'Dumb presidents' led US into wars, says JD Vance on new Iran strategy

US Vice President JD Vance defends US strikes on Iran as limited and targeted, criticises past presidents for dragging America into decades-long wars; Trump signals shift with talk of regime change

US Vice President JD Vance criticised what he called the country’s “dumb former presidents”, arguing they dragged America into two decades of costly West Asia conflicts.  “I empathise with Americans who are exhausted after 25 years of foreign entanglements in the Middle East. I understand the concern, but the difference is that back then we had dumb presidents,” Vance said in an interview with NBC News, recalling his own Marine Corps service in Iraq. 

.@VP Vance on the Trump Admin’s dedication to peace through strength in the Middle East:  “The way you achieve peace is through strength...you can't sit there and allow the Iranians to achieve a nuclear weapon and expect that's going to lead to peace.” pic.twitter.com/BU6eOQHbrG

— Taylor Van Kirk (@VPPressSec) June 22, 2025

Early Sunday, US forces struck three Iranian nuclear facilities in the first wave of “Operation Midnight Hammer”, formally inserting Washington into the war between its ally Israel and Iran. The operation came days after President Donald Trump publicly gave himself a two-week window to decide on military action — timing that now appears to have been a diversionary tactic.   

 

 

‘Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon’

Vance stressed that the US objective is narrowly focused on Tehran’s nuclear programme. “It is not going to be some long, drawn-out thing. We’ve got in, we’ve done the job of setting their nuclear programme back. We’re going to now work to permanently dismantle that nuclear program over the coming years, and that is what the president has set out to do. Simple principle: Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon,” he said.

 

Five prez, two wars, one new approach

Over the past 25 years, three Democrats — Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Joe Biden —and two Republicans — George W Bush and Trump — have occupied the Oval Office. Bush launched the post-9/11 ‘War on Terror’, sending US troops to Afghanistan and Iraq. Vance contends that Trump “actually knows how to accomplish America’s national security objectives”, signalling a break with what he views as a legacy of misguided interventions.     

  As Washington’s latest strikes aggravate across the region, the administration insists its sights remain set solely on preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, not on waging an open-ended war.

 

Trump hints at regime change in Iran

Trump appeared to reverse his earlier position on the Israel-Iran conflict, now raising the possibility of a regime change in Tehran — a move he had distanced himself from just days earlier. 

In a post on X, Trump wrote: ‘It’s not politically correct to use the term, ‘Regime Change’, but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!” 

The statement came shortly after US airstrikes targeted three major nuclear facilities in Iran as part of a broader escalation. Trump declared the sites were “completely and fully obliterated”. In response, Iran has vowed to retaliate, with its parliament approving a measure to block Western naval access to the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil shipping route.