance reiterated those warnings in remarks on June 14, reaffirming the administration’s stance.
US-Iran negotiations remain ongoing, with the administration signaling a final deadline to achieve a diplomatic solution or face renewed military pressure.
