At the Munich Security Conference on Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance took part in a public interview where the focus turned to ongoing negotiations between the United States and Iran over the latter’s nuclear ambitions.
When asked whether the potential agreement would resemble the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) brokered during the Obama years, Vance made clear distinctions, pointing out what he viewed as fundamental flaws in the previous framework. “The enforcement or inspections regime was incredibly weak, I don’t think it actually served the function of preventing the Iranians from getting on the pathway to nuclear weapons,” he said.
He further criticized the original accord for leaving loopholes that, in his opinion, allowed Iran to retain certain nuclear capabilities. “We believe that there were some elements of their nuclear program that were preserved under JCPOA that, while they weren’t nuclear weapons, they allowed Iran to stay on this flight-path toward a nuclear weapon if they would flip the switch and press go.”
Vance presented the idea of a new deal that could offer Iran economic benefits in exchange for completely halting its pursuit of nuclear arms. “There is a deal that would reintegrate Iran into the global economy, that would be really good for the Iranian people, but would result in the complete cessation of any chance that they would get a nuclear weapon.”
Reinforcing President Donald Trump’s stance, the Vice President stressed the administration’s priorities, outlining the limited range of acceptable outcomes. “Option B is very bad. It’s very bad for everybody, and it’s not what we want, but it’s better than Option C, which is Iran getting a nuclear weapon. That is what’s completely off the table for the American administration, no ifs, ands, or buts.”
He elaborated on the broader implications of Iranian nuclear armament, warning that global disarmament efforts would be jeopardized if Iran were to acquire such weapons, as it might inspire other nations to follow suit.
Touching on the current state of talks, Vance expressed cautious optimism. “So far, so good. We’ve been very happy with how the Iranians have responded to some of the points we’ve made.” He also credited intermediaries like Oman for playing a constructive part in the discussions.
Looking ahead, Vance described the ongoing negotiations as being on a firm trajectory toward a decisive outcome. “We’re on the right pathway. But this is going to end somewhere, and it will end either in Iran eliminating its nuclear weapons program.”
He clarified the U.S. position on peaceful nuclear energy for Iran but warned against the dual-use nature of enrichment capabilities. “Iran can have civil nuclear power, we don’t mind that, but which regime in the world has civil nuclear power and enrichment without having a nuclear weapon? The answer is no one. No one right now has a civil nuclear program, with their entire enrichment infrastructure, that could enrich to the 90% needed to get to missile material and a nuclear weapon. So our proposition is very simple, we don’t care if people want nuclear power, we’re fine with that, but you can’t have the kind of enrichment program that allows you to get to a nuclear weapon, and that’s where we draw the line.”
Interestingly, Vance’s statements appear to diverge slightly from President Trump’s recent assertion on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” where he stated that the only acceptable solution is the “full dismantlement” of Iran’s nuclear program.
{Matzav.com}