'If Iran gets nuclear weapons...': JD Vance warns of regional nuke arms race, mentions Saudi Arabia

US Vice President JD Vance cautioned that if Iran acquires a nuclear weapon, it will trigger a widespread nuclear arms race across the Middle Eastern powers. His statement came during an interview with Megyn Kelly released on Wednesday, describing it as a nuclear “quagmire”.

“If the Iranians get a nuclear weapon, you know who gets a nuclear weapon, like the next day? The Saudi Arabians and then somebody else in the Gulf Arab states,” Vance said.

Vance stressed that President Donald Trump’s agenda prioritises reducing the threat of nuclear weapons worldwide and said the president has “no interest” in repeating mistakes made during the Iraq conflict in the early 2000s. He added that Washington needs to strike a careful balance between diplomatic engagement and a firm stance.

“Iran can’t have nuclear weapons. That is the stated policy goal of the president of the United States,” Vance said. “What the president is going to do is he is going to keep his options open. He’s going to talk to everybody. He’s going to try to accomplish what he can through nonmilitary means. If he feels like the military is the only option, then he’s ultimately going to choose that option," Vance added.

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Will Trump run Iran similarly to Venezuela?

When Kelly questioned Vance about the future of Iran amid ongoing protests against the regime continue. She drew a parallel with a hypothetical situation in which the US captures Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, prompting speculation that Trump would then be running the country.

Noting the comparison, Vance said in the interview, “The president is very aware of all of the stuff." “In a perfect world, I would love it if a bunch of freedom-loving Iranians … took over their own country and had a government that was much more friendly to the United States of America? … Absolutely that would be a good thing," he said.

The vice-president added that Trump continues to sympathise with the people of Iran, but nuclear weapons remain an utmost priority, adding that Iran would not be able to produce nuclear weapons until Trump is in power. “Nuclear proliferation, that is very much a bad thing and something an America First foreign policy should focus on,” Vance said. “That is certainly where the president is most worried about," Vance said.

The comments of Vance followed as Steve Wtikoff is set to meet with Iranian officials in Oman on Friday. Iran has confirmed that it will only discuss its nuclear program, while US authorities have demanded that discussions include discussions on Tehran’s missile arsenal.