Trump's Peace Through Strength Strategy in Iran

This morning, key leaders of the Trump Administration were out across the airwaves with a clear message: the world is safer today because of President Donald J. Trump's highly successful precision strikes against the Iranian regime's key nuclear facilities - and that what happens next is up to them.

Here's what you missed:

Vice President JD Vance on Meet the Press

• On the precision strikes: "We're not at war with Iran … We destroyed the Iranian nuclear program … and we did it without endangering the lives of American pilots. That's an incredible thing."
• On achieving peace: "We do not want war with Iran. We actually want peace, but we want peace in the context of them not having a nuclear weapons program - and that's exactly what the President accomplished last night."
• On diplomacy: "They weren't taking this seriously. They were trying to draw this process out as long as possible so they could rebuild their nuclear weapons program without the threat of American action … We didn't blow up the diplomacy. The diplomacy never was given a real chance by the Iranians."
• On potential retaliation: "We're prepared in the event the that the Iranians do retaliate, but … if the Iranians want to enlarge this by attacking American troops, I think that would be a catastrophic mistake."
• On further conflict: "We have no interest in a protracted conflict. We have no interest in boots on the ground. The President has actually been one of the fiercest critics of 25 years of failed foreign policy in the Middle East, which is why he did what he did - a very precise, a very surgical strike tailored to an American national interest."
• On regime change: "Our view has been very clear that we don't want a regime change … We want to end their nuclear program, and then we want to talk to the Iranians about a long-term settlement."

Vice President JD Vance on This Week

• On Iranian nuclear capabilities: "I can say to the American people with great confidence that [Iran is] much further away from a nuclear program today than they were 24 hours ago. That was the objective of the mission."
• On the nature of the precision strikes: "If the Iranians attack us, they're going to be met with overwhelming force … We did not attack the nation of Iran. We did not attack any civilian targets. We didn't even attack military targets outside of the three nuclear weapons facilities."
• On a peaceful solution: "We believe the way that you achieve peace is through strength … You can't sit there and allow the Iranians to achieve a nuclear weapon and expect that's going to lead to peace … The President - more than anybody - is worried about protracted military conflicts. That is NOT what we're getting ourselves involved in."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Face the Nation

• On what happens next: "What happens next will now depend on what Iran chooses to do next. If they choose the path of diplomacy, we're ready. We can do a deal that's good for them, the Iranian people, and good for the world. If they choose another route, then there'll be consequences."
• On the reality of Iran's nuclear development: "They had everything they need to build nuclear weapons. Why would you bury things in a mountain 300 feet under the ground? Why do they have 60% enriched uranium? … The only countries in the world that have uranium at 60% are countries that have nuclear weapons because they can quickly make it 90%."
• On a peaceful resolution: "We'll defend our people … but let's hope they don't choose that route. Let's all hope that they actually decide, 'let's go negotiate' because we want a diplomatic and peaceful solution."
• On diplomacy: "This is very simple. The President wants to resolve this diplomatically and peacefully. He gave them a chance to do that … What happens next is up to the regime."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday Morning Futures

• On President Trump's decision: "[Iran] tried to play him along the way they've played every American president for the last 35 years and the President told them if we don't get a deal - which is what we wanted - then I'll have to have to handle it differently … We didn't make that choice, they did."
• On U.S. military might: "The President said very clearly, 'We have 60 days to make progress on a deal and if we don't, I'm going to deal with it differently' … [Our military] went in, they did what they needed to do with precision and skill that no other military in the world can do, and they left."
• On President Trump's leadership: "They thought they could do with President Trump what they've done with presidents in the past and get it away with it - and they found out last night that they can't … This is a President that tells you what he's going to do and then he does it."
• On the evil of the Iranian regime: "Why did Hezbollah exist? Because of Iran. Why does Hamas exist? Because of Iran. How do the Houthis exist? Because of Iran. Who built the IEDs that maimed and killed American soldiers in Iraq? Iran. They're behind every problem in this region. They are the sole source of instability in the entire Middle East … Imagine those people having a nuclear weapon … That is unacceptable."
• On the Strait of Hormuz: "If they do that, it will be another terrible mistake. It's economic suicide for them if they do it, and we retain options to deal with that."