Those public tracking figures do not necessarily capture ships operating with their transponders switched off for security reasons.

Roughly one-fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas traditionally moves through the Strait of Hormuz, making disruptions there significant for global energy markets.

U.S. forces have spent months clearing mines and protecting commercial vessels, while American officials say Iranian forces continue attempting attacks or seizures in the area.

U.S. officials said Monday that American forces destroyed two Iranian boats after they attempted to seize a Navy unmanned vessel operating in the strait.

The conflict has also imposed a growing financial cost on Washington.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates the war has cost approximately $38 billion and could continue adding roughly $3 billion per month if operations persist.

Vance played a role in negotiations that produced a June memorandum of understanding aimed at reducing hostilities and opening discussions over Iran’s nuclear program.

The agreement lowered the intensity of some direct fighting but did not end attacks around major shipping routes or eliminate broader tensions.

Trump said last week that he believes oil prices will begin falling after the midterm elections and predicted that the Iran conflict would end shortly afterward.

“I think the war will end immediately after the election because they can’t hold out any longer,” Trump told reporters.

It remains unclear whether the administration expects diplomacy, additional military pressure, or some combination of the two to produce the change Trump and Vance are describing.

Vance said the immediate objective is to make sure Iran cannot rebuild the capabilities the United States says it destroyed earlier in the war.

For now, the fighting has not ended, commercial shipping remains disrupted, and American forces continue operating throughout the region, the New York Post reported.

But Vance is now publicly signaling that the administration believes the current stage of the conflict may not last much longer in its present form.