US Vice President JD Vance says the United States has made progress in negotiations with Iran but warned that the conflict remains far from over as the Trump administration continues to pursue diplomatic, economic and military measures.
Speaking to Fox News' Kayleigh McEnany on Saturday, Vance pointed to ongoing negotiations between Iran and Oman over reopening the Strait of Hormuz as a positive development.
"I do think that we've made some progress over the last few days," Vance said.
Despite the developments, he cautioned against interpreting the talks as a sign that the conflict is nearing an end.
"This thing is not over. It's obviously not at the beginning. We're in the middle of the game," he said.
"We're applying a whole host of tools, diplomatic, economic, military tools, to ensure that we get the best outcome for the American people."
Vance's remarks come after reports that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine urged senior Trump administration officials to pursue an "off-ramp" from the nearly six-month conflict with Iran.
According to CNN, citing sources familiar with the discussions, Caine raised the issue in conversations with CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President Vance.
One source quoted in the report said, "Caine is looking for an off ramp."
The report also said the nation's top military officer warned that continued US airstrikes alone were unlikely to achieve President Donald Trump's objectives in Iran.
Caine and other senior officials reportedly concluded that military strikes by themselves would be unlikely to compel Tehran to accept a deal on the administration's terms.
The discussions reportedly took place ahead of meetings with President Trump as officials sought to coordinate their assessment of the risks and limitations of further military action, including options that would avoid deploying US ground troops.
