The US is seeking to “maximise the amount of oil and gas that are coming out of the Strait of Hormuz,” Vice President JD Vance told Fox News today, as Iran and Oman signalled progress on a deal to manage the critical waterway.

The strait, which has been effectively closed by Iran since the US and Israel began the war with Iran in February, remains what the administration is “most focused on right now,” Vance said.

“Our expectation is you’re going to see the same amount of oil and gas out of the Gulf that you saw before the conflict started,” Vance said of any prospective deal. “That’s what the entire Gulf coalition wants to do as well.”

Vance said Iran and Oman are working toward “a traffic scheme so that the ships that pass can pass through safely,” adding that a deal required a commitment from Iran to not fire at commercial vessels. At least one oil tanker was targeted today as it attempted to pass the strait. The UAE has blamed Iran for the attack.

While Tehran has said a deal with Oman is “very close,” the Iranian foreign minister warned today that reopening the strait would still be “subject to other conditions,” including compensation from the US.

Vance said the US has used “a whole host of tools” to pressure Iran, including diplomatic, economic and military tactics.

“Right now, we are trying to see if they are able to make the kind of long-term changes that would be necessary to have a better relationship with the United States,” Vance said.

-CNN