US Vice President JD Vance has said that US President Donald Trump does not intend to restart military action against Iran without a “clearly defined purpose.”
“What I can commit to is the president's not going to send our military back in unless he has to,” Vance told reporters on Wednesday.
He warned that any Iranian attempt to rebuild its nuclear programme or target commercial vessels would change Washington’s strategy.
Vance confirmed that ongoing discussions in Doha are “going well,” noting that the administration remains focused on negotiating in “good faith.”
“We’re obviously going to give the negotiations as much of a chance to succeed as possible,” he said.
The US and Iran reached a memorandum of understanding in June to permanently end the war that began late February, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and lift the US blockade of Iranian ports. Negotiations for a final deal that also includes Iran's nuclear programme, meanwhile, continue.
The vice president also addressed internal Iranian politics, claiming that many in Tehran now recognise previous decades of governance as a “mistake.” “We think we see a lot of momentum for the people who are trying to turn over a new leaf,” Vance said, but acknowledged that some remain attached to “old ways.”
Trump said earlier on Wednesday that Iran’s denuclearisation is “moving along well” as envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are in Doha.
Despite the optimistic tone from the White House, Tehran has officially denied that any direct meetings are scheduled with American representatives, insisting that all consultations occur via intermediaries.
