Low oil prices now No. 1 goal in Iran, Vance says, as U.S. intensifies economic pressure

Keeping gas prices low is now the United States’ “goal No. 1” in the Iran war, Vice President JD Vance has said, as Washington threatened an indefinite naval blockade and signaled it would soon intensify economic pressure on Tehran . The comments appeared to be the latest shift in the public rationale for the conflict, with Vance ranking Iran’s nuclear ambitions second. The vice president’s remarks came as the Trump administration embraced a long-term effort to inflict more damage on the Islamic Republic, despite growing signs of strain on American forces and domestic pressure ahead of the Midterm elections. President Donald Trump has suggested a shift away from military force in favor of “low-keying it” with economic pressure.

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Scoop News DeskIran, Virginia · Published Friday, August 14, 2026 at 10:11 AM UTCUpdated Saturday, August 15, 2026 at 3:38 PM UTC

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Two tankers affiliated with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. were attacked while trying to cross the Strait on Thursday, the United Arab Emirates Foreign Ministry said in a statement, blaming Iran for the assault. That followed a deadly cycle of tit-for-tat exchanges that produced no clear resolution and depleted U.S. reserves of missile interceptors. Though the U.S. is blockading Iranian ports, Iran continues to fire on ships attempting to transit.

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