Vance says Iran fight isn’t a ‘war’ as Trump tries to navigate unpopular conflict as election nears

Vice President JD Vance dismissed the term "war" when discussing the ongoing conflict with Iran, as he did not anticipate the six-month-old battle to conclude before November's midterm elections. This election will determine whether Republicans retain their slim majorities in Congress. The vice president emphasized there was no active shooting at present, and the U.S. had a responsibility to carry out the recent strikes due to Iran's continued targeting of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

Vance avoided setting artificial timelines regarding the conflict's end, acknowledging the uncertainty and suggesting that only the Iranians could provide an answer. Brent crude prices reached over $95 per barrel during the conflict, up from around $72 a day before the aggression began. Despite Trump and his aides' claims of a U.S. Navy controlling the Strait of Hormuz, the oil flow through the strategic waterway remains below pre-war levels, with only about 5 million barrels a day exiting it on average in recent weeks.

The administration has attempted to maintain the appearance of progress in negotiations and prevent price spikes by pushing a dual-pronged approach.