US Vice-President JD Vance has intensified his criticism of sections of the Israeli government, accusing them of trying to derail Washington’s diplomatic efforts with Iran and prolong the conflict “indefinitely”.Speaking in an interview on The Joe Rogan Experience, Vance alleged that some figures within Israel had sought to influence American public opinion against negotiations with Tehran. He said his priority was carrying out President Donald Trump’s objective of reaching a settlement that prevents Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon while safeguarding US interests.His latest remarks come after Netanyahu recently rejected Vance’s earlier suggestion that the United States was Israel’s only major ally, pointing to India as an example of the country’s strong international support while reaffirming his close relationship with both Vance and Trump.
Vance alleges campaign to derail Iran negotiations
Vance claimed there had been a “very discreet, extremely well-funded campaign” aimed at undermining negotiations with Iran and said those involved had personally targeted him for supporting diplomacy.“There are some people within their system we know beyond a shadow of a doubt who are manipulating and trying to change American public opinion to keep the war going on indefinitely,” Vance said.He referred to a recent Time magazine article, claiming it detailed how individuals linked to a former Trump campaign official, who he said had been paid by “certain elements within the Israeli government”, had worked to undermine the negotiations.“They’re attacking me obsessively, saying that we should not be negotiating with Iran or we should just keep the military campaign going indefinitely. And that is their explicit position,” Vance said.The vice-president said he had been accused of being influenced by foreign governments and media personalities because of his support for negotiations.
‘I represent Americans first’
Vance added that after reading about what he described as a “literal foreign influence campaign” against the negotiations, his response was: “Go to hell. I’m going to do what I have to do for the American people. I represent Americans first.”Despite his criticism of some Israeli officials, Vance insisted that Israel had not driven Trump’s decision to launch military action against Iran.“I think the president, completely separate from any influence from Israel, believes very strongly, and again I agree with this, that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon,” he said.Vance also described himself as “a reasonable moderate” in the debate over US support for Israel and stressed that not everyone in the Israeli government opposed diplomacy.“There are a lot of elements within the Israeli government that actually do like our peace process” and recognise that “an indefinite campaign is not good for them either”, he said.The vice-president also argued that military action alone would not secure the Strait of Hormuz, saying Iran could still threaten shipping despite sustained bombing.“You can bomb them… but it’s just too easy to fire at ships in the straits. So, you’ve got to actually be willing to talk and to try to figure out the problem,” he said.
