Pence: US Will Never Allow Iran to Possess Nuclear Weapons

US Vice President Mike Pence waves upon his arrival in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Reuters)
US Vice President Mike Pence waves upon his arrival in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Reuters)
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Pence: US Will Never Allow Iran to Possess Nuclear Weapons

US Vice President Mike Pence waves upon his arrival in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Reuters)
US Vice President Mike Pence waves upon his arrival in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Reuters)

US Vice President Mike Pence declared before the Israeli Knesset on Monday that Washington will never allow Iran to possess nuclear weapons, while also promising that his country's embassy will move to Jerusalem by the end of next year.

"I have a solemn promise to Israel, to all the Middle East and to the world -- the United States of America will never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon," Pence said.

"The Iran nuclear deal is a disaster and the United States of America will no longer certify this ill-conceived agreement," he added.

"Unless the Iran nuclear deal is fixed President Donald Trump has said the United States will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal immediately."

The 2015 deal that was meant to curb Iran's nuclear capabilities and backed by then US president Barack Obama.

His successor Trump has fiercely criticized the agreement, accusing Tehran of not sticking to it and saying it still allows the Iran to support terrorist organizations across the globe.

Earlier this month Trump again waived nuclear-related sanctions -- as required every few months to stay in the agreement -- but demanded European partners work with Washington to improve the terms of the deal.

Addressing Washington’s move of its embassy in Israel Jerusalem, Pence said that it will take place by the end of 2019.

“In the weeks ahead, our administration will advance its plan to open the United States Embassy in Jerusalem – and that United States Embassy will open before the end of next year,” he continued.

“Jerusalem is Israel’s capital – and, as such, President Trump has directed the State Department to immediately begin preparations to move the United States Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.”



US Moving Fighter Jets to Middle East as Israel-Iran War Rages

This handout grab taken from footage released by the US Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) on June 11, 2025 shows the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) conducting flight operations in the South China Sea, on May 28, 2025. (AFP Photo / DVIDS / Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Edward Jacome - Handout)
This handout grab taken from footage released by the US Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) on June 11, 2025 shows the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) conducting flight operations in the South China Sea, on May 28, 2025. (AFP Photo / DVIDS / Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Edward Jacome - Handout)
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US Moving Fighter Jets to Middle East as Israel-Iran War Rages

This handout grab taken from footage released by the US Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) on June 11, 2025 shows the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) conducting flight operations in the South China Sea, on May 28, 2025. (AFP Photo / DVIDS / Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Edward Jacome - Handout)
This handout grab taken from footage released by the US Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) on June 11, 2025 shows the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) conducting flight operations in the South China Sea, on May 28, 2025. (AFP Photo / DVIDS / Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Edward Jacome - Handout)

The US military is deploying more fighter aircraft to the Middle East and extending the deployment of other warplanes, bolstering US military forces in the region as the war between Israel and Iran rages, three US officials said.

One of the officials said the deployments include F-16, F-22 and F-35 fighter aircraft.

Two of the officials stressed the defensive nature of the deployment of fighter aircraft, which have been used to shoot down drones and projectiles.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Reuters was first to report on Monday the movement of a large number of tanker aircraft to Europe as well as the deployment of an aircraft carrier to the Middle East, providing options to President Donald Trump as Middle East tensions soar.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described the deployments as defensive in nature, as Washington looks to safeguard forces in the Middle East from potential blowback from Iran and Iran-aligned forces in the region.

A fourth US defense official on Tuesday raised the possibility of the deployment to the Eastern Mediterranean of additional US Navy warships capable of shooting down ballistic missiles.

The United States already has a sizeable force in the Middle East, with nearly 40,000 troops in the region, including air defense systems, fighter aircraft and warships that can detect and shoot down enemy missiles.

Israel launched its air war, its largest ever on Iran, on Friday after saying it concluded Iran was on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon.

Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons and has pointed to its right to nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, including enrichment, as a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.