For US Vice President JD Vance, the fighting between the United States and Iran is not a war at the moment. He declined to provide a timeframe for the end of the conflict, Reuters reported.
In doing so, he underscored the challenge facing US President Donald Trump's administration at the moment - the military action is entering its seventh month and midterm elections are coming up.
His comments come as Washington and Tehran exchange sharp attacks this week after a period of relative calm, without diplomatic talks with the Iranians to end the conflict.
The war has lowered President Donald Trump's approval rating and raised gas prices.
At a White House briefing, Vance praised US efforts to facilitate oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, where the Iranians have disrupted maritime traffic since the start of the war. He praised Washington's actions to avert a wider global energy crisis.
The United States maintains more than 50,000 troops in the Middle East. The Trump administration has sent assets to the region, including nearly 20 warships, focused on a blockade. In some cases, troops have been deployed longer than expected and have been withdrawn from Europe and the Indo-Pacific.
While the most intense fighting has subsided, repeated exchanges of fire and the lack of a definitive end to the war have kept global oil prices high.
On Tuesday, the United States launched air strikes against Iran, hitting what it said were military targets along its coast in response to Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The sudden escalation of the war has sent oil prices soaring to levels not seen since July.