Vice President JD Vance said Saturday the US and Iran are “in the middle of the game,” as Iran issued a series of demands of the US to reopen vital shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The VP, who helped negotiate a “Memorandum of Understanding” with the Islamic regime in June, spoke to Fox News on Saturday as Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araqchi said his country and Oman were “very close” to an agreement on reopening shipping through the strait.
Vance said ultimately “same amount of oil” will be coming out of the strait as before the war, which the US and Israel launched February 28, but declined to spell out a plan for how it would happen.
Vice President Vance said the the US and Iran are “in the middle of the game.” AP Photo/Alex Brandon
“We’re really in the middle of the game here. This thing is not over. It’s obviously not at the beginning. We’re we’re in the middle of the game, and we’re applying a whole host of tools – diplomatic, economic, military tools-to ensure that we get the best outcome for the American people,” he told interviewer Kayleigh McEnany on her “Saturday in America” show.
“I feel quite confident we will get there, but we’re still a bit in the middle of the game,” he added.
President Trump said Thursday that a deal “could be soon.” Oil prices have dropped and markets have responded positively to inklings of progress.
Iran on Saturday released a list of conditions that would have to be met for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. AFP via Getty Images
“The Iranians have told us they have no plans to toll the Strait of Hormuz,” Vance said, addressing concerns Iran and Oman would ultimately slap tolls on the vital waterway which was free before the US and Israel attacked Iran.
He also said Iran laid a “large number of mines” early in the war.
U.S. Marines from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit conduct a verification boarding aboard M/T Wen Yao in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday, July 16, 2026. “The Iranians have told us they have no plans to toll the Strait of Hormuz,” Vance told Fox News on Saturday. CENTCOM / SWNS
“What we’re really working through now is how you can actually set up a traffic scheme so that the ships that pass can pass through safely,” he said.
“They’re hurting in a big way,” he said. “They want this thing to be over. The question is whether they’re able, their system is able to give the things that are necessary for us to be happy, for us to feel like we’ve gotten what we need out of this particular engagement. That is still to be determined.”
Iran has been hitting US bases in allied states including Jordan and Kuwait.
The strait is a vital chokepoint for oil and natural gas shipping.
Vance expressed optimism there would be progress in talks between Iran and Oman on the strait, although he also referenced mining activities earlier in the war that began in February. Anadolu via Getty Images
Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, the secretary of Iran’s National Security Council spelled out multiple demands the US must meet for opening the strait. They include the US ending its blockade, withdrawing forces, ending sanctions, and paying reparations. Those topics also came up in earlier talks, but the US has been linking economic measures to Iran ending its nuclear program.
He said the strait wouldn’t reopen until the US “corrects its behavior,” according to Iranian state media, Iran International reported.
“Correcting its behavior means that Iran must never again be threatened or humiliated, aggression against Iran and its allies must end permanently, the naval blockade must be lifted, US naval and air forces must withdraw from around Iran, war damages must be compensated, sanctions must be lifted and Iran’s frozen assets must be released,” he said.
He added: “The Supreme National Security Council will never back down, whether in war or in negotiations.”
