Vice President 
J.D. Vance said Thursday the US was investigating reports that a US missile killed four people at an Iranian wedding, in the first White House briefing since press secretary Karoline Leavitt left. He also took questions on the economy and the conflict with Iran.
What happened at the wedding? The Iranian Red Crescent Society, in an account the BBC reported, said shrapnel from a missile hit a family wedding ceremony at a home in Sirik on Tuesday, killing at least four people and injuring 67. The dead included a 16-year-old and a four-year-old, and Iranian state media said a fifth person later died in hospital. Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei called it a "war crime", and Iran has launched fresh attacks on US bases in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates in response. US missiles were fired the same day over "attempted attacks" by Iran on American forces, though a US Central Command spokesperson said it "never targets civilians".
What did Vance say about the strike? He said "we're investigating it very fully," adding that the US never targets civilians in combat but "sometimes things happen," PBS NewsHour reported. "When our military makes mistakes, they learn from them to try to get better from them," he said. He also said he was "extremely skeptical" of the reports because Iranian state media "has not been a very good scribe about what's happened in the conflict thus far," the BBC reported.
How did he describe the conflict? "I wouldn't call it a war," Vance said, adding there was "no active shooting" right now. He said "major combat operations" lasted only about six weeks, but that Iran keeps firing at ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, PBS NewsHour reported. In remarks the BBC reported, he said US gas prices are so high because "Iranians are shooting at commercial shipping."
What else came up? Asked whether he was speaking as vice president or press secretary, Vance said, "I'm not Marco," which PBS NewsHour reported was a reference to a meme about the many extra jobs given to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He said it would be "proper and responsible" for the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates, and defended his friendship with commentator Tucker Carlson despite political disagreements. Asked whether he would support Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth or Texas Senator Ted Cruz in 2028, he said, "I could see myself supporting a whole host of people."
Figures referenced: J.D. Vance. — JudgeMarket.
