Vance Says Major Combat with Iran Is over as Fighting Flares Again

The fighting between Washington and Tehran is entering its seventh month, but US Vice President JD Vance insists it is not a war. Despite renewed attacks this week, he maintains that major combat operations have ended and that there is currently no active fighting.

Vance did not say how long hostilities might continue. He argued that ending them would require Iran to stop attacking commercial shipping and ruled out talks with Tehran as long as such attacks continue.

The United States is now focusing on ensuring the safe passage of commercial oil shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Vance credited Washington’s response with helping to avert a broader global energy crisis.

The United States has more than 50,000 troops in the Middle East and has deployed nearly 20 warships to the region as part of its blockade. Some forces have been pulled from Europe and the Indo-Pacific.

On Tuesday, US forces launched airstrikes against what Washington said were military targets along the Iranian coast in retaliation for attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The renewed escalation has pushed oil prices to their highest levels since July.

At the same time, the protracted conflict has weighed on President Donald Trump’s approval ratings and driven up gas prices ahead of the November midterm elections, with Republicans defending narrow majorities in Congress.

(Reuters, bak)