Vice President Vance Denies Possibility of the US Being Drawn into a Long War in the Middle East

JAKARTA - Vice President JD Vance has dismissed the possibility that the United States will be involved in a prolonged armed conflict in the Middle East if President Donald Trump chooses to attack Iran.

"Our idea of being engaged in a war in the Middle East for years without a clear end - that's not going to happen," Vance told The Washington Post, quoted by Sputnik, Friday, February 27.

He said it was still unclear whether the US president would continue the diplomatic track in talks with Iran, or choose a military option. However, Vance believes air strikes, even if they are larger in scope than in June, will not escalate into a full-scale conflict.

Vance said he was still "skeptical of overseas military intervention," but added "Just because one president failed in a military conflict doesn't mean we'll never engage in military conflict again."

"I think we all prefer the diplomatic option," he said. "But it really depends on what Iran does and says," he continued.

Iran and the US have held three rounds of talks on the Iranian nuclear issue. Currently, both parties are drafting proposals for a possible agreement.

In January, Trump said a "big armada" was heading to Iran, adding he hoped Tehran would agree to negotiate and sign a deal that was "fair and equitable".

Trump reminded in June 2025, the United States had attacked Iranian nuclear facilities as part of Operation Midnight Hammer. He said the next attack would be worse and called for it not to happen.