Former Vice President Mike Pence warned Sunday that the United States military should remain prepared to launch additional strikes against Iran, arguing that further military action is “inevitable” as tensions between Washington and Tehran continue.
Pence made the remarks during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” telling host Dana Bash that the United States must maintain its military presence in the region while continuing to pressure Iran.
“It’s going to be absolutely imperative that we keep the pressure on, and that we keep the military assets in the region to be able to take the action that I believe is going to be inevitable,” Pence said.
His warning comes after the United States and Iran signed a 60-day memorandum of understanding in mid-June aimed at pausing hostilities between the two countries.
But that agreement has failed to completely halt the fighting.
The U.S. and Iranian militaries have exchanged strikes since early July, despite the memorandum. The ceasefire outlined under the agreement was violated and expired this week, with no public indication that officials in Washington and Tehran have reached another deal.
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, announced Wednesday that his administration was intensifying its economic campaign against the Islamic Republic.
Trump warned in a Truth Social post that countries providing Iran with an economic lifeline could face consequences from the United States.
The president said any nation that “allows its financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities to provide any type of lifeline to Iran will itself face” economic repercussions from Washington.
Pence compared the Trump administration’s latest economic measures against Tehran to “D-Day style economic sanctions.”
His description echoed language used by Trump earlier in the week when the president declared that the sanctions targeting Iran “will be an ECONOMIC D-DAY.”
While Pence backed maintaining economic pressure on Tehran, the former vice president made clear that he believes the United States should also be prepared for another round of military action.
Pence argued that Iranian leaders have yet to recognize the position they are in following the conflict.
The former vice president said the Iranians “don’t yet understand that they have been defeated,” pointing to remarks made over the weekend by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian regarding an end to the war.
With the 60-day memorandum now expired and strikes having already been exchanged despite the attempted pause in hostilities, Pence’s comments underscored his position that Washington should keep American military assets ready in the region.
For Pence, economic sanctions alone may not mark the end of the confrontation.
His prediction Sunday was unequivocal: The United States should be prepared to take further military action against Iran because he believes another strike will ultimately be unavoidable.
