U.S. isn't at war with Iran, 'we're at war with Iran's nuclear program,' Vance says

Vice President JD Vance said Sunday that the United States is not astatine warfare with Iran, but with "Iran's atomic program," hours aft the United States' late-night strikes connected 3 of the country's atomic sites.

Vance's remarks travel soon aft Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran's "nuclear ambitions person been obliterated," pursuing the Trump administration's strikes connected facilities at Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan.

Vance, speaking connected NBC News' "Meet the Press," said the U.S. is "not astatine warfare with Iran."

"We're astatine warfare with Iran's atomic program," helium continued.

When asked by NBC News' Kristen Welker however the U.S. would respond to retaliation by Iran, Vance reiterated: "We bash not privation warfare with Iran, we really privation peace, but we privation bid successful the discourse of them not having a atomic weapons program, and that's precisely what the president accomplished past night."

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that Iran reserves each options to support itself pursuing the U.S. attacks.

The vice president did not accidental whether the 3 atomic sites deed by the U.S. person immoderate remaining capacity.

"I'm not going to get into delicate quality astir what we've seen connected the crushed determination successful Iran, but we've seen a lot, and I consciousness precise assured that we've substantially delayed their improvement of a atomic weapon, and that was the extremity of this attack," Vance said.

This is breaking quality and volition beryllium updated.