Vice President JD Vance stated on Thursday that he would not categorize the ongoing conflict with Iran as a "war," despite continued hostilities six months after its inception. Vance's remarks coincide with indications that President Donald Trump is seeking to conclude the protracted engagement that has significantly challenged his administration.
During a White House briefing, Vance was questioned about the potential end of the conflict before the US midterm elections in November. He responded, "I wouldn't call it a war. Right now, there is no active shooting." While acknowledging that localized flare-ups have occurred, Vance asserted that major combat operations concluded after six weeks, following the commencement of the US-Israel conflict on February 28. He elaborated, "But when you ask when will this end, you're asking me a question like when will the Iranians stop shooting at ships? I think the reality is I don't know the answer to that question. You would have to ask the Iranians."
The comments come despite recent escalations, including US raids on Sunday, which have deepened the stalemate. Iran continues to exert influence over the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Vance maintained that the United States would not re-engage in negotiations with Iran until Tehran ceases its attacks on commercial shipping. However, with rising fuel prices potentially impacting the Republican party's control of Congress, the administration has begun promoting a narrative that oil transit through the Strait is nearing pre-conflict levels.
"Their control over the Strait of Hormuz is effectively gone," Vance declared regarding Iran's influence. "If you go back three months ago, how much oil and gas was coming out of the strait under Iranian threats? It was virtually nothing. Now, it's almost back to where it was before the conflict even started."
President Trump's approval ratings have reached near record lows, particularly concerning for a president who pledged to prevent the United States from engaging in further foreign conflicts. The conflict, which began in February, has resulted in the deaths of eighteen US service members and thousands of Iranians and Lebanese. Reports indicate that Trump is consulting with senior aides regarding the possibility of formally declaring the Iran conflict concluded. He recently shared an image of a "Mission Accomplished" banner.
Iran reported further attacks on Thursday, claiming to have targeted US military bases in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates in retaliation for a strike on a wedding, which Iran attributed to Washington. Vance confirmed that the United States is investigating the wedding strike but expressed skepticism regarding Iranian media reports. "I know that we're investigating," Vance stated. "I will say that the Iranian state media has not been a very good scribe about what's happened in the conflict thus far. So I'm extremely skeptical of this." The Iranian Red Crescent reported that the missile strike on the wedding in the coastal town of Kuhestak killed four individuals, including a child, and injured over fifty.
