Vance: Trump will not let Iran conflict become a 'forever war'

US Vice President JD Vance pledged Thursday that President Donald Trump would not allow the ongoing confrontation with Iran to develop into an open-ended military conflict, even as Washington considers additional strikes against Tehran. Speaking at a Fox News town hall in Fort Worth, Texas, ahead of next week's midterm elections, Vance defended the administration's military campaign while emphasizing its opposition to prolonged American involvement overseas.

“We’ve been involved in Iran in some form for seven months. The United States has been dealing with Iran for 47 years, and I promise you that Donald Trump is not going to let Iran become a forever war," Vance said. The Vice President argued that criticism of extended military interventions should not be confused with opposition to using military force under any circumstances. “I think there’s a difference between criticizing foreign military misadventures and saying that you can never ever use the American military," he explained.

“If you’re worried about another forever war, Donald Trump is never going to let this be a forever war," Vance added. “He’s going to accomplish America’s objectives, and then we’re going to focus on the other things that we’re doing." Vance's remarks followed an interview with Reuters earlier this month in which he outlined Washington's conditions for ending the conflict, insisting that Iran must demonstrate a meaningful reduction in its uranium enrichment capabilities.

"If you don't want a nuclear weapon, then why do you need 60% enriched fuel? And if you want to show commitment to not building a nuclear ⁠weapon, don't build highly enriched fuel. That's a very basic threshold issue," Vance said. "I think if they want to show a commitment to not building a nuclear weapon, they would do something meaningful on their enrichment capacity." "We're not going to trade words for actions," he emphasized. Despite those demands, Vance indicated that the administration remained willing to pursue a diplomatic agreement if Iran accepted substantive restrictions on its nuclear activities.

His latest comments came amid reports of renewed contacts between Washington and Tehran. The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Vance had sent a letter to Mohsen Rezaei, Iran's security chief and a prominent hardline figure, in an effort to explore restarting negotiations and avert further American military action. According to the report, the communication was initiated at Trump's direction and focused on establishing a framework for talks rather than negotiating specific peace terms.

Trump disputed that account Wednesday, denying that he had instructed Vance to pursue peace negotiations and describing the outreach as humanitarian in nature. "No. They need help with medical supplies and various things. He asked me what I thought. I said, 'If you want to do that, that's okay'. Basically, it's getting supplies in to help people that are not well." Meanwhile, the administration has continued examining military options against Iran.

The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), personally briefed Trump at the White House on potential military operations. The meeting was attended by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine and other Cabinet officials. Discussions also covered the ongoing American naval blockade of Iran. Cooper's appearance was considered unusual because the CENTCOM commander rarely briefs the President in person, suggesting that Washington may be moving closer to a decision on renewed military action.