The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump appears to be narrowing and shifting its objectives in the war with Iran, which has now entered its sixth month.
At the beginning of the conflict, the administration’s stated goals included Iran’s full capitulation, regime change, preventing Tehran from ever obtaining nuclear weapons, and ending its support for allied groups in the Middle East, including Hezbollah.
However, during an appearance on Fox News, Vice President JD Vance mentioned only two objectives when asked how the war could ultimately end. Vance said the administration’s first priority was ensuring that oil and gas supplies from Gulf countries continue reaching the global economy and maintaining stable energy prices.
“That’s goal number one — keep oil and gas cheap for Americans all over our country,” Vance said.
As the second objective, Vance cited ensuring that Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon.
The ordering of these objectives represents a shift from previous statements by the administration, which had consistently presented preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons as the central concern.
Asked about Vance’s comments, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that “both goals are equally important to the president.”
In May, Trump had denied that Americans’ financial situation was a factor in his efforts to resolve the war, saying denuclearization was the top priority. On Friday, however, he again said he would not apologize for Americans paying more for fuel, referring to the risks associated with Iran. CNN reported that Trump defended the higher gasoline prices as a consequence of confronting Iran.
During the first months of the war, the U.S. administration had outlined a range of objectives, including cutting funding to Iran’s allied groups, destroying missile infrastructure, and limiting Iran’s air and naval capabilities.
Keeping oil and gas prices low, however, had not appeared on those earlier lists of objectives.
In recent months, the administration has also stopped emphasizing some of its initial goals. At the same time, Trump has signaled that he may be willing to reduce some of his demands regarding Iran’s nuclear program, claiming that the program may have been damaged sufficiently and that nuclear materials are buried too deeply underground to be reached.
Trump has also said that the United States could monitor the area from space to ensure Iran does not attempt to recover the materials, while at one point claiming that Iran had already been “denuclearized.”
Vance’s designation of energy prices as the “number one” objective is therefore being viewed as another indication that the administration may be moving away from some of its original aims and preparing for an end to the war with more limited demands. Recent reporting also indicates that Washington has increasingly focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and restoring stability to global energy markets.
