US says priority of war with Iran is now "oil prices" and freedom of navigation, not the nuclear program
US Vice President J.D. Vance said that the priority in the war with Iran has shifted from curbing its nuclear program to lowering fuel prices, as the Donald Trump administration moves to increase economic pressure on Tehran instead of launching further military strikes in a conflict nearing its sixth month.
In a related development, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened Iran with new sanctions soon to isolate it economically, marking an escalation in Washington’s approach toward Tehran that has been in place for more than four decades.
The United States and Israel launched the war on February 28 under several stated objectives, most notably preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and destroying its military capabilities. Tehran responded with overt attacks on regional countries and the closure of the vital Hormuz Strait for energy supplies, triggering market turmoil and driving up fuel prices.
While Vance and Bessent’s remarks reflect an effort to use Iran’s disruption of navigation in the strait as a strategic bargaining chip, they also signal the growing importance of fuel prices in US markets, just months before the midterm elections.
As Trump appears hesitant to resume airstrikes, Republicans fear that his policies and the fallout from the unpopular war could cost them their majority in Congress in the November elections.
Speaking on Fox News, Vance said that preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon—a goal Trump has repeatedly emphasized—is no longer the top priority, having been overshadowed by the urgent need to ensure the free flow of oil supplies through the Hormuz Strait.
“I know oil prices are low these days, even lower than the high levels recorded in the early days of the conflict,” he told Fox News.
He added, “This is the primary goal: keeping oil and gas prices low for Americans across our country,” stressing that “the second goal is clearly ensuring that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon.”
Oil prices surged sharply due to the war, occasionally surpassing $110 per barrel—a level unseen since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Although oil is currently trading between $80 and $86 per barrel, markets remain vulnerable to the conflict.
Vance noted that Washington sometimes “focuses on the energy aspect because we want Americans to be able to afford oil and gas. At other times, we clearly focus on the military aspect... and the nuclear program.”
In a parallel development highlighting the economic dimension of the conflict, the US Treasury Secretary threatened to isolate Iran, pointing to new sanctions expected to be announced next week.
Bessent told US Newsmax that the measures “will be a combination of economic isolation the world has never seen before,” adding that the “ongoing blockade of the Hormuz Strait... will prevent anything from entering or leaving Iranian ports.”
These remarks align with the more cautious approach Trump has increasingly favored, which involves pressuring Iran by blockading its ports and preventing it from selling oil.
Trump said last week, “We are handling this calmly,” adding in an interview with the US Axios news site that Washington is conducting “limited negotiations with Tehran. We are simply monitoring Iran, given its massive economic inflation and the fact that it has no money.”
Vance was among the most concerned US administration officials regarding the attack on Iran. He led his country’s diplomatic delegation in negotiations with Iran, mediated by Pakistan, which resulted in a memorandum of understanding to end the war in mid-June.
