Vice President Vance on Thursday declined to characterize the recent military exchanges between the United States and Iran as a "war," even as the two nations traded strikes this week in the most significant escalation in over a month.
"I wouldn't call it a war," Vance told reporters during a press briefing. "Right now, there is no active shooting. I recognize there have been places where this has flared up."
The remarks came after the U.S. military launched roughly 100 strikes against Iranian targets on Tuesday, which the Pentagon described as retaliation for threats in the Strait of Hormuz. The operation marked a sharp uptick in hostilities following a period of relative calm.
Vance suggested that the onus for ending the conflict lies with Tehran. When pressed on when Iran might stop attacking ships, he said, "I don't know the answer to that question. You would have to ask the Iranians."
He underscored that Washington would not count on Iranian restraint or good-faith negotiations. Instead, the administration would rely on "the tools that we have at our disposal to ensure that the American people, one, never have to deal with the threat of an Iranian nuclear program, and two, that world energy markets are properly supplied."
The vice president also cast doubt on Iranian state media reports claiming a U.S. missile strike killed at least four civilians at a wedding celebration in southern Iran. "I'm extremely skeptical of this," Vance said, noting that Iranian state media "has not been a very good scribe" about the conflict. He asserted with "100 percent confidence" that the United States, unlike the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, "never targets civilians in combat."
Vance confirmed he had been briefed on the incident and said an investigation is ongoing. "We never will do that," he said of intentionally targeting civilians. "We never have done that, and unfortunately, obviously, sometimes things happen, but in this particular case, I don't think that we have any information one way or the other."
Turning to cybersecurity, Vance addressed a recent NBC News report detailing Iranian cyberattacks aimed at U.S. infrastructure, including water systems, telecommunications, and energy facilities. While the attempts were reportedly unsuccessful, Vance expressed confidence in the nation's defenses. "We feel quite confident the homeland is safe," he said, adding that the government is "obsessively focused" on anticipating and responding to cyber threats.
He did, however, acknowledge a broader concern: "I would be much more worried about cyber-attacks from other actors."
The vice president's latest public remarks come as he continues to take a prominent role in national security communications, a shift highlighted by the administration's recent return to regular press briefings. His comments also align with his previous warnings about Iranian aggression, including his characterization of a simulated strike on Kharg Island as a message to Tehran.
