‘I don't want to get ahead of the president’: Vance leaves Iran plans unclear, eyes Ukraine

WASHINGTON, DC: Vice President JD Vance declined to preview President Donald Trump’s next steps on Iran, saying he did not want to “get ahead of the president” as United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) discussions approach.

Vance said the US continues to see oil and gas flow through the Strait of Hormuz despite what he called Iranian attacks on shipping.

Speaking to reporters Monday, September 21, at Joint Base Andrews before traveling to North Carolina for a midterm rally, Vance also addressed Ukraine.

JD Vance keeps Trump’s Iran plans under wraps

Vance said further discussions on Iran were expected during the UNGA in New York this week, but stopped short of outlining what Trump might decide.

“I don't want to get ahead of the president of the United States,” Vance said. 

He added that the administration would continue trying to protect the “free flow of commerce” through the Strait of Hormuz.

Vance said the administration’s position remained that Iran “can't have a nuclear weapon,” and argued that Iran responded to US action intended to prevent that by “t*********g international shipping.”

He said a “substantial amount of oil and gas” was still moving through the Strait despite the disruption, while the US sought to protect commercial shipping.

Trump reportedly called off planned US airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen over the weekend to give diplomacy more time during UNGA.

Trump told Fox News on Sunday, “We're in constant communication with them,” referring to the Houthis, and said, “They don't want to fight us.”

JD Vance expects progress in Trump-Zelenskyy talks

Vance also expressed confidence that Trump’s expected meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this week could produce progress on the Russia-Ukraine war.

“I believe he's meeting with President Zelenskyy either tomorrow or the day after,” Vance said. “So I'm sure there's going to be some good progress made.”

Zelenskyy said Sunday that he and Trump had agreed to meet in New York on the sidelines of UNGA. 

“An important conversation, and we got through a lot,” Zelenskyy wrote on X. “We agreed to meet in New York, and this meeting could change a lot. There is diplomatic momentum.”

Zelenskyy said Ukraine was ready “to take really serious steps” toward a de-escalation agreement with Russia.

Vance acknowledged the difficulty of reaching a settlement, calling the Russia-Ukraine war “by far the toughest of international conflicts to solve.” 

He said he believed it would eventually be resolved, adding, “it's just a question of time.”

Ukraine talks face pressure over energy prices

The upcoming Trump-Zelenskyy meeting comes as fighting has intensified, with both Russia and Ukraine conducting more long-range attacks.

Axios reported that Trump repeatedly asked Zelenskyy to stop attacking Russian oil refineries because the strikes were driving up global diesel prices. 

“The word diesel came up many times during the call,” as per the outlet.

Vance acknowledged that Americans were facing elevated energy costs because of disruptions linked to Iran and international shipping.

“We're very cognizant of the fact that because the Iranians are t*********g international shipping, energy prices are elevated,” Vance said. 

He pointed to Trump’s suggestion that states provide relief from gas taxes while the administration works to push prices down.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, said negotiations with US officials had made significant progress. 

“In particular, the number of stumbling blocks reduced from dozens to essentially one or two key issues that remain subject to negotiations,” he said.