JD Vance says Iran war will enter ‘much different phase’ in coming months | Today’s news
US Vice President JD Vance said the Iran war would enter a “much different phase” in the coming months, describing the conflict as having moved beyond an initial phase focused on Iran’s nuclear and conventional military capabilities.
Vance said this Monday aboard Air Force Two in an interview with the New York Post. He said the future course of the conflict could not be predicted, but supported President Donald Trump’s assessment that the situation would change significantly in the coming months.
Vance says the first phase of the Iran war is over
Vance outlined what he described as two phases of the conflict.
“There are really two phases to this thing, and the first phase is done,” he said.
According to Vance, the first phase focused on destroying Iran’s nuclear program, weakening its conventional military and reducing its ability to project power in the region.
“And then the second phase of that is to make sure they can’t rebuild and try to maintain as much global stability as possible after that,” he said.
A “much different phase” in a few months
Vance said the conflict could look significantly different in a matter of months, while stressing that he could not predict exactly how events would unfold.
“We can’t predict the future, but I think the president is right when he says that this thing will enter a much different phase in a few months,” Vance said.
He also pointed to Trump’s authority as commander-in-chief, saying the president determines when conflicts begin and end.
“He’s also the commander-in-chief, so he’s the person who determines … when conflicts start and when they end,” Vance said.
Vance says the US is not conducting aggressive operations
Addressing public impatience with the protracted conflict, Vance said the United States was not currently conducting what he described as aggressive operations.
“I certainly understand that there is some impatience on the part of the American people, but basically what’s happening right now is that the United States is not engaged in aggressive operations. We’re just not,” he said.
Vance added that Iranian forces still fired on commercial shipping on occasion, although he said such attacks were not “usually unsuccessful”.
The key issue remains the Strait of Hormuz
The comments come as the Strait of Hormuz remains a major focus of conflict. The New York Post reported that traffic on the strategic waterway had recovered to more than half of normal levels, although crossings remained well below prewar levels. The strait normally handles about one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil flows.
US forces worked to clear mines from the waterway while Iranian attacks on merchant vessels continued intermittently.
Trump has linked the wartime timetable to the midterm elections
Vance’s comments follow Trump’s recent statements that the conflict could enter a new phase after the US elections in November.
Trump said he expects the war to end immediately after the election.
The remarks also come as the administration faces competing assessments of how long the conflict could last.
Read also | Iran War Costs US Military $38 Billion as CBO Warns of Higher Costs, Inflation
