US Vice President JD Vance said Thursday he would not categorize the Iran war as a war, despite continuing clashes with Tehran six months after the start of the conflict.
Vance's comments came amid growing signs that President Donald Trump is trying to draw a line under the conflict that has bogged down his administration.
"I wouldn't call it a war. Right now, there is no active shooting," Vance told a White House briefing when asked if the war would be over by US midterm elections in November.
Vance added that "I recognize there have been places where this has flared up" but said major combat operations only lasted for six weeks after the US-Israel war started on February 28.
"But when you ask when will this end, 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," he said.
US Vice President JD Vance said Thursday the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz was nearly back to levels seen before the Iran war, adding that Tehran's control of the waterway was "effectively gone."
"If you go back three months ago, how much oil and gas was coming out of the strait under Iranian threats? It was virtually nothing. Now, it's almost back to where it was before the conflict even started," Vance said at a White House briefing.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday voiced confidence that Iran's Islamic republic could soon fall, saying it was weaker than ever as the United States resumed attacks.
"This regime is currently teetering. It is weaker than ever. It is fighting for its survival," Netanyahu said at an event with Israeli military leaders.
"I am convinced that we can remove this threat once and for all -- that is, to overthrow this regime. That is the central task that still lies ahead of us, but it is close. It is not impossible. It is within reach," he said.
Netanyahu, after decades of describing Iran's cleric-run state as an existential threat, in late February launched a joint attack on Iran with the United States, although President Donald Trump abruptly called a ceasefire in April.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Thursday that US economic sanctions against Iran have proven to be effective, but the pressure might lead Tehran into extreme measures.
"We see signs indicating that the heavy economic pressure they are under, and the fear of an uprising and the collapse of the regime, may push them to desperate steps," Katz said at a ceremony for defence ministry employees.
Israel launched the Middle East war alongside the United States in late February, but has stayed on the sidelines militarily since President Donald Trump sealed a ceasefire deal in April -- even after that truce later fell apart.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned that countries helping Iran evade American sanctions could themselves face penalties, while dismissing suggestions that India and Iran were preparing a trade agreement.
Rubio made the remarks when asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with the Iranian President and officials, and reports that the two countries appeared to be moving towards a trade deal.
"Well, I don't think there's a trade deal between India and Iran," Rubio said in an interview with The Brian Kilmeade Show.
He acknowledged that countries pursued independent foreign policies and maintained contacts with Tehran. Washington itself had communicated with representatives of the Iranian government, he said.
"Obviously, there are -- countries all develop their own foreign policy, and many countries around the world talk to the Iranian regime," Rubio said. "I mean, we've met with elements of the Iranian regime as well, in terms of some of these discussions that have occurred and there's been contact with them."
But Rubio said President Donald Trump had made clear that no country should assist Tehran in bypassing sanctions or establishing channels to earn revenue.
"I think what ultimately happens though is -- and the President's been very clear -- is no country should be helping Iran evade sanctions," he said.
"No country should be out there helping them create mechanisms by which they can generate revenue that they will then use to sponsor terrorism and try to build a nuclear weapon. And if countries decide to do that, then we're going to have to sanction them too."
Egypt and China have called for reduced tensions and escalation in the Gulf and Middle East regions, urging stronger dialogue and political consensus to address regional security concerns.
In a joint statement issued on Wednesday during the state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Egypt, both nations emphasised the necessity of comprehensive political settlements for geopolitical crises across the Middle East, while reinforcing principles of good neighborliness, state sovereignty, and non-interference in internal affairs.
Both sides highlighted the importance of enhancing political and security coordination on regional and international issues, advocating for peace, stability, and adherence to the UN Charter and international law.
Egypt and China also affirmed that the primary responsibility for the security and governance of the Red Sea rests with its littoral states, stressing the need for regional cooperation to guarantee freedom of navigation and international trade.
US military strikes on Iran would not continue "too long," US President Donald Trump said late on Wednesday, after American forces attacked targets along Iranās southern coast and Tehran launched missiles and drones at US bases across the region.
"We hit them very hard last night," he told US media. "We took out all of the new equipment that they tried to build along the Strait of Hormuz... It was a very heavy attack last night, and we're prepared to do another one any time we want."
The exchange was the largest direct clash between the two countries since July, raising fears that the conflict ā which began with US strikes in February ā could widen further.
Iran accused the US of striking a wedding gathering in Kuhestak, Sirik, killing four people and injuring dozens. Iranian Health Minister Mohammad-Reza Zafarqandi later said the latest US strikes killed 18 people and wounded 108 others. The claims have not been independently verified.
According to the US military, the strikes targeted IRGC-linked capabilities, including:
Air-defence sites
Radar systems
Maritime assets
Facilities used for mine-laying
Communications sites
Iranian reports said several locations near the Strait of Hormuz were hit, but the US has not released a full list of specific facilities or coordinates.
Sirik is a coastal area close to the Strait of Hormuz. Iranās Red Crescent initially reported four deaths and dozens of injuries, while other Iranian officials gave higher casualty figures. The US has denied intentionally targeting civilians, BBC reported.
The escalation has further threatened oil and shipping flows through Hormuz.
President Trump has refused to tell White House reporters whether or not he'd consider sending the CIA into Iran to arm protesters so they can rise up and fight against the regime. Trump says Iranians aren't directly taking on the Islamic Republic's leadership because they get shot and killed for protesting.
"When they get out to protest, they kill them... They shoot them right between the eyes." Trump says he believes that could eventually change as the regime loses its grip: "The regime is getting weaker by the day."
The US military escorted 40 commercial vessels carrying a record 18 million barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, marking the largest such operation since the Iran-US war began more than six months ago, two US officials familiar with the mission told CNN.
The operation took place Tuesday (Sept. 1) as the US and Iran exchanged a new round of strikes, highlighting the risks facing one of the worldās most important energy corridors.
US forces used air, naval and space-based assets to protect the vessels while targeting Iranās ability to attack commercial shipping.
The military also defended against "waves of Iranian drones" during the escort, the officials said. One official said US forces intercepted an anti-ship cruise missile during the operation.
Israel's defence minister said on Wednesday his country was prepared to respond "with great force" if attacked by Iran, after Iranian forces targeted US military positions across the region.
Israel Katz said Israeli forces were prepared for a possible attack over the Jewish high holiday season, which begins in mid-September.
"For now, they are striking throughout the region except us," he told a conference hosted by Israeli news site Ynet and newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
"But there is a possibility that they will attack us. We are prepared for that defensively."
If Iran did attack, Israel would "respond with great force, independently of anyone else", Katz said, adding that "our planes are ready to take off".
