Vance: US prefers diplomatic solution to Iran conflict but is ‘locked and loaded’ to resume war

By Jacob Magid

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19 May 2026, 9:05 pm

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Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief

US Vice President JD Vance speaks to reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, May 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP/Jacquelyn Martin)

US Vice President JD Vance says the Trump administration still prefers a diplomatic solution to the conflict with Iran, but is prepared to resume the war in order to ensure that Tehran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.

He says during a White House press briefing that the US is committed to ensuring that Iran doesn’t have access to nuclear weapons because if it did, it would lead to a regional arms race that would make the world less safe.

Vance argues that the US has already degraded Iran’s conventional military capability through the first six weeks of the war.

“That has been successfully done. You could always do a little bit more, but where we are now is the president has told us to aggressively negotiate with the Iranians,” he says.

“We’ve made a lot of progress. We think the Iranians want to make a deal,” he continues.

“So we’re in a pretty good spot here, but there’s an option B, and the option B is that we can restart the military campaign to continue to prosecute the case to try to achieve America’s objectives… but that’s not what the president wants, and I don’t think it’s what the Iranians want either,” Vance says.

“We are not going to have a deal that allows the Iranians to have a nuclear weapon. So, as the president just told me, we’re locked and loaded,” he adds.

Vance reiterates the US belief that Iran’s leadership is divided.

“It’s not sometimes totally clear what the negotiating position of the team is, and I don’t know if that’s sometimes bad communication, if that’s bad faith,” Vance says.

As for whether he thinks a deal is still possible, the vice president says, “I feel confident enough (with the current state of talks) to keep on doing the work and to try to find a good deal for the American people.”

Asked about reports that Iran’s highly enriched uranium could be transferred to Russia in the event of a deal, Vance says that is not an idea currently being considered by the US, nor was it requested by Tehran.