Vice President JD Vance is rejecting the idea that the U.S. is at war with Iran, even as fighting between the two countries continues. He also says he doesn’t know when the conflict will end.
Vance made the comments Thursday during his first appearance at a White House press briefing, filling in for former press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who recently left the post to spend more time with her family.
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When asked how much longer the conflict could last, Vance rejected the word “war” and said he doesn’t know when it will end.
“I wouldn’t call it a war,” he told reporters. “Right now, there is no active shooting. I recognize there have been places where this has flared up… But when you ask, when will this end? … I think the reality is, I don’t know the answer to that question. You would have to ask the Iranians.”
Iran accuses US of targeting civilians
Vance was also asked about Iran’s claim that a U.S. strike this week hit a wedding party, killing four civilians and wounding dozens more. He said he’s “extremely skeptical” of that account.
“What I can say with 100% confidence is that unlike the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps], the United States never targets civilians in combat,” Vance said. “Unfortunately, obviously, sometimes things happen, but in this particular case, I don’t think that we have any information one way or the other.”
The U.S. military says it’s investigating.
Diesel hits record high
The economic impact of the fighting continues to grow as the Iran war disrupts global energy markets and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
The national average for diesel hit an all-time high of $5.85 per gallon Friday morning. That’s up 17 cents in just two days.
The previous record of $5.816 was set in June 2022, months after Russia invaded Ukraine, according to AAA.
“Diesel is an input to virtually everything we consume,” Erich Muehlegger, an economics professor at the University of California-Davis, told Axios.
Higher diesel prices can ripple through the economy, raising costs for everything from farming and construction to shipping and school transportation.
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