Vice President JD Vance said the difference between the recent attack in the Middle East and others is that previous presidents were “dumb,” and President Donald Trump is not.
“I certainly empathize with Americans who are exhausted after 25 years of foreign entanglements in the Middle East. I understand the concern,” Vance said on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday after the U.S. strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities the day prior, “but the difference is that back then we had dumb presidents, and now we have a president who actually knows how to accomplish America’s national security objectives.”
“So, this is not going to be some long, drawn-out thing,” the VP continued. “We’ve got in. We’ve done the job of setting their nuclear program 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.”
The U.S. strikes on Saturday marked the first time the country has bombed Iran, and was done in a stated attempt to cripple Iran’s ability to enrich uranium and potentially build nuclear weapons. Iran is not currently making nuclear weapons and would still be years away, according to reported U.S. intelligence assessments.
On Monday, Iran retaliated by launching at least six missiles at an American military base in Qatar, according to multiple news outlets and Iranian state media. Witnesses reported explosions in the skies in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Qatari air defenses intercepted the attack and no injuries or casualties were reported, per Qatar’s defense ministry. The Al Udeid Air Base is America’s largest in the Middle East and is home to about 10,000 U.S. troops.
Iran also reportedly fired at least one missile at U.S. military installations in Iraq. It’s not confirmed if defense systems there intercepted that strike, or whether there were any casualties or injuries.
Journalists assessed that the Iranian strikes were “largely symbolic.”
“The understanding we have is that this was carefully telegraphed to the Qataris. The Qataris, of course, then telegraphed it to the Americans. And so, this was largely symbolic,” CNN’s international correspondent, Clarissa Ward, reported.
On Monday evening, Trump announced on Truth Social: “It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE.”
