Vance says ‘up to the Israelis’ whether to take out Iranian supreme leader

Vice President Vance said hours after the United States bombed three Iranian nuclear sites that it's up to Israel if they want to try to kill Iran’s supreme leader.

“Well, look, that's up to the Israelis, but our view has been very clear that we don't want a regime change,” Vance said Sunday on NBC’s "Meet the Press" when asked if the U.S. supports killing the Iranian leader.

“We do not want to protract this or build this out any more than it's already been built out. We want to end their nuclear program, and then we want to talk to the Iranians about a long-term settlement here," he told host Kristen Welker. "We believe very strongly that there are two pathways.”

President Trump on Sunday night described the bombings on the Iranian nuclear sites as a “spectacular military success” and called on Tehran to make a peace deal quickly while warning it would face more attacks.

Vance on Sunday said Iran has an opportunity to "take the smart path."

“There's a pathway where Iran continues to fund terrorism, continues to try to build a nuclear program, attacks American troops. That's the bad pathway for Iran, and it will be met with overwhelming force. There's another pathway on the table here. There's a pathway where Iran integrates itself into the international community, stops funding terrorism and stops trying to pursue a nuclear weapon,” Vance said. “This is a reset. This is an opportunity for the Iranians to take the smart path. We certainly hope that they will.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth similarly said Iran faces a choice between a negotiated settlement or an escalating conflict with the U.S. after strikes hit three nuclear sites in the country on Saturday. 

“Now is the time to come forward for peace,” Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon on Sunday morning along with Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine.

“And I think Tehran is certainly calculating the reality that planes flew from the middle of America and Missouri overnight, completely undetected over three of their most highly sensitive sites, and we were able to destroy nuclear capabilities,” Hegseth added.