Vance Defends Emerging Iran Deal, as Netanyahu Seeks to Shape It Behind the Scenes

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that Israeli criticism of the emerging deal with Iran is misguided, arguing in an interview with the New York Times that Israel is “a country of nine million people” and cannot “kill your way out” of every security problem. He said Washington is pursuing its own national interests, even when its approach differs from Jerusalem’s, and described the proposal as a major strategic shift.

Vance said the deal, unlike the Obama-era nuclear agreement, is being negotiated with Iran from a position of “maximum weakness and total fragility.” He claimed Iran’s nuclear facilities have been destroyed and would take decades to rebuild without access to economic resources. “This deal is not based on trust, but on dismantling capabilities,” he said, adding that if Iran does not change course, it will not get the economic benefits it wants. He also rejected criticism from Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, while suggesting that Benjamin Netanyahu knows the details of the deal and has not publicly opposed it. Vance said President Donald Trump is taking a pragmatic approach to test whether real change is possible in the Middle East.

At the same time, CNN reported that Netanyahu is trying to influence the final agreement between the U.S. and Iran through figures in right-wing American media and through “friendly” Republican senators. According to an Israeli source, Netanyahu believes Tehran will not truly accept limits on its nuclear program and will not comply with the final terms. After Trump signed a memorandum of understanding and opened 60 days of negotiations, Netanyahu has been trying to amplify his message through prominent conservatives, including pro-Israel podcaster Mark Levin, who called the deal “illogical” and described the Iranian reconstruction fund as a “cash box.”

Netanyahu is also lobbying Republican senators to press Trump to change course, though some are already softening. Senator Lindsey Graham, once a strong backer of strikes on Iran, said Tuesday that the deal “will be beneficial to the U.S.” CNN said Netanyahu also told Trump that Israel does not see itself as bound by the agreement, which includes a demand for an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Lebanon. Israel has already reduced military activity there under U.S. pressure. Netanyahu’s office did not comment.