The White House has set conditions for a ceasefire and is threatening Tehran with renewed airstrikes if it rebuilds its nuclear program

Vice President JD Vance issued a direct warning to the Iranian regime on Wednesday, leaving open the possibility that Washington could resume military operations if the current 60-day ceasefire ends without a final peace agreement.

The White House’s stance takes a hard line at a time when diplomatic teams are trying to finalize the details of a long- term resolution in the Middle East.

"The president is not going to send our military back unless he has to, unless there is a clearly defined purpose for doing so," Vance told reporters after a speech at Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

The vice president was unequivocal in making peace contingent on Tehran’s behavior: “If we have to do more, of course, that depends a bit on the Iranians. If they try to rebuild their nuclear program, if they try to start firing on commercial ships again, that will change our calculus.”

Negotiations Under the “Maximum Pressure” Doctrine

The United States has maintained a fragile truce with Iran since April, following an intense seven-week bombing campaign launched by the Trump administration to thwart the Asian country’s nuclear ambitions.

Both nations agreed on a 60-day window to consolidate the 14-point memorandum of understanding signed by President Donald Trump on June 17. Currently, the special envoy for the region, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner are leading the technical delegations in Doha, Qatar, relying on the mediation of Pakistan and Qatar in the absence of direct dialogue.

The U.S. president has reaffirmed that the dismantling of highly enriched uranium in Iranian hands is the undisputed priority in the conflict.

In this regard, Trump expressed optimism on Wednesday in Washington, telling reporters that “Iran’s denuclearization is progressing well”, adding regarding the efforts in the Persian Gulf that “they’ve had very good meetings, and we’ll see.”

Washington retains the strategic advantage in the regional arena

Despite the complexity of the indirect talks, Republican leadership insists that the U.S. armed forces have already met the essential strategic objectives during the phase of hostilities.

According to the White House’s analysis, military deterrence has left the Iranian regime in a position of clear negotiating weakness.

In a previous interview on Fox News’s ‘The Ingraham Angle,’ Vance emphasized the success of the prior military campaign in advancing national interests. “We hold all the cards in the negotiations,” the vice president emphasized, concluding that “obviously we want it to be successful, but even if it isn’t, we have accomplished the primary mission, which is to ensure that the Iranians never obtain a nuclear weapon.”

He also noted that Trump “has plenty of options,” including the immediate resumption of airstrikes if the safeguards collapse.