US Vice President Vance: Iran told us they have no plans to impose a transit fee in the Strait of Hormuz

US Vice President James David Vance made significant remarks on Fox News' "Saturday in America" program. Responding to host Kayleigh McEnany's question about what an acceptable outcome for the Strait of Hormuz might look like, Vance stated, "Our expectation is that the amount of oil and natural gas coming out of the Gulf remains the same as it was before the conflict began. The Iranians have told us they will do that. The entire Gulf coalition wants that as well. But you know, we don't look at words, we look at truth. We don't look at what people say, we look at what they do." Vance added, "As you can see, some people within the Iranian system are talking about charging a transit fee (in the Strait of Hormuz). The Iranians told us they have no plans to charge a transit fee in the Strait of Hormuz. But we will see what steps are actually taken."

"The US asked Iran for a commitment that they will not fire on commercial vessels"

Vance said, "For the last week, the Iranians and the Gulf countries, especially Oman, have been in discussions about how to ensure the safe flow of traffic (in Hormuz). Of course, the problem is that the Iranians laid a large number of mines at the beginning of the war. So what we are working on right now is what kind of traffic pattern we can establish so that ships can pass safely. And that, of course, includes mine clearance."

The US Vice President said the US has asked Iran for "a commitment that they will not fire on commercial vessels." Vance stated, "They are suffering a great deal. They want this to be over. The question is, will their system be able to provide us with what we need, will it allow us to feel that we have gotten what we need from this conflict? That is not yet clear. But I think we have made some progress in the last few days."

"We are trying to maximize the amount of oil and natural gas coming out of the Strait of Hormuz"

Stating that the US is currently "in the middle of the game" regarding resolving the war against Iran, Vance said, "Of course, we are talking to the Iranians. We are trying to maximize the amount of oil and natural gas coming out of the Strait of Hormuz. That is what we are most focused on right now. If you look back and remember what we have done here, we destroyed their nuclear program, we destroyed their conventional armies, and we have significantly reduced their military capabilities. Right now, we are trying to understand if they are willing to make the long-term changes necessary to have a better relationship with the US. If not, that's fine too. We will continue to apply as much pressure as we can and extract as much oil and natural gas from the Middle East as possible so that Americans can benefit from lower gasoline and energy prices. It's a delicate balance."

Vance added, "The last thing I will say on this is that I try to remind people that we are truly in the middle of the game. This is not over yet. Frankly, we are not at the beginning, we are in the middle of the game, and we are using a range of tools, including diplomatic, economic, and military tools, to achieve the best outcome for the American people. I am quite confident that this will happen, but we are still a bit in the middle of the game."

News Source: 12punto