Vance Says U.S. ‘Not at War With Iran’ But a ‘Heightened Threat Environment’ Advisory Highlights Concern
Vice President J.D. Vance has said that the United States is “not at war with Iran,” despite U.S. strikes targeting three key Iranian nuclear sites in what President Donald Trump called a “very successful attack.”
“We’re not at war with Iran, we’re at war with Iran’s nuclear program,” Vance said on Sunday during an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press. He doubled down on his point in other interviews throughout the day.
[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]Vance’s response comes after Iran issued a furious warning to the U.S. The Iranian ambassador to the U.N., Amir Saeid Iravani, called for an emergency U.N. meeting to ensure “that the perpetrator of such heinous crimes is held fully accountable and does not go unpunished.”
When addressing the nation in a televised address on Saturday night, Trump—flanked by Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth—warned Iran that if they were to retaliate, the U.S. would pursue other targets with “speed” and “precision.”
Now, with tensions seemingly at an all-time high, a National Terrorism Advisory published by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Sunday has added to the mounting concern.
The notice, titled “Summary of the Threat to the United States,” stated that the Iran conflict is “causing a heightened threat environment.”
“Low-level cyber attacks against U.S. networks by pro-Iranian hacktivists are likely, and cyber actors affiliated with the Iranian government may conduct attacks against U.S. networks,” the advisory warned. “Iran also has a long-standing commitment to target US Government officials it views as responsible for the death of an Iranian military commander killed in January 2020.”
Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani was assassinated on Jan. 3, 2020 by a drone missile strike ordered by Trump during his first term as President. Soleimani’s death threatened to heighten tensions between the U.S. and Iran back in 2020, and some Iranian officials have since called for Trump to be put on trial or face revenge from Tehran.
The advisory went on to say that “hacktivists and Iranian government-affiliated actors” often target “poorly secured U.S. networks and Internet-connected devices for disruptive cyber attacks.” It added that U.S. law enforcement has “disrupted multiple potentially lethal Iranian-backed plots in the United States since 2020. During this timeframe, the Iranian government has also unsuccessfully targeted critics of its regime who are based in the Homeland for lethal attack.”
A final warning stated that the ongoing conflict could also “motivate violent extremists and hate crime perpetrators seeking to attack targets perceived to be Jewish, pro-Israel, or linked to the U.S. government or military in the Homeland.”
Read More: How U.S. Strikes May Have Inadvertently Helped the Iranian Regime
Amid concerns of a threat to the U.S., how have U.S. lawmakers responded to the strikes on Iran?
Some in Trump’s inner circle have praised his decision to strike Iran.
“Good. This was the right call. The regime deserves it. Well done,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican.
Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee echoed Trump’s words, saying that “peace can only be achieved through strength.”
But many other U.S. lawmakers—both Republicans and Democrats—have outwardly disagreed with Trump, with some even calling for Trump’s impeachment, since Congress was reportedly not consulted about the decision.
During a rally on his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour over the weekend, Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont called the strikes “grossly unconstitutional” as the crowd in Oklahoma chanted “no more war.”
“All of you know that the only entity that can take this country to war is the U.S. Congress. The President does not have the right,” Sanders maintained.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, a Democrat who has been on the tour with Sanders, argued that the strikes are “absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment.”
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer both condemned Trump’s actions and called for Congress to be briefed.
In a statement, Jeffries said that Trump “failed to deliver” on his promise of peace in the Middle East. “The risk of war has now dramatically increased, and I pray for the safety of our troops in the region who have been put in harm’s way,” he said.
And the outrage has not just fallen on Democrats/
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky said the military action was “not constitutional.”
Trump responded with a lengthy post on Truth Social, stating that his Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement “doesn’t want [Massie], doesn’t know him, and doesn’t respect him.”
He said that Massie is “disrespectful to [America’s] great military, and all that they stand for, not even acknowledging their brilliance and bravery in yesterday’s attack, which was a total and complete WIN.”
Meanwhile, Massie replied to a post from Speaker Mike Johnson via social media, asking: “Why didn’t you call us back from vacation to vote on military action if there was a serious threat to our country?”
As many world leaders remain “gravely alarmed” over the strikes and the increasing instability in the Middle East and beyond, the U.S. awaits a potential response from Iran, something Trump maintains would be a “terrible mistake.”