In an awkward moment on the world stage, US vice president JD Vance was left scrambling during a press conference after realising he had been caught off guard about new developments in the crisis with Iran.
Journalists asked him to check his phone for updates about alleged US strikes, reports the Daily Beast.Vance was standing alongside Hungarian President Viktor Orbán in Budapest when a Washington Post reporter asked if he had any intelligence suggesting a diplomatic deal with Iran was imminent. Initially, Vance responded without using his device. “I don’t—unless I have a text message from Steve Witkoff,” he said, referring to former Trump adviser and Middle East envoy.Only after reaching into his pocket did the vice president realise he did indeed have a message. “I do have a message from Steve Witkoff,” he acknowledged after glancing at the text. “Wouldn’t you like to know the subject of this message? But no, uh, I need to read it first before I talk about it.” Then he asked, “But here’s, here’s… uh, what time is it in the United States right now?”The exchange came moments after US President Donald Trump had published a post warning that “a whole civilisation will die tonight” if Iran did not meet his 8 pm deadline for a deal.
Minutes later, a Reuters reporter pressed Vance further, suggesting he should check his phone more carefully. “I do think you have to read that text because we have reporting that the United States is striking some targets in Kharg Island,” she said. The reporter added, “You did say that the military objectives of this war have been achieved. So could you help us understand why the president is still threatening to attack every bridge and every power plant in Iran?”Kharg Island is a key Iranian export hub off the country’s coast, handling about 90% of its crude oil exports.
On Tuesday, reports surfaced that it had been struck again, following a US attack in March that hit installations including naval mine storage and missile bunkers.“So you asked about Kharg Island,” Vance replied during the conference. “You know, my understanding, you know, having talked to Pete (Hegseth) and General Caine about this, is that we were going to strike some military targets on Kharg Island, and I believe we have done so.”Vance added: “(The president) has said very clearly, that we’re not going to strike energy and infrastructure targets until the Iranians either make a proposal that we can get behind or don’t make a proposal. But he’s given them until Tuesday, at 8 o’clock, so I don’t think the news on Kharg Island represents a change in strategy.”Responding to the general situation, Vance defended the administration’s approach: “The president of the United States is a man who recognises leverage, that if the Iranians want to exact a certain amount of pain, the United States has the ability to exact much, much greater pain.”The US president further threatened Iran with heavy strikes on its infrastructure and warned: “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F—-n’ Strait, you crazy b—–ds, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH!”During the briefing, Vance also doubled down on Trump’s stance, saying: “I hope Iran makes the right response. We’ve got tools in our toolkit that we so far haven’t decided to use. President Trump can decide to use them, and he will decide to use them if the Iranians don’t change their course of conduct.”
