Vance says Iran conflict is not a war, declines to offer timeline for end

The war has dragged down President Donald Trump's approval ratings and driven ⁠up gas prices, raising the stakes for Republican candidates fighting to preserve their party's narrow congressional majorities ​in November.

In a briefing at the White House, Vance touted U.S. efforts to facilitate oil shipping through the Strait ​of Hormuz, where Iranians have disrupted maritime traffic since the war started, crediting Washington's actions with helping to avert a broader global energy crisis.

He pushed back on describing the conflict as a "war," saying the U.S. has ended major combat operations with ​Iran, despite renewed fighting this week. He said Washington's focus now was to ensure Tehran cannot keep disrupting ​commercial oil shipping.

The U.S. maintains more than 50,000 troops in the Middle East. The Trump administration has surged assets into the region, including nearly 20 warships focused on a blockade. In some instances, troops have been deployed for longer than expected and have been pulled from Europe and the Indo-Pacific.

Asked repeatedly about the timeline ​on the war, Vance said ​an end would require ⁠a halt in Iranians shooting at commercial shipping. "When will the Iranians stop shooting at ships? I think the reality is I don't know the answer to that ​question," he said.

He also ruled out any negotiations as long as Tehran continued ​to target commercial ⁠shipping. While the most intense fighting has subsided, the recurring exchange of fire and the lack of a definitive end to the war have kept global oil prices elevated.

On Tuesday, the United States launched airstrikes on Iran, hitting ⁠what it ​said were military targets along the coast in retaliation for Iranian ​attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The sudden escalation of the war has caused a surge in oil prices to ​levels unseen since July.