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Trump officials offer Iran new chance at diplomacy, say US not seeking regime change

On 22 June 2025, The Times of Israel published Trump officials offer Iran new chance at diplomacy, say US not seeking regime change, by Nava Freiberg and news agencies. The article ran hours after U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. "Boots on the ground" means soldiers physically in the country, not only planes or ships. An American family should care because the vice president is quoted saying the United States did not want that.

Background for new readers: This article is from 22 June 2025, the day after US B-2 bombers struck Iran's nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan in Operation Midnight Hammer, near the end of what became known as the Twelve-Day War between Israel and Iran. A ceasefire followed within days. Eight months later, on 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel began a much larger joint air war on Iran. This page records what US officials said about ground troops in 2025, so readers can compare it with 2026. This article is filed under No Boots on the Ground; the full article index lists every article on this shelf.

Evidence rating: CONFIRMED. The Times of Israel reports that Vice President JD Vance said the words on NBC's Meet the Press on 22 June 2025, the day of the US strike on Iran's nuclear sites.

What the article says​

The Times of Israel says senior U.S. officials tried, that Sunday, to limit what the overnight strikes meant. Vance told NBC: "We're not at war with Iran. We're at war with Iran's nuclear program." He said Washington did not want regime change, meaning it did not want to overthrow Iran's government, and did not want a longer war. He said the United States wanted talks.

"He reiterated that the US had no interest in boots on the ground."

— The Times of Israel, 22 June 2025, reporting Vice President JD Vance on NBC

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon that the strikes were "intentionally limited," and that Washington was not seeking regime change. He also warned that the United States would answer Iranian retaliation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News that Washington was still willing to talk, including about nuclear power plants, but not about Iran enriching its own fuel.

The paper says the strikes hit Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan. It says the force used 14 bunker-buster bombs, more than two dozen Tomahawk missiles, and over 125 military aircraft. Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called the operation Midnight Hammer. The paper says the U.S. strikes followed more than a week of Israeli strikes in the same war.

Asked whether the United States would support Israel if Israel moved against the life of Iran's supreme leader, Vance said that choice would be up to the Israelis, because the United States was not seeking regime change.

What other reporting adds​

Vance's words, more fully. A video post the same day quotes him: "We have no interest in a protracted conflict. We have no interest in boots on the ground." (research captures: twitter/t50__v595.md, twitter/t52__v618.md). Axios summarized: "Vice President Vance said Sunday that the United States doesn't plan to send ground troops into Iran and there is 'no interest' in engaging in a 'protracted conflict' with the nation." (Axios, 22 June 2025; research capture: twitter/t52__v617.md). The Hill noted that he "did not rule out the possibility altogether." (The Hill, 22 June 2025; research capture: twitter/t52__v621.md).

The president said something different the same day. Politico reported that Vance, Rubio, and Hegseth "each insisted in television interviews that the U.S. was only interested in dismantling Iran's nuclear capabilities, not changing its leadership. But Trump seemed to contradict them when he posted on social media later that day, saying, 'if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change???'" (Politico, 24 June 2025; research capture: twitter/t52__v621.md).

Eight months later. When the larger war began in 2026, Trump told the New York Post: "Every president says, 'There will be no boots on the ground.' I don't say it." (as quoted by Yahoo News, 2 March 2026; research capture: twitter/t52__v618.md).

What it shows​

This is the no-boots line on the first day Americans bombed Iran: no interest in boots on the ground, and no interest in regime change. The same day the President raised "regime change" himself. Eight months later the United States was at war with Iran, and by April 2026 more than 90 Americans had gone onto Iranian ground. See No Boots on the Ground.

Check it yourself​

Last Updated: 2026-09-26

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