# Lower oil prices now top US war goal, Vance says 2026-08-14T08:44:48+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets Vice-President JD Vance said on Thursday that lowering gasoline prices for American consumers has replaced preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon as the top US priority in the ongoing war with Iran. Speaking on Fox News, Mr Vance stated that keeping oil and gas cheap for Americans was "goal number one", while ensuring Iran never gets a nuclear weapon was "goal number two". Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent added that new economic sanctions against Tehran are expected next week. Mr Vance's comments highlight Tehran's leverage from shutting down the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for the war launched by President Donald Trump with Israel in late February. The Hindu reports that Mr Trump's approval rating is falling, the war is unpopular, and Republicans fear losing control of Congress in November midterms. Mr Trump said on Sunday an agreement to reopen the strait was imminent, while the US military has reportedly burned through costly missile stockpiles. ## Coverage - ndtv.com - thehindu.com Tags: Iran nuclear programme, JD Vance, Oil prices, Strait of Hormuz, US foreign policy, war goals Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/jd-vance-lower-oil-prices-not-iran-nuclear-top-war-goal/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/jd-vance-lower-oil-prices-not-iran-nuclear-top-war-goal/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.