US vice president: Preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon is a priority to avoid a global arms race

US Vice President JD Vance affirmed that the US administration is not inclined toward military escalation, stressing that resuming military operations is “possible, but not the president’s preferred option.”

Vance explained that his country’s policy is based on reducing the number of states possessing nuclear weapons, considering the current move toward Iran to fall within that framework, and warning that the global spread of nuclear weapons would lead to a decline in international security.

He noted that Washington believes Iran’s conventional military capabilities have been significantly damaged, while the US administration also believes that Tehran is showing a desire to reach an agreement, despite the presence of “hardline positions” within its negotiating team.

He added that the US president had directed that a good-faith negotiating approach be adopted, affirming that the administration has indeed adhered to that, while concerns persist over the possibility that Iran could use a nuclear weapon or employ it as a tool of political pressure.

Vance concluded by stressing that Iran’s acquisition of a nuclear weapon represents a “red line” for Washington, given the potential to ignite a global nuclear arms race and exacerbate international tensions.