VP JD Vance says U.S. and Israel have some shared and diverging interests, stressing American policy will prioritize preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.
Vice President JD Vance addressed the United States’ diplomatic relationship with Israel Monday as President Donald Trump’s partnership with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly been strained recently.
"The Israelis and the United States, we have a lot of shared interests, but we also have some situations where our interests diverge," Vance said on "Jesse Watters Primetime."
"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," he added.
Vance’s remarks come after recent U.S. intelligence reports raised concerns about Israel’s surveillance efforts targeting American negotiators involved in U.S.-Iran peace talks.
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Those who have reportedly been surveilled include the Pentagon’s top policy officer, Elbridge A. Colby, and Trump’s top negotiator, Steve Witkoff.
Trump also recently confirmed calling Netanyahu "f---ing crazy" in a heated phone call over Israel’s military operations in Lebanon, exposing a rare rift between the two leaders.
As tensions between Israeli and American officials intensify over how to proceed with Iran negotiations, the Pentagon has raised Israel to be a top counterintelligence threat.
The vice president acknowledged that while Israel's security concerns remain important, U.S. policy toward Iran will always be guided by American national interests.
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"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 Iran's nuclear deal," Vance said.
"Now, Israel may like that, they may not like that," he continued. "But fundamentally, we think this is in the best interest of the United States of America."
Israel and Iran halted exchanges of military fire after a tumultuous weekend started by the IDF pressuring Trump’s fragile Middle East ceasefire.
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The attacks mark the first time Iran and Israel have targeted each other since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire went into effect in early April.
Vance signaled negotiations are showing signs of progress, saying Iran is putting "real things" on the table and arguing that a prolonged conflict is not ideal for Tehran.
"The Iranians don't want this war to continue," the vice president told Fox News. "It's not in their best interest, and I think they're coming to the table, putting some real things on the table."
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Fox News host Jesse Watters asked Vance whether he believes the Iranians are trying to "play" the US at the negotiating table.
"Everybody's always trying to play everybody," Vance responded.
"I don't assume that anybody's acting in good faith."
Vance expressed optimism that a finalized Middle East peace deal could be reached, while stressing that robust monitoring and inspections will be critical to ensure Iran keeps up their end of the nuclear deal.
"We've been very involved in these negotiations," he said. "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," Vance added.
Vance emphasized how significant a victory a U.S.-Iran peace agreement would be for the United States.
"If we get to this deal, it’s gonna be a home run win for the American people," he said.
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