US Vice President J.D. Vance has refused to give an outlook for an end to the US-Israel war against Iran, which has caused soaring global energy prices and unpopularity at home.
Vance sought to downplay the impact of the war during Thursday’s White House press conference. He even questioned how to refer to the conflict.
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“I would not call this a war. There is no active shooting at this time,” Vance said before clarifying. “We are aware that there were places where this intensified.”
His remarks came after days of intense gunfire between the United States and Iran. Still, Vance argued that the large-scale combat operation only lasted “about six weeks” and that the United States had succeeded in reducing Iran’s defense production capabilities.
He also sought to draw attention to the war’s focus on the Strait of Hormuz, accusing Iran of obstructing the flow of traffic through the vital trade route.
“When you ask, ‘When will it end?’ you’re asking me the following question: When will Iran stop shooting at ships?” Vance told reporters.
“The reality is we don’t know the answer to that question. We have to ask the Iranians.”
Until war broke out on February 28, traffic flowed freely through the Channel. But that same month, Iran shut down commercial shipping lanes after the United States and Israel launched their first salvo of attacks, dealing a blow to global fossil fuel trade.
Before the war, approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas flowed through the Strait of Hormuz.
However, Vance argued that US military operations against Iran are helping to create conditions for increased oil shipments through the strait.
He also claimed that a new agreement to transfer control of Venezuela’s 65 billion barrels of oil reserves to the United States would lead to lower global oil costs.
“When will Iran’s shooting of ships stop having an impact on global energy markets? The answer is that it is becoming less impactful by the day,” Vance said.
Vance also acknowledged that US President Donald Trump single-handedly prevented a larger energy crisis and reprimanded US allies for not doing more to contribute to the war effort.
“What we are doing now is protecting commercial shipping to ensure we avoid a global energy crisis,” Vance said.
“The only reason we haven’t had an energy crisis is not only because of the president’s leadership, but also because of the great work of the military.”
Asked about the alleged US attack on a wedding party in the Iranian coastal city of Sirik, Vance said the military was investigating the incident. But he added that he was “very skeptical” of the Iranian government’s explanation for the attack.
“We’re looking into it because obviously we’re interested. We want to know,” Vance told reporters at the White House. “When our military makes mistakes, we learn from them and try to improve from them.”
The attack reportedly killed at least five people, including children, and injured nearly 70 others.
But human rights activists say the United States denies responsibility for past attacks that have killed civilians around the world. Victims have few avenues for accountability.
The U.S. military said in a statement that the incident “never targeted civilians.”
The Trump administration also denied responsibility for an airstrike on an Iranian elementary school in Minab on the first day of the war, killing more than 150 people, most of them elementary school students.
Evidence reviewed by US media and international observers suggests the use of US Tomahawk missiles.
Since the war began, thousands of people have been killed not only in Iran but also in Lebanon and other parts of the Middle East.
As of August, about 18 U.S. military personnel were also killed and another 750 injured.
But at a White House press conference, reporters confronted Vance about reports that at least one widow of a fallen service member was not receiving the full amount of benefits given to families of soldiers killed in active duty.
Libby Klinner, the widow of the late Air Force Maj. John “Alex” Klinner, posted in August that her benefits were being withheld because Iran “has not officially declared war” on Iran.
Vance, himself a military veteran, promised to contact her directly after the information session. “Our hearts break for each and every person who lost their lives in this operation,” he said.
