Vice President JD Vance said further discussions on Iran are expected during the United Nations General Assembly, while President Donald Trump prepares to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Vice President JD Vance declined to preview President Donald Trump’s next steps on Iran, saying he did not want to “get ahead of the president” as the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) gets underway.
Vance said the United States continues to see oil and gas moving through the Strait of Hormuz despite what he described as Iranian attacks on shipping.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, September 21, at Joint Base Andrews before traveling to North Carolina for a midterm rally, Vance also addressed the situation in Ukraine.
JD Vance Keeps Trump’s Iran Plans Under Wraps
JD Vance said further discussions on Iran were expected during the U.N. General Assembly in New York this week but stopped short of outlining what President Donald Trump might decide.
“I don’t want to get ahead of the president,” Vance said.
He added that the administration would continue working to protect the “free flow of commerce” through the Strait of Hormuz.
Vance said the administration’s position remained that Iran “can’t have a nuclear weapon.” He also accused Iran of responding to U.S. actions by attacking international shipping.
Vance said a “substantial amount of oil and gas” was still moving through the Strait despite the disruptions, while the U.S. worked to protect commercial shipping.
Trump reportedly called off planned U.S. airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen over the weekend to give diplomacy more time during the U.N. General Assembly.
Trump told Fox News on Sunday, “We’re in constant communication with them,” referring to the Houthis, and added, “They don’t want to fight us.”
JD Vance Expects Progress in Trump-Zelenskyy Talks
Vance also expressed confidence that Trump’s expected meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this week could produce progress toward resolving the Russia-Ukraine war. Recent reporting confirms that Trump and Zelenskyy are expected to meet on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.
“I believe he’s meeting with President Zelenskyy either tomorrow or the day after,” Vance said. “So I’m sure there’s going to be some good progress made.”
Zelenskyy said Sunday that he and Trump had agreed to meet in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.
“An important conversation, and we got through a lot,” Zelenskyy wrote on X. “We agreed to meet in New York, and this meeting could change a lot. There is diplomatic momentum.”
Zelenskyy said Ukraine was ready “to take really serious steps” toward a de-escalation agreement with Russia.
Vance acknowledged the difficulty of reaching a settlement, calling the Russia-Ukraine war “by far the toughest of international conflicts to solve.”
He said he believed it would eventually be resolved, adding, “it’s just a question of time.”
Ukraine Talks Face Pressure Over Energy Prices
The upcoming Trump-Zelenskyy meeting comes as fighting has intensified, with Russia and Ukraine continuing long-range attacks. Recent reporting says Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure have added to concerns about global fuel supplies and prices.
Trump has urged Zelenskyy to stop attacking Russian oil refineries, arguing that the strikes are contributing to higher global diesel prices.
Vance acknowledged that Americans were facing elevated energy costs amid disruptions linked to Iran and international shipping.
“We’re very cognizant of the fact that because the Iranians are [attacking] international shipping, energy prices are elevated,” Vance said.
He pointed to Trump’s suggestion that states provide relief from gas taxes while the administration works to push prices down.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, said negotiations with U.S. officials had made significant progress.
“In particular, the number of stumbling blocks reduced from dozens to essentially one or two key issues that remain subject to negotiations,” he said.