Following recent clashes over the Strait of Hormuz, US Vice President JD Vance remarked that America is negotiating from a position of strength, attributing that leverage to its military. The remark came during a visit to a naval air station as mediators reported that indirect US-Iran talks in Doha made positive progress regarding an interim ceasefire deal known as the Islamabad memorandum of understanding. That agreement guarantees safe, toll-free passage through the strategic waterway for only 60 days, pending wider nuclear negotiations. Iran continues to assert control over the channel, demanding ships ask permission and insisting on conducting its own mine clearance, despite a planned UK-French mission. President Trump separately claimed ship traffic through the strait is setting records, though independent tracking shows crossings remain far below pre-war levels.