&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Iran's alleged nuclear arsenal no longer top concern for US? Vance says cheap oil is priority No. 1 in Iran war, nuclear threat 'goal number two'")
US Vice President JD Vance has said keeping oil and gasoline prices low for Americans is now Washington's top priority in the Iran war, while the prevention of a nuclear-armed Iran comes second.
The comments mark a notable shift from President Donald Trump's repeated description of the conflict as a campaign aimed primarily at stopping Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Speaking to Fox News on Thursday (Aug 13), Vance pointed to the sharp rise in oil prices during the early stages of the conflict before adding that keeping energy costs down had become the administration's first goal. "That's goal number one," Vance said, referring to keeping oil and gas affordable for Americans. He then identified preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon as "goal number two."
"I know that oil is down today and it's way down from the highs in the early days of the conflict," Vance said on Fox News. "That's goal number one -- keep oil and gas cheap for Americans all over our country."
"And then obviously goal number two is ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon," he added.
Strait of Hormuz now at the centre
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Vance's remarks come as the Strait of Hormuz has become one of the biggest pressure points in the conflict. Iran has made the reopening of the strategic waterway part of the wider confrontation, while Washington and Tehran remain divided over the conditions needed to ease the standoff.
The strait is crucial to global energy markets, making any prolonged disruption a direct concern for oil prices and American consumers.
Vance said the administration was balancing several priorities at once, including energy prices, military considerations and Iran's nuclear programme. "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," he said.
Trump faces pressure to avoid deeper escalation
Vance has previously been among the administration's more cautious voices on the military campaign launched against Iran. His latest comments suggest that economic pressure and negotiations could now play a bigger role as Washington weighs its next steps ahead of the mid-term elections.
Vance also said Trump had a wide range of options available, describing the president as being "at the height of his authority" with diplomatic, military and economic tools at his disposal.
This comes as US media reports have raised questions about the availability of some American missiles and drones, potentially adding another constraint to Trump's military options.
