JD Vance says Trump is ‘locked and loaded’ to restart military campaign against Iran if nuclear talks fail

JD Vance says Trump is 'locked and loaded' to restart military campaign against Iran if nuclear talks fail

The VP outlined two paths forward: a negotiated agreement or renewed U.S. military action against Tehran

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Trump warns he was 'an hour away' from striking Iran

Chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst reports on President Donald Trump's negotiations after halting strikes. Ret. Col. Mike Jernigan provides analysis on the ongoing Iran crisis, highlighting the economic and military pressures on the regime. Jernigan explains that President Donald Trump's aggressive rhetoric creates uncertainty, which is a key tool in forcing Iran towards a deal regarding its nuclear ambitions.

Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday that President Donald Trump is still pursuing a diplomatic deal with Iran but remains "locked and loaded" to restart the military campaign if nuclear talks collapse.

"It takes two to tango," Vance told reporters at a White House press briefing. "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," Vance added. "We don't want to go down that pathway. But the president is willing and able to go down that pathway if we have to."

The administration sees two paths forward, according to Vance: a negotiated agreement that permanently blocks Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, or renewed U.S. military action.

VANCE WARNS IRAN THAT 'ANOTHER OPTION ON THE TABLE' IF NUCLEAR DEAL NOT REACHED

Vice President JD Vance spoke during a news conference on anti-fraud initiatives in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on May 13, 2026, in Washington, D.C. The Trump administration warned states they could lose Medicaid funding if they fail to comply with federal anti-fraud statutes. (Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

"We think the Iranians want to make a deal," Vance said. "The president of the United States has asked us to negotiate in good faith. And that’s exactly what we’ve done."

But Vance warned that diplomacy will not come at the cost of Trump’s core demand that Tehran never obtain a nuclear weapon.

"There’s an option B, and the option B is that we could restart the military campaign to continue to prosecute the case, to continue to try to achieve America’s objectives," Vance said. "But that’s not what the president wants. And I don’t think it’s what the Iranians want either."

TRUMP WARNS IRAN'S 'CLOCK IS TICKING': MOVE 'FAST' OR 'THERE WON'T BE ANYTHING LEFT'

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media after returning to the White House on May 15, 2026 in Washington, DC. President Trump is returning to Washington from his trip to China, where he and President Xi addressed ways to enhance bilateral economic cooperation and investment, and agreed that Iran should not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. ( (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

The exchange came after Trump said he was just an hour away from ordering fresh attacks on Iran on Monday night.

"We were getting ready to do a very major attack [Tuesday], and I put it off for a little while — hopefully maybe forever," Trump said, "because we've had very big discussions with Iran, and we'll see what they amount to."

"There seems to be a very good chance that they can work something out," Trump told reporters at the White House. "If we can do that without bombing the hell out of them, I’d be very happy."

The announcement marked the latest shift in Trump’s handling of the fragile ceasefire reached in mid-April. For weeks, the president has warned Iran that fighting could resume if it did not accept a deal, while repeatedly setting deadlines and then backing away from them.

Ships are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran on May 4. A report on May 15 said a ship was seized off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and is being brought toward Iranian waters. (Amirhossein Khorgooei/ISNA/AFP via Getty Images)

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Over the weekend, Trump warned that "the Clock is Ticking" and said Iran needed to move "FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them."

Trump first disclosed the pause in a social media post Monday, saying he had ordered the U.S. military to be ready "to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice" if an acceptable deal is not reached.

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to Anders.Hagstrom@Fox.com, or on X: @Hagstrom_Anders.

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