Now Reading: Lower oil prices now top US war goal, Vance says
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Lower oil prices now top US war goal, Vance says
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…
The Story in Brief
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.
The Indian Opinion
The claim that Iran's nuclear programme was ever the real reason for this war looks thinner by the day. Both Mr Trump and Mr Vance have now admitted that cheap petrol for American voters matters more than a weapon that was supposedly years away. The Strait of Hormuz, not an atomic bomb, is what truly concentrates the American mind. Midterm elections are months away. The question that remains is whether economic isolation can force Tehran to reopen the strait before Americans decide whether this war was worth fighting at all.
Sources (2): ndtv.com, thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
