Former US Vice President Mike Pence said he does not trust Iran to uphold any agreement, and argued that no deal is better than a bad one. He called on the US to allow the armed forces to 'complete the mission' unless Tehran dismantles its nuclear and missile programs, opens its facilities, and stops funding terrorist groups.
Former US Vice President Mike Pence, who served under President Trump's first term, delivered a pointed assessment of the emerging US-Iran agreement in remarks circulating Monday. Pence said his concern 'is not about the president's intentions,' adding that Trump has earned a great deal of trust from the American public — but that he simply 'does not trust the Iranians.' He asserted that a situation with no agreement is preferable to a bad one, and that as long as Tehran refuses to dismantle its nuclear program, abandon its missile program, immediately open its facilities, and stop funding regional terror organizations, the right course of action is to allow the US armed forces to 'complete the mission.'
Pence's statement adds a significant conservative voice to a growing chorus of skepticism surrounding the Trump administration's nuclear negotiations with Iran. As The Zioneer has reported, US Vice President JD Vance has said a deal is 'very close' and could be signed within days or weeks, while analysts and commentators have questioned the terms and the strategic wisdom of the emerging accord. Pence's remarks — particularly his call for military completion of the mission — go further than most administration allies in signaling distrust of the Iranian regime.
The remarks come amid a flurry of commentary on the deal's timeline and substance. Earlier this week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth struggled to articulate how the emerging agreement improves on the 2015 JCPOA, and analysts have warned that the accord may grant Iran implicit immunity from Israeli strikes during Trump's term. Pence's intervention, from a figure who remains influential in Republican circles, may pressure the administration to adopt a harder line in final talks.
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- StrongUS VP Vance lays out conditions for easing Iran sanctions: nuclear halt, end to terror funding
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