US strikes Iran's nuclear sites: Vice President JD Vance says war is with weapons programme, not people

The United States says it has struck Iran's nuclear infrastructure, not its people. The distinction, senior officials claim, matters.

In a carefully-worded clarification on Sunday, Vice President JD Vance said the US is not at war with Iran, but with Tehran’s nuclear programme. The comments come a day after President Donald Trump confirmed a series of direct strikes on Iranian nuclear sites — the first of their kind — signalling a sharp escalation in a region already on edge.

“We’re not at war with Iran. We’re at war with Iran’s nuclear programme,” Vance said on NBC’s Meet the Press with Kristen Welker.

Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan targeted in overnight strike
In a dramatic message posted on Truth Social, Trump announced, “We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan.”

The strike targeted deeply-buried facilities, including Fordow — located under a mountain — using so-called “bunker buster” bombs.

“All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home,” Trump added. “Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!”

Shortly after, Iran retaliated with missile strikes on Israel. The attack caused damage in Tel Aviv, fuelling fears of a wider war.

Also Read: Operation Midnight Hammer: How six bunker busters and 75 precision weapons powered the US’s second-largest B-2 strike

“Substantially delayed” but not fully confirmed
Despite the confident tone from Trump, Vice President Vance struck a more cautious note.

Asked if he was 100% sure the nuclear sites were destroyed, he said, “I’m not going to get into sensitive intelligence about what we’ve seen on the ground there in Iran, but we’ve seen a lot, and I feel very confident that we’ve substantially delayed their development of a nuclear weapon, and that was the goal of this attack.”

Pressed again about whether Fordow was damaged or obliterated, he said:

“Severely damaged versus obliterated — I’m not exactly sure what the difference is. What we know is we set their nuclear programme back substantially.”

Trump, by contrast, declared, “Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace.”

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed this, saying, “Iran’s nuclear ambitions have been obliterated.”

But Iranian officials disputed those claims. One parliament member said Fordow was not seriously damaged, though this could not be independently verified.

Also Read: US defence secretary hails ‘bold & brilliant’ Operation Midnight Hammer on Iran: All you need to know

No “boots on the ground,” but tensions remain high
Vance stressed that the US was not seeking war on Iranian soil.

“We had no interest in boots on the ground,” he said.

Still, the backdrop remains tense. Since Israel’s airstrikes on Iran on 13 June, both sides have been locked in retaliation. This marks the first direct American entry into the military confrontation, albeit from the skies.

The vice president said Trump made the decision to strike “right before the strikes took place,” and confirmed Washington had received “some indirect messages from the Iranians” afterwards.

Strait of Hormuz and red lines
The possibility of Iran responding by disrupting global shipping remains a key concern.

“Their entire economy runs through the Strait of Hormuz,” Vance said. “If they want to destroy their own economy and cause disruptions in the world, I think that would be their decision. But why would they do that? I don’t think it makes any sense.”

Vance urges diplomacy, blames Tehran for breakdown
The US says it still wants peace — just not one where Iran is nuclear-armed.

“We want peace, but we want peace in the context of them not having a nuclear weapons programme,” Vance said. “That’s exactly what the President accomplished last night.”

He rejected the idea that diplomacy was sabotaged by the US.

“We did not blow up diplomacy,” Vance insisted. “The Iranians are clearly not very good at war. Perhaps they should follow President Trump’s lead and give peace a chance. If they’re serious about it, I guarantee you the President of the United States is too.”

“We don’t want a regime change,” he added. “We do not want to protract this… We want to end the nuclear programme, and then we want to talk to the Iranians about a long-term settlement here.”

Also Read: After US strike, Iran’s ‘all-out war’ warning puts US forces in Bahrain on edge: What comes next?

Constitutional clash over military authority
The strikes have sparked political controversy back home. Several Democratic lawmakers and a handful of Republicans argue Trump acted without Congress’s permission. They cite the US Constitution and the War Powers Act as the legal framework for military engagement.

Senator Mark Kelly said, “The president can act militarily when there’s a clear and imminent threat to US citizens, to the United States, to the homeland. That wasn’t the case here.”

Others see the president’s actions as grounds for impeachment.

But Senator Lindsey Graham dismissed those objections.

“Congress can declare war or cut off funding. We can’t be the commander-in-chief. You can’t have 535 commander-in-chiefs,” he said.

The divide extended into Trump’s MAGA base. Allies clashed publicly in the days leading up to the strikes, some warning against intervention, others urging strong military action.

Trump has said he will decide within two weeks whether to deepen US military involvement in the conflict. With the region on a knife-edge, and nuclear questions far from settled, the world is watching for Tehran’s next move — and Washington’s response.

(With inputs from Reuters)