The news report from Epoch Times on April 7, 2026 states that Vice President of the United States, Pence, said on Tuesday (April 7) that the recent attack on Kharg Island, a crucial oil town in Iran, does not represent a change in U.S. strategy. Pence reiterated that the U.S. is still giving Iran chances.
According to the semi-official Iranian Mehr News Agency on Tuesday, Kharg Island was attacked. In terms of oil, Kharg Island is crucial because a significant amount of Iran’s oil exports pass through the island. If the news is confirmed, it will be a significant event.
The U.S. has previously attacked Iranian military facilities on Kharg Island but has spared the oil infrastructure.
Reuters reported that a U.S. official revealed that the additional attacks on military targets this time did not affect the oil infrastructure.
The official, who declined to be named, stated that at least some of the targets of the attack were locations that had been previously targeted and mentioned that the attack took place early Tuesday morning.
Vice President Pence, speaking in Budapest, stated that the attack on Kharg Island on Tuesday does not signify a change in U.S. strategy. The Trump administration is still confident of receiving a response from Iran by 8 p.m. on Tuesday (Wednesday 00:01 Greenwich Mean Time). The U.S. demands include Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
“We plan to strike some military targets on Kharg Island, and I believe we have done so,” Pence said.
“We will not strike energy and infrastructure targets, we will wait to see if the Iranian side can propose solutions that we can accept, or not propose any solutions,” the Vice President added, “I believe the news about Kharg Island does not represent a change in strategy, nor does it represent any change in the stance of the U.S. President.”
Sources in Pakistan said that efforts to facilitate U.S.-Iran dialogue are still ongoing.
According to two Pakistani sources familiar with the discussions, efforts to facilitate U.S.-Iran dialogue are still ongoing as the intensity of the strikes against Iran increases and with President Trump’s deadline approaching.
Fox News reported early that a senior U.S. official said that negotiations for a ceasefire with Iran are “positive” at the moment, but it is still unclear whether an agreement can be reached before President Trump’s deadline.
The official stated: “We are maintaining close contact with the Iranian side. This is absolutely certain. The negotiations are progressing positively. If we are lucky, we can reach an agreement today.”
If Iran fails to reach an agreement by the deadline, Trump vowed to significantly escalate the conflict, targeting Iran’s power plants and transportation infrastructure.