Tensions between the US and Iran have reached a new critical point, accompanied by a serious domestic political scandal in the White House.
US Vice President J.D. Vance officially stated that the fierce clashes and constant exchange of blows with the Islamic Republic, which have been going on for seven months, do not constitute a “war”. During a briefing, Vance categorically refused to predict when the hostilities would end, emphasizing that Washington would not set artificial deadlines.
The reason for the vice president's comment was another massive wave of US air strikes. They were launched in response to renewed Iranian attacks on merchant ships in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The escalation immediately reflected on international markets, where global oil prices rose sharply due to fears of a long-term blockage of the world's most important energy corridor.
Political upheaval in the White House after statement on the victims
In parallel with the military actions, the administration in Washington was shaken by a serious political scandal. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was forced to make a public apology on the social media platform X. The reason for this was his scandalous interview with CNBC, in which he incorrectly stated that no Americans had died in the conflict with Iran so far, describing the US strategy as pure “economic coercion“.
His words caused a wave of discontent, as in reality 18 US servicemen have already lost their lives since the start of the operation in February, and over 750 have been injured.
In his post, Lutnick justified himself by saying that at the time of the interview he was thinking about the military operation in Venezuela, where there were no American casualties, and expressed condolences to the bereaved families. Minutes before the apology, President Donald Trump also joined the Truth Social network to defend his trade secretary with the same argument. However, analysts note that the incident is increasing public pressure on the government about the real human and economic cost of the operation against Tehran.