Vice President JD Vance on Thursday addressed concerns of Americans wary of the United States entering a protracted conflict in the Middle East, as President Donald Trump continues to weigh taking military action against Iran.
“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,” Vance told The Washington Post in an interview.
Trump has tilted toward diplomacy with Iran while leaving the decision on whether to strike on the table. The US held talks with Iran in Geneva on Thursday with some signs of progress but without a major breakthrough, CNN reported.
“I think we all prefer the diplomatic option,” Vance said. “But it really depends on what the Iranians do and what they say.”
Vance, who served in the Marines and as a combat correspondent in Iraq, said he didn’t know how Trump would proceed, reiterating the administration’s stance on preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Asked if he could have foreseen being part of an administration that is entertaining regime change in Iran, Vance said, “Life has all kinds of crazy twists and turns,” and defended Trump as an “America-first” president.
“He pursues policies that work for the American people,” Vance said. “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.”