U.S. Vice President JD Vance has said Washington holds “all the cards” in its negotiations with Iran, arguing that President Donald Trump’s administration is in a “win-win” position whether diplomacy succeeds or fails.
Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Vance said the United States is negotiating from a position of strength.
He argued that if an agreement is reached, Iran would permanently abandon financial support for terrorism, efforts to destabilize the region and its pursuit of nuclear weapons, while also returning to the global economy.
Vance added that if the negotiations collapse, Iran’s nuclear program and conventional military capabilities would remain targets, and the United States would still retain the strategic advantage.
Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal, citing U.S. officials, reported that President Trump recently discussed the possibility of resuming large-scale military strikes against Iran with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine.
According to the report, Trump ultimately decided to continue pursuing diplomacy for now, believing that launching a major military campaign at this stage could disrupt negotiations and reduce the chances of securing an agreement to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that Trump told his advisers he would not object if negotiations continued beyond the current August 18 deadline, provided diplomatic progress remained possible.
