Iran could trigger 'nuclear arms race' in Gulf: US Vice President JD Vance

US Vice President J D Vance has warned that Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon could trigger a global nuclear arms race while also stating that the United States is prepared to restart military operations if ongoing diplomatic efforts with Tehran failSpeaking at a press conference at the White House on Tuesday Vance said the US remains committed to negotiations with Iran but made it clear that Washington would not compromise on preventing Tehran from obtaining nuclear weaponsHis remarks came a day after US President Donald Trump reportedly delayed a decision on resuming strikes against Iran following requests from Gulf nations including Qatar and the United Arab Emirates which suggested that Tehran was showing a willingness to engage in peace talksUS says diplomacy remains preferred optionVance said the Trump administration continues to pursue diplomatic engagement with Iran in good faith and believes there is still scope for an agreementldquoWe think the Iranians want to make a deal The president of the United States has asked us to negotiate in good faith and that is exactly what we have donerdquo Vance told reportersAt the same time he stressed that diplomacy would not weaken Washingtonrsquos position on Iranrsquos nuclear programme According to Vance the US administration remains fully prepared to take military action if negotiations collapseHe said he had met Trump before the media briefing and quoted the president as saying the US was ldquolocked and loadedrdquo if circumstances required a stronger responseldquoWe do not want to go down that pathway but the president is willing and able to do so if necessaryrdquo Vance saidFear of nuclear arms race in Gulf regionThe US vice president argued that Iran becoming a nucleararmed state could encourage multiple countries in the Gulf region and beyond to pursue their own nuclear programmesAccording to Vance Iran would become ldquothe first dominordquo in a wider global nuclear arms race He warned that if Tehran obtained nuclear weapons several countries across the Gulf could seek similar capabilities potentially increasing instability worldwideHe added that the spread of nuclear weapons to more nations particularly those facing security challenges or internal instability would significantly increase global risksldquoAs the father of three young children I do not want them to inherit a world where many more dangerous regimes possess nuclear weaponsrdquo Vance said during the briefingWashington says Iran must not acquire nuclear weaponsVance reiterated that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon remains a core objective of US foreign policy He said Washington was concerned not only about the possibility of Iran using such weapons directly but also about Tehran using nuclear capability as leverage in geopolitical and economic negotiationsThe vice president said the US wants to keep the number of nucleararmed countries limited and believes Iran crossing that threshold would undermine global securityHe also outlined what he described as ldquotwo pathsrdquo ahead mdash continued diplomatic engagement or a renewed military campaignldquoThere is an option B and option B is restarting military operations to pursue Americarsquos objectivesrdquo Vance saidUS hints at possibility of reset in ties with TehranDespite the strong warning Vance suggested there may still be an opportunity to improve relations between Washington and Tehran if both sides remain willing to negotiateHe said the Trump administration believes a reset in USIran relations is possible but added that progress would require cooperation from both governmentsldquoBut it takes two to tangordquo Vance remarked indicating that the future of the talks will depend on Iranrsquos response in the coming weeksWith inputs from PTI