J.D. Vance: Oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have returned to prewar levels

Oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has almost recovered to its prewar level, US Vice President J.D. Vance said, while ruling out talks with Tehran until attacks on commercial vessels stop.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Sept. 3, Vance said very little oil and gas had been leaving the strait three months earlier because of Iranian threats. He said the situation had now nearly returned to where it stood before the conflict. About 15 million barrels of oil passed through the waterway on the previous day, he said.

“

Until they stop attacking ships, we’re not talking to Iran.

“Until they stop attacking ships, we’re not talking to Iran,” Vance said. “They have to stop. It’s that simple.”

“

They have to stop. It’s that simple.

Vance also confirmed that the United States was examining an alleged strike on a wedding gathering. Iranian officials said four people were killed and nearly 70 wounded when a house was hit during the wedding. Iranian state television reported that a 22-year-old woman who had been hospitalized with injuries later died.

The vice president expressed skepticism about the Iranian account, saying Iranian media had not reported events in the conflict reliably. He nevertheless said the United States was conducting an in-depth investigation because it wanted to know what happened. The US military said it was aware of the claims and “never targets civilians.”

“

The Iranian media have not reported reliably on what has happened in this conflict so far, and therefore I am very skeptical about it.

Vance also said the White House believed the Federal Reserve should cut interest rates, arguing that inflation data supported such a move. The Trump administration was doing much to keep rates low, he said, but would welcome help from the central bank.

“

We are investigating it because we obviously care. We want to know.