Vance: US military moves aimed at safeguarding Strait of Hormuz shipping

WASHINGTON, United States — WASHINGTON — US Vice President JD Vance said a significant share of current US military and security operations is aimed at keeping commercial shipping flowing through the Strait of Hormuz. In an interview with Fox News, Vance said the bulk of US activity is designed "to protect navigation in this strategic waterway." Vance described Iran's leaders as "truly unbalanced and willing to do anything to reduce oil and gas flows without any strategic calculation." His comments followed US strikes on two Iranian missile launchers on Larak Island at the Strait's entrance. Washington said Revolutionary Guard units had been preparing to fire missiles carrying naval mines into the waterway, and the IRGC acknowledged casualties among its personnel and civilians, warning it would respond. The developments have heightened concerns about global energy supply. Before the latest escalation, roughly one-fifth of world oil shipments transited the strait, and crude prices have risen on fears of disruption to tanker traffic.