US Vice President JD Vance has described Washington’s economic pressure campaign against Iran as a “delicate dance”, saying it remains the most effective tool available to influence Tehran’s decisions. His remarks came amid tensions over reported attacks on commercial vessels and concerns about disruptions to energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking on the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show on Thursday, Vance said the United States could use economic measures to pressure Iran but warned that Tehran could respond with steps that create wider consequences for the US.

“The most effective tool that we have is the economic pressure we can apply to them,” Vance said, according to CNN. Vance added that the pressure campaign carried risks because both countries could attempt to impose economic costs on each other. However, he argued that Iran had experienced greater pressure than the US in recent weeks. “What has been true over the last couple of weeks is they have felt a lot more pressure than we have,” he said. The vice president acknowledged that oil prices had risen amid the tensions.

He said the administration was working to maintain the flow of oil and gas through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global energy route. Any prolonged disruption in the waterway could affect supplies and increase costs for consumers and businesses. “Obviously oil prices are elevated, which people see at the pump,” Vance said, as reported by CNN. He added that Iran was attempting to close the Strait and that the US goal was to secure sufficient energy supplies to provide relief to Americans facing higher fuel and energy prices.

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Vance also linked the economic pressure campaign to Iran’s reported attacks on commercial shipping. He said penalising Tehran for firing on commercial vessels could affect its calculations regarding future negotiations. “That just applies a lot of economic pressure to them, and that changes their calculus for what kind of a deal they want to make,” he said. According to CNN, Vance said the broader objective of the administration’s policy was to prevent Iran from rebuilding its nuclear capabilities.

He said Washington wanted to establish a “changed reality on the ground” in which the US could be confident not only that Iran’s facilities had been destroyed but also that Tehran would not attempt to reconstruct them. The comments reflect the difficulty facing the US administration as it seeks to deter Iran without worsening pressure on global energy markets. Washington’s strategy combines economic measures with efforts to protect commercial shipping and maintain energy flows, while leaving open the possibility that sustained pressure could shape Iran’s position in any future negotiations.

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