While VP Vance touts progress in Iran talks, US and Israel prepare for military option

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said that while the negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland went well, Iran is apparently unwilling to acknowledge certain “red lines” of U.S. President Donald Trump. 

“The United States has certain red lines,” Vance told Fox News. “Our primary interest here is we don’t want Iran to get a nuclear weapon. We don’t want nuclear proliferation.” 

Vance indicated that the United States is still interested in pursuing diplomatic means for a deal, even while building up a significant military presence in the Middle East. 

“We would very much like, as the president has said, to resolve this through a conversation, in a diplomatic negotiation,” Vance stated. 

Regarding the negotiations in Geneva on Tuesday, Vance said, “In some ways, it went well. They agreed to meet afterwards.” 

However, the vice president also reiterated that the U.S. has red lines, which he says Iran has not acknowledged. 

“But in other ways, it was very clear that the president has set some red lines that the Iranians are not yet willing to actually acknowledge and work through. So we're going to keep on working it,” he stated. 

US VP JD Vance on the US-Iran negotiations in Geneva today:

The US has certain red red lines. Our primary interest here is we don't want Iran to get a nuclear weapon. We don't want nuclear proliferation.

If Iran gets a nuclear weapon, there are a lot of other regimes, some… pic.twitter.com/2nt4QVH7B0

— Bracha (@brachahalperin) February 17, 2026

Vance continued, saying, "The president reserves the ability to say when he thinks that diplomacy has reached its natural end."

"We hope we don't get to that point," he said, “but if we do, that will be the president’s call.” 

An anonymous U.S. official told several media outlets that “progress was made, but there are still a lot of details to discuss,” after the talks in Geneva.

At the same time, the U.S. military continues to send assets to the region. Axios reported that in the past 24 hours, the military had moved over 50 fighter jets to the Middle East, adding to the force already present in the region.

Independent flight trackers noted groups of F-16, F-22, and F-35 fighter jets heading to the region. A report on Israel's Channel 12 claimed that the U.S. buildup will be completed in about one week, including the USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier, currently making its way to the region. 

Channel 12 also reported that U.S. officials told the Israeli government further progress in the negotiations would be difficult, citing the Iranian regime’s lack of flexibility.

The outlet added that the IDF is preparing for the possibility that Iran could launch a surprise attack on Israel should the talks deteriorate.

A U.S. official said that Iran should return with proposals aimed at narrowing gaps within two weeks, both Ynet News and The Jerusalem Post reported. However, he also said Iran is not willing to address either its ballistic missile program or its support for regional proxies in the negotiations. 

Meanwhile, Iranian leaders continue to express inflexibility regarding compromises in the talks. Following the conclusion of the negotiations in Geneva, both Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Islamic Republic will not accept an end to Iran’s nuclear program. 

In an interview with Iranian media, Pezeshkian stated, “We have repeatedly declared that we are in no way seeking nuclear weapons.” 

He said the regime “cannot accept being deprived of using nuclear science and knowledge to save the lives of our patients, advance our industries, and develop our agriculture.” 

Araghchi told the UN Conference on Disarmament on Tuesday that Iran has the right to develop nuclear energy. 

“This right is inherent, non-negotiable, and legally binding,” Araghchi said. “It is not conditional upon political considerations, nor can it be suspended or reinterpreted arbitrarily.”