New Delhi: US Vice President JD Vance declared on Monday that US strikes had rendered Iran incapable of building a nuclear weapon.
Appearing on Fox News’ “Special Report with Bret Baier,” Vance asserted, “Iran was very close to having a nuclear weapon… Now Iran is incapable of building a nuclear weapon with the equipment they have because we destroyed it.”
This claim comes amid a whirlwind of conflicting information regarding a potential ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
Adding to the complexity of the issue, US President Donald Trump announced a purported ceasefire agreement on Truth Social, claiming a 24-hour phased-in ceasefire would begin around midnight Tuesday Eastern Time, bringing an “Official END” to the war. However, this claim has been met with swift and forceful denials.
The Israeli military has yet to confirm any ceasefire agreement, and the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, remained silent on the matter. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi directly refuted Trump’s announcement on X (formerly Twitter), stating unequivocally that “no such agreement has been reached.”
He further clarified that Iran’s response to Israeli aggression would cease only if Israel halts its attacks by 4 am Tehran time. Araghchi emphasised that Israel initiated hostilities, not Iran, and thanked Iran’s armed forces for their response. He also highlighted the conclusion of military operations at 4 am.
“As Iran has repeatedly made clear: Israel launched war on Iran, not the other way around. As of now, there is NO “agreement” on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations. However, provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4 am Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards,” Araghchi wrote in a post on X.
