US Vice President JD Vance has stated that the recent American airstrikes on Iran specifically targeted the country’s nuclear infrastructure and not the Iranian government or its people. Speaking in an interview with ABC News on Sunday, June 22, 2025, Vance emphasized that the United States is committed solely to preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
“We’re not at war with Iran. We’re at war with Iran’s nuclear program,” Vance clarified. “The president took decisive action to destroy that program last night.”
While President Donald Trump had earlier claimed that the strikes had “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s key nuclear enrichment sites, Vance urged caution, noting that damage assessments were still underway.
He assured the American public that Iran’s nuclear program had been set back by years:
“They are much further away from the nuclear capability today than they were 24 hours ago.”
Vance also dismissed the possibility of a regime change policy, stressing:
“Regime change is not our goal. Our only objective is to eliminate Iran’s nuclear program.”
On potential Iranian retaliation, Vance warned that any hostile response from Tehran would be met with equal force but reiterated that the US strikes were “precise and narrowly tailored.”
As tensions escalate in the Middle East, the Biden administration plans to continue monitoring the situation closely and is considering diplomatic channels to address Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium.
