Trump 'may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian enrichment,' says VP
'That decision ultimately belongs to the president,' says Vice President JD Vance
WASHINGTON
US President Donald Trump "may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian enrichment," Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday as the region remains at a boiling point with Iran and Israel continuing to carry out tit-for-tat attacks prompted by Tel Aviv's bombing of key sites in Iran.
Vance said that Trump has "has made clear that Iran cannot have uranium enrichment," which emerged as a key sticking point in indirect negotiations between the Washington and Tehran that were derailed when Israel launched attacks on Iran's ballistic missile and nuclear programs beginning on Friday.
The vice president maintained that Iran "could have civilian nuclear power without enrichment, but Iran rejected that," adding that the levels which Iran has enriched uranium to are "far above the level necessary for any civilian purpose."
"It's one thing to want civilian nuclear energy. It's another thing to demand sophisticated enrichment capacity. And it's still another to cling to enrichment while simultaneously violating basic non-proliferation obligations and enriching right to the point of weapons-grade uranium," he wrote on X.
"Meanwhile, the president has shown remarkable restraint in keeping our military's focus on protecting our troops and protecting our citizens. He may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian enrichment. That decision ultimately belongs to the president," he added.
He acknowledged opposition to the US becoming entangled in yet another Middle East war, including criticism from among Trump and Vance's fellow Republicans, but said he believes Trump "has earned some trust on this issue."
Regional tensions have escalated since Friday, when Israel launched airstrikes on multiple sites across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes.
Since then, Israeli authorities said at least 24 people have been killed and hundreds injured in Iranian missile attacks. Iran said at least 224 people have been killed and over 1,000 others wounded in the Israeli assault
