Today, Iranian and American negotiators are meeting in Geneva for what might be a crucial round of indirect talks, and the message from Washington is loud, clear, and consistent: Iran’s clerical regime will not be permitted to cross the nuclear threshold. Not now. Not ever. Vice President JD Vance expressed it in the most straightforward way yesterday:

“You can’t let the craziest and worst regime in the world have nuclear weapons.”

“You can’t let the craziest and worst regime in the world have nuclear weapons.”

That single line perfectly encapsulates the entire U.S. position, far better than any policy document ever could.

JD Vance on Iran: You can’t let the craziest and the worst regime in the world have nuclear weapons. pic.twitter.com/U5sbEVzHrk — Open Source Intel (@Osint613) February 25, 2026

You can’t let the craziest and the worst regime in the world have nuclear weapons. pic.twitter.com/U5sbEVzHrk

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) February 25, 2026

In interviews on Fox News, Vance stressed that the Trump administration has “seen evidence” that Iran is attempting to rebuild parts of its nuclear program following the June 2025 U.S. strikes (Operation Midnight Hammer). He stated:

“If they try to rebuild a nuclear weapon, that causes problems for us. In fact, we’ve seen evidence that they have tried to do exactly that.”

“If they try to rebuild a nuclear weapon, that causes problems for us. In fact, we’ve seen evidence that they have tried to do exactly that.”

He reiterated Trump’s preference for diplomacy but made clear that military options remain on the table:

“The president has a number of other tools at his disposal to ensure this doesn’t happen… He’s shown a willingness to use them, and I hope the Iranians take it seriously in the negotiations tomorrow.”

“The president has a number of other tools at his disposal to ensure this doesn’t happen… He’s shown a willingness to use them, and I hope the Iranians take it seriously in the negotiations tomorrow.”

President Trump emphasized a key point in his State of the Union address just two days ago, accusing Iran of harboring “sinister ambitions” and working to rebuild the nuclear infrastructure that U.S. and Israeli strikes had largely decimated last June in Operation Midnight Hammer. What feels different this time is the quiet strength behind his words. The administration isn’t just making statements; it’s taking decisive action on various fronts, and the way everything fits together seems too coordinated to be seen as mere bluster.

President Trump’s remarks on Iran:

“As President, I will make peace wherever I can, but I will never hesitate to confront threats to America wherever we must. That’s why in a breakthrough operation last June, the United States military obliterated Iran’s nuclear weapons program with an attack on Iranian soil, known as Operation Midnight Hammer. For decades, it had been the policy of the United States never to allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon, many decades. Since they seized control of that proud nation 47 years ago, the regime and its murderous proxies have spread nothing but terrorism and death and hate. They’ve killed and maimed thousands of American service members and hundreds of thousands and even millions of people with what’s called roadside bombs. They were the kings of the roadside bomb. And we took out Soleimani.........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)