Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that the Trump administration’s strategy in its confrontation with Iran is centered on two primary objectives: maintaining stable global energy prices and ensuring that Tehran is permanently prevented from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Speaking during an interview on Fox News, Vance was asked about the shifting nature of the conflict and what the administration hopes to achieve once the fighting subsides. He expressed confidence that the United States will emerge in a stronger strategic position.

“Well, the thing I can say with confidence is I think this ends with the United States in a stronger position, with Iran not having a nuclear weapon, and with the Strait of Hormuz returned to a place where oil and gas prices are stable for the American people,” Vance declared.

JD Vance on Iran:

It’s inherently an unpredictable thing because the Iranians themselves are unpredictable, and sometimes they don’t honor the commitments they make to us.pic.twitter.com/9twTWcoc9o

— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 13, 2026

Vance acknowledged that negotiations with Iran have often been frustrating, arguing that the regime has repeatedly failed to honor its commitments. He said the United States has a broad range of options—diplomatic, economic, and military—that it can employ depending on the circumstances.

“I think the issue here is that the Iranians sometimes make commitments that they don’t honor. They make a deal, they don’t honor the deal. And I understand your point about the seesaw nature of this, but I think what that reflects is that we have a lot of tools at our disposal to compel action. And sometimes we’re focused on the energy piece of it because we want Americans to be able to afford the price of oil and gas. Sometimes we’re obviously focused on the military nature of it, sometimes we’re focused on the nuclear program.”

Describing the administration’s overall strategy, Vance said President Donald Trump is carefully employing the full range of American power rather than acting indiscriminately.

“So I think what is really happening is that you’re seeing a President of the United States at the height of his authority with a lot of tools, diplomatic, military, and economic,” Vance remarked.

“What I think is really going on from the inside is that we’re using those tools very selectively, very strategically to get the outcome that the president of the United States needs to get for the benefit of the American people.”

The vice president said the administration remains focused on two specific priorities, beginning with protecting the flow of energy through the Persian Gulf in order to keep fuel prices in check.

“It’s ensuring that the Gulf countries continue to send oil and gas to the world economy so that we have energy price stability. That’s obviously important for the American people. I know that oil is down today and it’s way down from the highs in the early days of the conflict. That’s goal number one, keep oil and gas cheap for Americans all over our country.”

He said the second objective is to eliminate Iran’s nuclear ambitions once and for all.

“And then obviously goal number two is [to] ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon. I feel confident we’re accomplishing both of those goals, but it’s inherently an unpredictable thing because the Iranians themselves are unpredictable and they sometimes don’t honor the commitments they’ve made to us,” Vance concluded.

Vance’s comments came just days after President Trump addressed reporters about the possibility of a broader military escalation with Iran.

Earlier this week, when asked whether a major escalation remained possible after he had warned Iran that diplomatic negotiations represented its final opportunity before “decapitation,” Trump replied, “You’ll find out.”

Pressed further on whether a significant escalation was still on the table, Trump responded, “Well, we certainly have that ability if we want to do that. You’ll find out.”

The following day, after returning from a visit to Ohio, Trump again expressed deep skepticism toward Iran’s leadership while asserting that the United States now controls one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints.

“Iran is going fine, going just absolutely fine,” Trump said, before adding, “I’m the last person to trust Iran. They’ve lied to me constantly. We have total control over the Hormuz Strait right now. They don’t have control. We have total control. We own it. And at some point, maybe they’ll do something, and then they get blown away.”

Trump concluded by arguing that Iran has lost the dominant regional influence it once wielded.

“But we right now, we’re in a very good position. We have a country that has been the bully of the Middle East for 50 years. It’s been saying 47 for four years. And they’re no longer the bully of the Middle East,” Trump stated.

{Matzav.com}