Vance Says Iran War Entering Second Phase, Warns of a 'Much Different' Conflict
JD Vance says the Iran war has moved past its opening phase and will look very different in a couple of months.
US Vice President JD Vance has said the war with Iran is set to enter a "much different phase" in the coming months, describing the conflict as having moved past its opening stage of targeting Tehran's nuclear and conventional military capabilities.
Speaking aboard Air Force Two on Monday, Vance said he could not forecast exactly how the war would unfold but endorsed President Donald Trump's view that the situation would change markedly within a couple of months.
Two phases of the conflict
Vance framed the war as having two distinct stages. The first, which he said is now complete, centred on dismantling Iran's nuclear programme, degrading its conventional armed forces and curtailing its ability to project power across the region.
The second phase, he said, is aimed at preventing Iran from rebuilding those capabilities while working to preserve as much global stability as possible in the aftermath.
"We can't predict the future, but I think the president is right to say that this thing will enter a much different phase in a couple of months," Vance said.
He also emphasised Trump's role as commander in chief, saying the president is the one who decides when conflicts begin and when they end.
Pushback on impatience
Responding to growing public frustration over the length of the conflict, Vance said the United States is not carrying out what he characterised as aggressive operations at present.
"I certainly understand there's some impatience from the American people, but fundamentally what's happening right now is that the United States is not engaged in aggressive operations. We're just not," he said.
He added that Iranian forces continue to fire at commercial shipping on occasion, though he said such attacks are "usually not successfully" carried out.
Strait of Hormuz in focus
The Strait of Hormuz remains a central concern in the conflict. Traffic through the strategic waterway has recovered to more than half of normal levels, though crossings are still well below pre-war volumes. The strait typically carries roughly one-fifth of the world's seaborne oil flows.
US forces have worked to clear mines from the waterway, while Iranian attacks on commercial vessels have continued intermittently.
Election timeline
Vance's remarks follow recent statements by Trump that the conflict could move into a new phase after the US midterm elections in November. Trump has said he expects the war to end immediately after the vote.
The comments also come as the administration weighs competing assessments of how long the conflict may last.