U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance said Washington would maintain pressure in its Iran policy and aimed to facilitate the extraction of the maximum possible amount of oil and natural gas through the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking to Fox News, Vance said communication with Iran was continuing. He said they were working to raise the amount of oil and natural gas passing through the Strait of Hormuz to the highest level possible.
Vance said they were trying to determine whether Iran was ready to make the long-term changes necessary to establish better relations with the United States. He said the maximum-pressure policy would continue if Tehran was not ready to do so.
Vance said the process involving Iran had not yet ended and announced that all diplomatic, economic and military tools would be used. He said they wanted oil and natural gas production to return to its pre-conflict level under a possible agreement, and claimed that the Iranian side had also accepted this goal.
Tensions in Hormuz after the agreement
Iran and the United States reached an agreement on June 14 through Pakistan’s mediation. The initial terms provided for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the release of Iran’s frozen assets and Tehran’s suspension of fees for ships passing through the strait for 60 days.
After the United States did not release Iran’s frozen assets and designated an alternative route for ships passing through Omani territorial waters, Tehran considered these steps a violation of the agreement.
Iran restricted maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and targeted some ships that it said were attempting to pass without authorization.
Despite the agreement, tensions between the United States and Iran turned into military confrontations that began on July 8 and continued for approximately two weeks. Iran later resumed talks with Oman to ensure the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
