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However, the discussions quickly ran into a major obstacle: Iran insisted that its uranium enrichment program existed only for civilian purposes.
“But the Iranians would come back to us and they’d say, ‘Well, you know, having enrichment for civilian purposes, for energy purposes, is a matter of national pride,’” Vance said.
U.S. officials were not convinced.
“And so we would say, ‘OK, that’s interesting, but why are you building your enrichment facilities 70 feet underground? And why are you enriching to a level that’s way beyond civilian enrichment and is only useful if your goal is to build a nuclear bomb?’” he said.
That contradiction raised major red flags inside the administration and became a decisive factor in Trump’s final call to authorize military action.
Vance explained that the United States has never objected to legitimate civilian nuclear uses such as medical research.
“Nobody objects to the Iranians being able to build medical isotopes; the objection is these enrichment facilities that are only useful for building a nuclear weapon.”
He continued: “It just doesn’t pass the smell test for you to say that you want enrichment for medical isotopes, while at the same time trying to build a facility 70 to 80 feet underground.”
WATCH:
Those concerns ultimately led to the launch of Operation Epic Fury, a series of precision strikes aimed at crippling Iran’s nuclear capabilities and preventing the regime from developing nuclear weapons.
Defense officials say the initial bombing campaign delivered devastating results.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared that the strikes had effectively dismantled Iran’s ability to produce nuclear weapons.
“Based on everything we have seen — and I’ve seen it all — our bombing campaign obliterated Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons,” Hegseth said.
“Our massive bombs hit exactly the right spot at each target and worked perfectly. The impact of those bombs is buried under a mountain of rubble in Iran; so anyone who says the bombs were not devastating is just trying to undermine the president and the successful mission.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. military says operations against Iranian military infrastructure are continuing.
United States Central Command confirmed Monday that American forces have successfully struck key elements of Iran’s military network.
In a statement posted to X, CENTCOM said U.S. forces destroyed multiple high-value targets tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
“U.S. forces have destroyed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command and control facilities, Iranian air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields during sustained operations.”
The command emphasized that American forces will continue targeting threats posed by the Iranian regime.
“We will continue to take decisive action against imminent threats posed by the Iranian regime,” the post continued.
CENTCOM also released video footage showing what it said were Iranian missile systems being destroyed during the strikes.
“As the Secretary of War stated this morning, U.S. forces are hitting Iran surgically, overwhelmingly, and unapologetically,” the command wrote. “Operation Epic Fury is laser-focused on destroying Iranian offensive missiles.”
At the same time, the White House formally notified Congress about the military action.
In a letter sent under the War Powers Resolution to Senate President pro tempore Charles Grassley, Trump explained that the strikes were ordered on February 28 in response to growing threats against American personnel and allies in the region.
“I write to apprise you of military action taken on February 28, 2026, against the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the president wrote.
The letter outlined the strategic targets of the operation, which included missile sites, maritime mining infrastructure, air defense systems, and command centers.
Trump said the objective was clear: defend American forces, protect the homeland, and secure one of the world’s most critical shipping routes.
The president emphasized that the action was necessary to safeguard the free flow of global commerce through the Strait of Hormuz and to support regional allies facing Iranian aggression.
With Operation Epic Fury now underway, the administration is signaling that the United States is prepared to continue military pressure if Iran attempts to rebuild its weapons programs or threaten American interests in the region.
