Washington, 18 February 2026 (dpa/MIA) - US Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday reaffirmed Washington's goal of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon following a new round of talks in Geneva.

US President Donald Trump has "got a lot of options and a lot of tools" to make sure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon, Vance said in an interview with US broadcaster Fox News.

The US vice president warned that other authoritarian governments could follow suit if Tehran acquired such arms. He also accused Tehran of being interested in purchasing a nuclear weapon, saying this, too, cannot be allowed to happen.

Iran denies that it is secretly seeking to build nuclear weapons and insists it has the right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

The comments came hours after another round of talks between representatives of the United States and the Islamic republic ended in Geneva without tangible progress.

The US has indirectly threatened military action if Iran's leadership does not compromise. In recent weeks, numerous US warships have been deployed to the region.

Sources within the US administration said that while progress had been made in the Geneva talks, which were mediated by Oman, many details still needed to be resolved.

Photo: EPA