VP JD Vance addresses US-Israel relationship, whether Iran is trying to 'play' the United States
By Jake Reilly, Maine News Now Staff
Vice President JD Vance offered a candid assessment of the U.S.-Israel relationship during an interview on Jesse Watters Primetime on Monday, acknowledging that the two longtime allies do not always see eye to eye on every issue.
"The Israelis and the United States, we have a lot of shared interests, but we also have some situations where our interests diverge," Vance told the Fox News host.
The vice president's remarks come at a delicate moment in the Trump administration's foreign policy. President Donald Trump is preparing to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House for high-stakes talks centered on Iran and the ongoing situation in Gaza. Reports have indicated recent friction between the two leaders, including Trump's acknowledgment that he called Netanyahu "f-ing crazy" during a heated phone exchange over Israel's military operations in Lebanon.
Adding to the strain, U.S. intelligence has raised concerns about Israeli surveillance efforts targeting American negotiators involved in peace talks with Iran. Among those reportedly monitored were Elbridge A. Colby, the Pentagon's top policy officer, and Steve Witkoff, the president's chief negotiator. The Pentagon has since elevated Israel to a top counterintelligence threat.
Despite these tensions, Vance stressed that the administration's primary goal regarding Iran is clear: preventing Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon.
"I think where the president has been very clear here is that while Israel obviously has some objectives that it has, the United States' main objective in Iran is to ensure that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon," Vance explained.
The vice president pushed back on any suggestion that U.S. policy should be shaped by Israeli preferences alone. While he recognized that Israel has legitimate security concerns, he emphasized that American decisions will always be guided by American interests.
"Now, Israel may like that, they may not like that," Vance said. "But fundamentally, we think this is in the best interest of the United States of America."
On the negotiations themselves, Vance struck a cautiously optimistic tone. He noted that Iran appears to be engaging more seriously in talks, putting forward what he described as "real things" on the table. The vice president argued that continuing the conflict does not serve Tehran's interests.
"The Iranians don't want this war to continue," Vance said. "It's not in their best interest, and I think they're coming to the table, putting some real things on the table."
Still, Vance made clear that the administration is not entering talks naively. When asked whether he believed Iran might be trying to manipulate the U.S. at the negotiating table, the vice president was blunt.
"Everybody's always trying to play everybody," he replied. "I don't assume that anybody's acting in good faith."
The exchange of military fire between Iran and Israel has paused for now, following a turbulent weekend that saw the IDF pressuring the fragile Middle East ceasefire brokered by the United States earlier this year. It marked the first time the two nations had struck each other since the ceasefire took effect in early April.
Vance signaled that the administration is willing to use military force again if diplomacy fails, echoing earlier statements that Trump is "locked and loaded" to resume strikes should talks collapse. However, he also noted that U.S. strikes have already weakened Iran's nuclear capabilities considerably.
"Over the last year and a half, we've created the space necessary where the president believes — and I think that he's right — that we can get the long-term settlement to [the nuclear deal]," Vance said.
A key lesson, he argued, comes from the Obama-era agreement. Vance contended that deal failed because it lacked the verification mechanisms needed to ensure Iran could never build a weapon. He said the current administration intends to avoid repeating that mistake.
"We've been very involved in these negotiations," Vance explained. "We're going to take the attitude of: 'Accomplish the president's mission, but verify over the long term that the Iranians are keeping their end of the bargain.' It's a tall order, but it's one that the president has put us in a good position to achieve."
"The number one thing that went wrong with the Obama deal is that there was not a proper inspections regime to ensure that the Iranians could never build a nuclear weapon," he added.
Should a final agreement materialize, Vance predicted it would represent a major achievement for the country.
"If we get to this deal, it's gonna be a home run win for the American people," he said.
The upcoming meeting between Trump and Netanyahu at the White House is expected to address both the Iran negotiations and broader efforts to stabilize the region, including the unresolved situation in Gaza.