US Vice President J.D. Vance refused to use the word "war" to describe the conflict with Iran, shying away from predicting whether the six-month-long conflict will end by the midterm elections in November, in which Republicans are trying to maintain their narrow majority in Congress.
“I wouldn't call it a war,” Vance said during a news conference at the White House after being asked if the fighting could be ended before voters cast their ballots in the Nov. 3 congressional elections. “Right now, there is no active shooter.” Vance's assertion came even as Iran on Thursday fired on Kuwait, a US ally in the Gulf, as it continued to respond to rounds of US strikes on Iran earlier in the week.
The vice president said the United States bears a "responsibility" for carrying out strikes this week because Iran continues to target commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Vance's attempt to downplay the intensity of the fight underscores the difficult task facing Trump and his administration as he tries to convince American voters to maintain Republican control of Congress, even as the unpopular conflict - which the White House initially said would last a few weeks - drives up gasoline prices and leaves consumers struggling with high inflation.
Navigation security in the Strait of Hormuz
On the other hand, the South Korean presidency announced today, Friday (September 4, 2026), that Seoul is considering making a “contribution” to secure navigation in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which has witnessed increasing tension since the outbreak of war between the United States and Iran.
A presidential spokesman in the presidential office told the media that any “contributions related to the Strait of Hormuz can be managed within limits that do not affect South Korea’s military readiness in the face of the threats to which it is exposed,” noting that this issue is still under study.
South Korean TV channel JTBC confirmed on Thursday that the government was ready to deploy military resources in the Strait of Hormuz, but the Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs later indicated that no decision had been taken in this regard.
Agence France-Presse quoted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as saying today, Tuesday (September 3, 2026), that the overthrow of the Islamic Republic in Iran is “within reach.”
According to the agency, Netanyahu expressed during an event with military leaders, "I am convinced that we can remove this threat once and for all, that is, overthrow this (Iranian) regime. This is the central task that still awaits us, but it is close. It is not impossible. It is within reach."
He added, "The regime is currently reeling. It is weaker than ever, and is fighting to survive."
Netanyahu said, "If they are not attacking us, it is not a coincidence. They are attacking everyone except us... They know our strength, the strength of our weapons, and our determination."
Netanyahu's office did not confirm what the agency reported, which also did not mention the source of its information.
Netanyahu's statements come as he is preparing to run in legislative elections that are expected to witness intense competition in late October, in light of the renewed exchange of strikes between the United States and Iran this week.
During his political career, Netanyahu has always viewed Iran as an existential threat to the Jewish state. He launched a war against it in June 2025, before launching another war with US President Donald Trump on February 28, 2026, which formed the spark of the final war.
Katz: “We will return Iran to the Stone Age”
Earlier today, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz threatened Iran with a strong response if it launched an attack on Israel. Katz's office quoted the minister as saying: "We will strike all military and civilian infrastructure in Iran, including energy infrastructure, and we will return Iran to the Stone Age and the Dark Age."
He added, during a meeting with Defense Ministry employees, that "Iran's attack on Israel would liberate us from any existing restrictions."
The Israeli Defense Minister said: “We see indications that the huge economic pressures facing Iran, as well as fears of an uprising and the collapse of the regime, could push the country to take reckless measures.
Katz said yesterday, Wednesday, that Israel is preparing for the possibility that Iran will launch an attack during the upcoming Jewish holidays.
Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said on Thursday that Israel would bomb Iran's civilian infrastructure and energy sector infrastructure if Tehran attacked Israel, in the latest Israeli threat to the Islamic Republic amid a sudden escalation in hostilities recently between the United States and Iran.
There were fears of a new escalation in the Middle East region this week after the United States and Iran exchanged the largest wave of attacks since July, as Washington bombed the southern coast of Iran and Tehran responded by attacking American bases across the region.
Israel, which launched a joint air war with Iran against Iran in February, did not participate in the latest rounds of fighting. Katz told Defense Ministry employees on Thursday, "Any attack launched by Tehran against Israel will free Israel from any current restrictions on attacking Iran."
He added, "We will disable Iran's entire national military and civilian infrastructure, including the energy infrastructure, and we will return Iran to the depths of the Stone Age and into darkness."
Warning Israel against targeting Ali Al-Taher Hill
Reuters quoted informed officials that Iran warned the United States that it would respond forcefully to any Israeli attack on Ali al-Taher Hill in southern Lebanon, where Iranian soldiers are holed up alongside Hezbollah fighters.
