JD Vance says 'Trump has shown clearly he is not Barack Obama' amid Iran nuclear talks

WASHINGTON, DC: Vice President JD Vance drew a clear distinction between President Donald Trump and his predecessor, former President Barack Obama, especially when it came to foreign policy.

Vance appeared on Fox News' 'The Story with Martha MacCallum' on Tuesday, February 17, to discuss ongoing negotiations with Iran amid growing tensions over the country's nuclear program. The segment came as US and Iranian representatives met in Geneva for Omani-mediated talks aimed at preventing military conflict, following Trump's recent comments suggesting regime change could benefit Iran.

JD Vance contrasts Trump with Obama on national security

Vance's remarks came after MacCallum referenced past US policies, including the release of $6 billion to Qatar and allowances for Iran's ballistic missile program under previous administrations. Vance responded by explaining Trump's strategy.

"The President will do what he thinks is in the best interest of the American people," Vance said. "He's shown very clearly that he is not Barack Obama. He takes a much different approach to America's national security, and he's much more willing to act aggressively to defend America's national security."

Vance noted that the administration is pursuing diplomatic solutions but remains firm on preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. "The President of the United States is very much trying to find a solution here, whether it's through diplomatic options or through another option that means that the Iranians cannot have a nuclear weapon," he added. "That has always been the main focus."

The VP reflected on Trump's 2015 campaign promises. "If you go back to the campaign that he ran in 2015, the Republican primary campaign that he won, he said, Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon," Vance recalled.

He described Iran's regime as "one of the most hostile and also one of the most irrational regimes in the world," warning, "You can't have people like that have the most dangerous weapon known to man. It would be awful for our security, awful for the future of our children."

Progress and red lines in Iran negotiations

Discussing the recent Geneva talks involving Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, JD Vance offered a rather mixed assessment. "In some ways, it went well; they agreed to meet afterwards," he said. "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."

Vance affirmed the administration's commitment to the process. "We're going to keep on working it. But of course, the President reserves the ability to say when he thinks that diplomacy has reached its natural end," he said.

This comes amid US military buildup in the region, including the deployment of two aircraft carriers, the USS Abraham Lincoln and another vessel, positioning fighter jets within striking distance of Iran.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the talks as "more constructive" than prior rounds. "Ultimately, we were able to reach broad agreement on a set of guiding principles, based on which we will move forward and begin working on the text of a potential agreement," he said.

However, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei issued a warning about Iran's capabilities to counter US forces. "A warship is certainly a dangerous weapon, but even more dangerous is the weapon capable of sinking it," he said.

The negotiations focus on Iran's nuclear program, which the West suspects is aimed at developing a bomb. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has denied such claims. "We are absolutely not seeking nuclear weapons," he said. 

But Trump has heightened pressure, insisting regime change "would be the best thing that could happen" in Iran following the government's crackdown on protests that killed thousands.