Vice President J.D. Vance said on Thursday that he would not describe the military operation between the United States and Iran as “a war”, even as fighting between the two sides flared this week.
Vance Rejects a “War” Description
Speaking during a press briefing, Vance said there was “no active shooting” at the time, adding that he recognised hostilities had “flared up” in other places and moments.
The exchanges of force this week marked the largest burst of fighting in weeks after about a month of relative calm, according to the accounts cited by Vance.
On Tuesday, the US military carried out roughly 100 strikes against Iranian targets.
Strikes Follow Threats In Strait Of Hormuz
The Pentagon described the action as retaliation for threats in the Strait of Hormuz.
Vance said the timing for a complete end to the fighting ultimately rested with Iran.
When asked when Iran would stop attacking ships, he said he did not know the answer and that it would be for Iran to determine. He also said the US would not depend on Iran behaving “responsibly” or negotiating in “good faith”.
Purpose Of US Action
Instead, Vance said the US would use the available “tools” to address two objectives: preventing the United States from facing the threat of an Iranian nuclear programme, and ensuring world energy markets remained adequately supplied.
Civilian Death Reports Under Review
Vance also addressed Iranian officials’ claims that a US missile strike killed at least four civilians at a home in southern Iran where people were celebrating a wedding.
He said he was “extremely skeptical” of the reports, arguing that Iranian state media had not “been a very good scribe” about developments in the conflict. Vance said he was not presenting a finding on the specific incident, but said he had been briefed and that an investigation into what happened was under way.
He added that the US “never” targets civilians in combat. Vance said he did not think the US had enough information “one way or the other” regarding the specific claim.
Skepticism Over Cyberattack Claims
Vance further responded to a report by NBC News that Iranian cyberattacks had targeted US infrastructure.
He said the administration felt “quite confident” that the homeland was safe, while also saying he believed Iran would try to carry out actions it lacked the capability to perform. He said the US government was focused on anticipating potential cyber threats and responding appropriately to them.
Vance said he would be “much more worried about cyberattacks from other actors”.
NBC News reported on Wednesday that Iranian hackers had targeted US water systems, telecommunications, energy and other infrastructure. The outlet said sources indicated the attempted attacks had not been successful and that they focused on automated systems connected to the internet.
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4 September 2026
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