JD Vance suggests disagreement with Trump over Iran war as escalation widens
The JD Vance Iran war split surfaced on Saturday, as the US vice president suggested he may have disagreed with President Donald Trump over the conflict now entering its eighth month.
“Even if you disagree with him on that one issue, you can have that disagreement. And I think I have had that disagreement,” Vance said on a political talk show hosted by former White House spokesman Sean Spicer, responding to a question about his relationship with political commentator and former Trump ally Tucker Carlson.
Vance said Carlson was “very, very angry” over the war. “He and I have had that conversation in private, in public. I know how he feels, and I understand,” he said.
“What I’ve said to Tucker is don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater … Aren’t closed borders and ending the ridiculous anti-white racial discrimination in our university admissions, aren’t these things worth actually acknowledging that Donald Trump has done a lot of good?”
The remarks came as the war showed fresh signs of escalation on Saturday.
Second tanker on fire in Hormuz
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said a second tanker caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz after hitting mines in the waterway. The IRGC said the vessel was “engulfed in a massive blaze” and carried more than two million barrels of crude oil while attempting to pass through the strait. The origins of the load and the tanker’s flag were not immediately disclosed.
Earlier, the IRGC said a first supertanker carrying more than two million barrels had struck a mine and caught fire, accusing the vessel of attempting to cross illegally with US support and deactivated tracking systems.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency also reported an incident 259 kilometres southeast of Yemen’s Al Mukalla, where the captain of a liquefied natural gas tanker said a small skiff carrying seven people approached the vessel and fired two shots. The tanker’s armed security team fired warning shots, forcing the skiff to alter course.
The Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted four drones in the kingdom’s Riyadh, Eastern and Southern regions in recent hours.
Egypt moves toward aiding Saudi Arabia
Egypt’s parliament will convene an emergency plenary session on Sunday after President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi sought authorisation to provide Saudi Arabia with defensive aid if requested.
Speaking at the Egyptian Military Academy’s graduation ceremony in the New Capital, Sisi said Egypt would take all necessary measures to defend Saudi Arabia if Riyadh requested assistance, adding that any such action would require parliamentary approval.
The moves followed a week of intensifying strikes and counter-strikes across the region. Our earlier roundup tracked the latest developments in the conflict.
What the JD Vance Iran war split means for Pakistan
For Pakistan, the widening war carries direct economic risks. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has warned that attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure are “worrying” for Pakistan’s economic outlook, noting the country has procured enough energy supplies to last through November and is now planning for the winter months.
A sustained disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, through which a large share of the world’s oil and gas moves, would push up global crude prices and feed directly into Pakistani fuel bills and the import bill. Trump has himself linked a swift end to the war with lower fuel prices, banking on cheaper oil as one of the conflict’s potential dividends.
Islamabad, meanwhile, has walked a careful diplomatic line between Saudi Arabia and Iran as the conflict has escalated, with the prime minister reaffirming Pakistan’s strategic partnership with the kingdom even as it maintains ties with Tehran. Washington’s own posture has also been shifting on other fronts, with Trump waiving new Russia sanctions this week.
The original reporting was published by Dawn.
FAQ
What did JD Vance say about the Iran war?
He said on Sean Spicer’s talk show: “Even if you disagree with him on that one issue, you can have that disagreement. And I think I have had that disagreement,” referring to President Trump and the Iran war.
What is the latest escalation?
A second tanker caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz after hitting mines, Saudi Arabia intercepted four drones, an LNG tanker was attacked near Yemen, and Egypt’s parliament meets Sunday on possible defensive aid to Saudi Arabia.
How does this affect Pakistan?
Disruptions in Hormuz raise global oil prices, which feed into Pakistani fuel bills and the import bill. The finance minister has already warned the attacks threaten Pakistan’s economic outlook.
