Vance expects Iran war to enter a "completely different phase within two months"
U.S. Vice President JD Vance stated that the conflict between the United States and Iran will enter a "completely different phase within two months," agreeing with President Donald Trump that the war will end "immediately after" the midterm elections.
In an interview with the New York Post, Vance explained that Iran will continue to lose control over the Strait of Hormuz until the elections next November, after maritime traffic in the vital waterway has recovered to "more than 50 percent of its normal levels."
He added, "We cannot predict the future, but I believe the President is right in saying that this matter will enter a completely different phase within two months." He further noted, "He is also the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, and therefore he is the one who determines when conflicts begin and when they end."
The Vice President affirmed that U.S. Navy special forces had cleared mines from large parts of the Strait of Hormuz over the past four months, "but transit traffic remains far below pre-war levels" prior to the conflict that began on February 28.
He added, "The first phase was the destruction of the nuclear program, the destruction of their conventional forces, and the destruction of their ability to project power in ways they were capable of doing even two years ago."
He continued, "The second phase is ensuring they are unable to rebuild, and attempting to maintain as much global stability as possible in the aftermath."
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives voted for the third time in favor of ending the war with Iran, approving a resolution under the War Powers Act that would halt Trump’s ability to continue military operations without Congressional approval.
In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during his meeting with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, expressed his country’s hope that regional tensions do not spread further to Yemen and the Red Sea.
The Chinese minister also warned that "the continuation of hostilities is not in the interest of either party or the international community."
He urged both Tehran and Washington to exercise wisdom and restraint, return to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, and "engage in substantive consultations."
