Vance Says U.S. 'Not at War With Iran' But Threats Mount
Vice President J.D. Vance has said that the United States is 'not at war with Iran,' despite U.S. strikes targeting three key Iranian nuclear sites overnight in what President Donald Trump called a "very successful attack."
'We're not at war with Iran, we're at war with Iran's nuclear program,' Vance said on Sunday during an appearance on NBC's Meet the Press. He doubled down on his point in other interviews throughout the day.
Vance's response comes after Iran issued a furious warning to the U.S. The Iranian ambassador to the U.N., Amir Saeid Iravani, called for an emergency U.N. meeting to ensure "that the perpetrator of such heinous crimes is held fully accountable and does not go unpunished."
Read More: Iran Delivers Furious Warning, Speaks of 'Unprecedented Level of Danger and Chaos' After 'Heinous' U.S. Strikes
When addressing the nation in a televised address on Saturday night, Trump—flanked by Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth—warned Iran that if they were to retaliate, the U.S. would pursue other targets with "speed" and "precision."
Now, with tensions seemingly at an all-time high, a National Terrorism Advisory published by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Sunday has added to the mounting concern.
The notice, titled 'Summary of the Threat to the United States,' stated that the Iran conflict is "causing a heightened threat environment."
'Low-level cyber attacks against U.S. networks by pro-Iranian hacktivists are likely, and cyber actors affiliated with the Iranian government may conduct attacks against U.S. networks,' the advisory warned. 'Iran also has a long-standing commitment to target US Government officials it views as responsible for the death of an Iranian military commander killed in January 2020.'
Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani was assassinated on Jan. 3, 2020 by a drone missile strike ordered by Trump during his first term as President. Soleimani's death threatened to heighten tensions between the U.S. and Iran back in 2020, and some Iranian officials have since called for Trump to be put on trial or face revenge from Tehran.
The advisory went on to say that 'hacktivists and Iranian government-affiliated actors' often target 'poorly secured U.S. networks and Internet-connected devices for disruptive cyber attacks.' It added that U.S. law enforcement has 'disrupted multiple potentially lethal Iranian-backed plots in the United States since 2020. During this timeframe, the Iranian government has also unsuccessfully targeted critics of its regime who are based in the Homeland for lethal attack.'
A final warning stated that the ongoing conflict could also 'motivate violent extremists and hate crime perpetrators seeking to attack targets perceived to be Jewish, pro-Israel, or linked to the U.S. government or military in the Homeland.'
Read More: How U.S. Strikes May Have Inadvertently Helped the Iranian Regime
Amid concerns of a threat to the U.S., how have U.S. lawmakers responded to the strikes on Iran?
Some in Trump's inner circle have praised his decision to strike Iran.
"Good. This was the right call. The regime deserves it. Well done,' said Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican.
Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee echoed Trump's words, saying that 'peace can only be achieved through strength.'
But many other U.S. lawmakers—both Republicans and Democrats—have outwardly disagreed with Trump, with some even calling for Trump's impeachment, since Congress was reportedly not consulted about the decision.
During a rally on his 'Fighting Oligarchy' tour over the weekend, Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont called the strikes "grossly unconstitutional" as the crowd in Oklahoma chanted 'no more war.'
'All of you know that the only entity that can take this country to war is the U.S. Congress. The President does not have the right,' Sanders maintained.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, a Democrat who has been on the tour with Sanders, argued that the strikes are 'absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment.'
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer both condemned Trump's actions and called for Congress to be briefed.
In a statement, Jeffries said that Trump 'failed to deliver' on his promise of peace in the Middle East. 'The risk of war has now dramatically increased, and I pray for the safety of our troops in the region who have been put in harm's way,' he said.
And the outrage has not just fallen on Democrats/
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky said the military action was 'not constitutional.'
Trump responded with a lengthy post on Truth Social, stating that his Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement 'doesn't want [Massie], doesn't know him, and doesn't respect him.'
He said that Massie is 'disrespectful to [America's] great military, and all that they stand for, not even acknowledging their brilliance and bravery in yesterday's attack, which was a total and complete WIN.'
Meanwhile, Massie replied to a post from Speaker Mike Johnson via social media, asking: 'Why didn't you call us back from vacation to vote on military action if there was a serious threat to our country?'
As many world leaders remain 'gravely alarmed' over the strikes and the increasing instability in the Middle East and beyond, the U.S. awaits a potential response from Iran, something Trump maintains would be a 'terrible mistake.'
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21 minutes ago
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22 minutes ago
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Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures rise as trade deal hopes lift stocks toward more records
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The Hill
29 minutes ago
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His side plans to bring 'amendment after amendment after amendment to the floor, so Republicans can defend their billionaire tax cuts and so they can try to explain their massive cuts to Medicaid to people back home.' The hours ahead will be pivotal for the Republicans, who have control of the Congress and are racing against Trump's Fourth of July deadline to wrap up work. The 940-page 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act,' as it is now formally titled, has consumed the Congress as its shared priority with the president, with no room politically to fail, even as not all Republicans are on board. A new analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that 11.8 million more Americans would become uninsured by 2034 if the bill became law. It also said the package would increase the deficit by nearly $3.3 trillion over the decade. 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At the same time, some loosely aligned conservative Senate Republicans — Rick Scott of Florida, Mike Lee of Utah, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming — have pushed for steeper cuts, particularly to health care, drawing their own warning from Trump. 'Don't go too crazy!' the president posted on social media. 'REMEMBER, you still have to get reelected.' GOP leaders barely secured enough support to muscle the legislation past a procedural Saturday night hurdle in a tense scene. A handful of Republican holdouts revolted, and it took phone calls from Trump and a visit from Vice President JD Vance to keep it on track. As Saturday's vote tally teetered, attention turned to Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who was surrounded by GOP leaders in intense conversation. She voted 'yes.' 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Additionally, the bill would provide a $350 billion infusion for border and national security, including for deportations, some of it paid for with new fees charged to immigrants. Unable to stop the march toward passage, the Democrats as the minority party in Congress are using the tools at their disposal to delay and drag out the process. Democrats forced a full reading of the text, which took 16 hours. Then Democratic senators took over Sunday's debate, filling the chamber with speeches, while Republicans largely stood aside. 'Reckless and irresponsible,' said Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat from Michigan. 'A gift to the billionaire class,' said Vermont's Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats. 'Follow what the Bible teaches us: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,' said Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., as Sunday's debate pushed past midnight. Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the ranking Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, raised particular concern about the accounting method being used by the Republicans, which says the tax breaks from Trump's first term are now 'current policy' and the cost of extending them should not be counted toward deficits. 'In my 33 years here in the United States Senate, things have never — never — worked this way,' said Murray, the longest-serving Democrat on the Budget Committee. She said that kind of 'magic math' won't fly with Americans trying to balance their own household books. 'Go back home,' she said, 'and try that game with your constituents.' ___ Associated Press writers Ali Swenson, Fatima Hussein and Michelle L. Price contributed to this report.
