Vance: Iran Losing Leverage Over Strait of Hormuz as Trump Weighs Broad Options

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that Iran’s ability to control the Strait of Hormuz is “effectively gone,” arguing that Tehran is losing its strategic leverage as U.S. pressure intensifies.

Speaking at a White House press briefing in Washington, Vance said Iran is “losing their capabilities by the day” and described the country’s influence over the strategic waterway as “a diminishing asset.”

Vance said President Donald Trump has multiple options to further increase pressure on Tehran, including economic, military, diplomatic and covert measures. However, he declined to provide details about what specific steps the administration might take next.

He argued that Iran’s threats to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have become less effective because commercial traffic has begun recovering despite continued attacks and heightened tensions.

The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most important shipping routes, carrying a significant share of global oil exports. As tensions escalate between Iran, the United States and Israel, the strategic waterway has emerged as one of the central flashpoints in the conflict.

Vance’s remarks indicate that the Trump administration believes Iran’s ability to use the Strait of Hormuz as a source of strategic leverage is weakening, while Washington retains a broad range of options to increase pressure on Tehran.