Vance Issues Blunt Warning to Israel as He Defends Trump's Deal

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/06/18/world/iran-war-trump-us-deal

Vance Issues Blunt Warning to Israel as He Defends Trump’s Deal

Vice President JD Vance on Thursday delivered an extraordinarily direct rebuke to Israeli critics of the U.S.-Iran peace agreement, as he sought to defend the preliminary deal with repeated misrepresentations of its terms.

“Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time,” Mr. Vance said. He added, “If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world.”

The agreement has faced mounting criticism from Israeli lawmakers, as well as some Republicans in Washington, who argue that it gives Iran economic relief while punting negotiations on its nuclear programs down the road.

Israel is not a party to the deal, and its fighting with Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia in Lebanon, had threatened to derail the U.S.-Iran talks to the increasing frustration of American officials. Mr. Vance’s barbed remarks from the White House came a day after President Trump himself admonished Israel over its military campaign.

Mr. Vance also reminded Israeli critics of the deal that, according to him, two-thirds of the weapons “that have protected your homeland” were American-made and paid for by Americans’ tax dollars.

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