Vice President JD Vance Discusses Ongoing Iran Conflict and U.S. Military Engagement

<p>Vice President JD Vance stated on Thursday that he will not establish an "artificial timeline" for the ongoing conflict with Iran, indicating that the situation will persist as long as Iran continues its attacks on ships.</p><p>Vance remarked, "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, when will the Iranians shooting at ships stop having an effect on world energy markets? And the answer is it has less effect day by day." This statement was made during the first White House press briefing following the departure of former press secretary Karoline Leavitt in August.</p><p>He emphasized that the U.S. will not rely on Iran to "behave responsibly" or engage in "good faith" negotiations, referencing recent attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The Trump administration has shifted its approach to focus on economic and military pressure following a failed Memorandum of Understanding agreement in June.</p><p>Vance stated, "What we're going to do is use the tools that we have at our disposal to ensure that the American people, one, never have to deal with the threat of an Iranian nuclear program and, two, the world, energy markets are properly supplied."</p><p>The conflict began on February 28, 2026, when the U.S. and its allies initiated Operation Epic Fury, targeting various locations across Iran at the direction of President Trump.</p><p>U.S. Central Command reported on Tuesday that American forces completed a series of strikes against targets within Iran, including air defense systems, radar installations, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities, and communication sites.</p><p>Vance clarified that the situation with Iran does not constitute a war, noting that there are no active shootings, but rather "places where this is flared up," and acknowledged that major combat operations lasted less than six weeks.</p><p>He added, "Since then, we destroyed, of course, their nuclear facilities with Midnight Hammer. With Epic Fury, we destroyed their defense industrial base for producing weapons and also a lot of their conventional military and then we made it harder for them to rebuild that nuclear program."</p>