Lebanese security sources say that Hezbollah is believed to have established an underground command center and weapons stores inside Ali al-Tahir Hill, which overlooks southeastern Lebanon, and has become one of the most prominent battlegrounds in the war between Israel and the group.
The group said in public statements that it controls the hill and will confront any Israeli advance. Leaders of the group indicated that there was a facility there, but they refused to provide details.
This morning, Thursday (September 3, 2026), Iran launched attacks on Kuwait, declaring that they were targeting American interests, despite President Donald Trump’s threat to carry out new strikes against them after a round of exchanged strikes that threaten to ignite the Gulf again, more than six months after the outbreak of the war.
After a new night that witnessed American bombing on various sites in Iran, killing at least 19 people, followed by a large-scale Iranian response, Trump warned yesterday, Wednesday, that the United States was ready to “launch another attack any time we want,” while Tehran vowed a “broader and more destructive” response if the American attacks continued.
The Kuwaiti army announced at dawn on Thursday on X: “The Kuwaiti air defenses are currently responding to missile attacks and enemy drones, as a result of the sinful Iranian aggression.”
On the other hand, Iranian state television confirmed that Tehran is targeting American bases in Kuwait with missiles and drones "in response to America's crimes against the Iranian people."
This escalation has affected shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, as preliminary shipping data on Thursday showed that six ships transporting goods crossed the strait yesterday, down from 11 ships the previous day, and much less than the ten-day average of about 13 ships.
The US Central Command for the Middle East (Centcom) said, “Today, American forces began striking targets belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iran,” in response to “the recent attacks launched by the Revolutionary Guard on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, and on American military personnel deployed in the region.”
The American strikes came after two oil tankers were hit by "projectiles of unknown origin" as they were leaving the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran launches a “decisive operation” against US bases and interests
Iranian official television reported that several explosions occurred in the south of the country, near Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz, and an American air strike also targeted Jirvat Airport in Kerman Province in the south of the country. Official media reported that four projectiles hit cities east of the strait.
Semi-official media in Iran reported that Tehran was launching drones and missiles in response to the US strikes.
Tasnim News Agency said, "A decisive operation has begun by the Iranian armed forces in response to the American enemy. Iranian missiles and drones are targeting American bases and interests in the region."
Jordanian official television reported that sirens were activated in the Mafraq and Aqaba governorates, as Iran launched attacks on American interests and bases in the region.
The Jordanian army announced in a statement that its air defense systems dealt with 13 ballistic missiles that entered the Kingdom’s airspace and were able to intercept and destroy 10 of them, while three fell in remote areas far from population centers.
Mutual threats and dashed hopes for an imminent ceasefire
In a post on his social platform, Truth Social, US President Donald Trump confirmed that the operation against Iran is “widespread and powerful.” He warned, "If the failed state of Iran responds to this completely justified attack, it will be subjected to another, much more severe and powerful blow." The Republican president stressed that if he goes through with his threat, "there will be very little left of the Islamic Republic of Iran."
He said in an interview with Fox News that he had given Iran many opportunities, and downplayed the value of any potential agreement with Tehran. He added, "I think that the agreement with them is not worth the paper it is written on. We have given them many opportunities."
For its part, the Revolutionary Guard was quick to announce that Iran would make the United States “regret” its new attacks. Revolutionary Guard spokesman Hussein Mohebi wrote on the X platform, “Severe punishment awaits the aggressors. The United States will regret its new attacks.”
J. said. US Vice President De Vance said on Monday (August 31, 2026) that President Donald Trump was sending a message to Iran through his post on social media regarding the destruction of Kharg Island.
Vance answered a question about Trump's post by saying, "The president likes to change his style a little on social media. He is at the forefront of those who do not prefer to announce military operations through these means, but I think he is sending a message to the Iranians."
Trump's post, which was limited to one line, yesterday, Sunday, was accompanied by an artificial intelligence-generated video clip. A US official said on Monday that the army did not target Kharg Island in raids last night. An Iranian official described Trump's post as "ridiculous."
Kharg Island produced 90 percent of Iran's oil exports before the war launched by the United States and Israel on February 28, and attacking it could disrupt Iran's energy trade on a large scale and put the Islamic Republic's economy under great pressure. Commenting on the first announced US military strikes since the end of July, an American official said that the forces attacked two Iranian missile launchers on Lark Island.
