The vice president’s remarks on Iran came during an exclusive interview tied to the release of his new book, Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith.
WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance says he has faith that President Donald Trump will keep the Iran war from becoming a “quagmire” that the U.S. is ensnared in for years to come with no mission, objective or clearly stated purpose.
“I feel extremely confident that we are not going to be talking about America’s involvement in Iran even a year down the road, but certainly not years down the road,” Vance told USA TODAY in an exclusive telephone interview Monday.
Vance, an Iraq war veteran and the administration’s most vocal skeptic of American military engagement abroad, said the U.S. campaign in Iran would not be like the prolonged wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — even as negotiations to wrap up the conflict continue with no end in sight.
“I don’t think the president’s going to do that,” Vance said.
The armed conflict that began Feb. 28, when the U.S. and Israel launched a joint bombing campaign in Iran, hit its 100-day mark this week. Since April, the war has been in a ceasefire that U.S. officials, including Vance, have sought with limited results to advance to a comprehensive peace agreement.
Trump has repeatedly teased that a deal is near, only to have talks stall as both nations launched strikes, with the U.S. military saying June 5 that it had shot down Iranian missiles and drones. Israel and Iran also traded attacks in recent days, further threatening a fraying ceasefire.
The war has sent U.S. gas prices sharply higher and Trump’s approval ratings lower, prompting unease among a growing number of Republican lawmakers.
Different ‘tools’ if diplomacy fails
Vance did not rule out military fighting intensifying before the war ends, if months of negotiations fail to produce a deal.
“I think that we’re going to be successful,” Vance told USA TODAY. “If this diplomacy ultimately falls apart, then the president has further tools at his disposal. But so long as we keep this thing anchored to the core mission — prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapon — it’s not going to become a quagmire.”
The vice president’s remarks came during a telephone interview tied to the release of his new book, “Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith.” The book, due for release June 16, is a follow-up to Vance’s bestselling memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy.”
Vance comments on policy and politics while reflecting on his religious journey in “Communion.“
