Vice President JD Vance moved on Wednesday to dial back speculation that Washington is seeking to topple Iran’s leadership.  Speaking to reporters, Vance said the administration’s focus is not on regime change, but on preventing Iran from crossing the nuclear threshold.

“If the Iranian people want to overthrow the regime, that’s up to the Iranian people,” Vance said. “What we’re focused on right now is the fact that Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon.”

The remarks appeared designed to steady diplomatic waters at a sensitive moment, as the United States prepares for a second round of nuclear talks with Tehran in the coming days. They also stood in contrast to President Donald Trump’s earlier rhetoric during recent mass protests in Iran, when he publicly urged demonstrators to “take over” government institutions and promised that “help is on the way.”

At the height of the unrest, Trump had praised Iranian protesters and, according to reports, asked aides to explore military options that could weaken the regime and potentially hasten its collapse. Those statements fueled speculation that Washington was once again flirting with a policy of regime change.

That tone has since softened as negotiations gained momentum.

Now, administration officials are emphasizing diplomacy while keeping pressure firmly in place.

“The president has told his entire senior team that we should be trying to cut a deal that ensures the Iranians don’t have a nuclear weapon,” Vance said. “But if we can’t cut that deal, then there’s another option on the table. The president is going to continue to preserve his options.”

Trump himself has continued to mix overtures with threats. In recent days, he has said that Iran “wants to make a deal very badly,” while warning that failure to reach an agreement would trigger “something very tough.”

U.S. negotiators are pressing for a sweeping arrangement that would curb Iran’s uranium enrichment, dismantle elements of its missile program, and limit its regional influence through proxy forces. Tehran has so far resisted key demands, insisting on its right to nuclear technology for civilian purposes.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)