Pence Urges Trump to Unleash U.S. and Israeli Forces on Iran
His public call raises political pressure on the White House during a fragile pause in strikes, threatening a delicate mediation window.
Overview
- Pence made the appeal during a Monday appearance on Fox News' "America's Newsroom," saying the United States should "unleash" its armed forces, strike remaining Iranian nuclear sites, and let Israel "finish the job."
- The remarks are commentary and do not change official policy, as U.S. leaders have paused recent strikes to give mediators room to pursue talks through Oman, Pakistan and Qatar.
- Pence praised prior operations and claimed U.S. forces knocked out "13,000 military sites," a figure reported by him that is contested in wider reporting.
- He framed diplomacy as exhausted and argued for forcing Iran's defeat, a stance that increases domestic pressure on President Trump as he balances threats of heavier strikes with public statements about an imminent deal.
- Any move to escalate would face practical hurdles such as shrinking munitions, growing casualties concerns, and U.S. intelligence assessments that Iran has hardened or moved key nuclear work at sites like Natanz, raising the risk of wider regional escalation.