Operation Midnight Hammer sparked strong words from Vice President JD Vance, who defended the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and praised Donald Trump’s leadership. Vance criticised previous US presidents for failing to protect American interests, claiming Trump understands how to achieve national security goals.
Vance Defends Operation Midnight Hammer
Vice President JD Vance strongly backed the US airstrikes on Iran, codenamed Operation Midnight Hammer, after America targeted three nuclear sites as part of the conflict between Israel and Iran. Speaking to NBC News, Vance acknowledged that many Americans feel exhausted after decades of military involvement in the Middle East.
However, he stated, “I empathise with Americans who are exhausted after 25 years of foreign entanglements in the Middle East. I understand the concern, but the difference is that back then we had dumb presidents.” Vance, a former Marine who served in Iraq, contrasted past leaders with Trump, saying Trump “actually knows how to accomplish America’s national security objectives.”
JD Vance: “I empathize with Americans who are exhausted after 25 years of foreign entanglements in the Middle East. I understand the concern, but the difference is that back then we had dumb presidents” pic.twitter.com/vUqL9UgQcA
— unusual_whales (@unusual_whales) June 22, 2025
Over the last 25 years, five presidents led the US — Democrats Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Republicans George W. Bush and Donald Trump. Under Bush, the US launched the “War on Terror” and invaded Iraq, searching for weapons of mass destruction.
America Targets Iran’s Nuclear Program
Vance emphasised that the US is not at war with Iran itself but with its nuclear weapons program. “It is not going to be some long, drawn-out thing. We’ve got in, we’ve done the job of setting their nuclear programme back. We’re going to now work to permanently dismantle that nuclear program over the coming years, and that is what the president has set out to do.
Simple principle: Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon,” he said. The US launched these strikes after Trump allowed himself two weeks to decide on military action against Iran. That decision turned out to be a strategic ruse, as US forces struck the nuclear facilities early Sunday.
Operation Midnight Hammer aimed to destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities before they could develop weapons-grade material.
