J.D. Vance Becomes the Face of the Iran Deal, and Its Political Risk

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance was supposed to spend the week promoting his new book, but instead he became the public face of the agreement ending the war with Iran. A frequent skeptic of foreign military interventions, Vance initially expressed reservations when President Donald Trump launched the conflict in February, but he has since emerged as the deal’s chief defender, giving interviews, releasing a support video, and taking questions at a White House briefing.

Vance is also being tied directly to what comes next. He is expected to help open a new round of negotiations with Iran at a summit in Switzerland, which has been postponed for now. The political upside is clear if he runs for president in 2028, since he could claim credit for ending an unpopular war. But the downside is equally obvious, because he could also become the natural target if the agreement collapses. Trump joked this week, “If it works, I’ll take the credit. If not, I’ll blame J.D.” Vance said it was a joke and added, “The whole team worked great, and we brought this to a very good place for the American people.”

The White House backed him, calling him “the president’s right hand and a valuable member of the national security team,” and said that is why he was trusted to lead the talks with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Still, backlash grew after the digital signing of the memorandum of understanding, including from conservatives. Vance’s spokesman Luke Schroeder said critics were trying to undermine Trump’s effort “to achieve peace in the Middle East and ensure that Iran does not have nuclear weapons.” Vance also attacked Israel, saying Americans had financed and built much of Israel’s defense and that “the problem of Israel is not Donald Trump.” Elon Musk later endorsed him, writing “Good points” on the video.

Officials gave shifting answers about when the text would be released, but leaked drafts angered lawmakers in both parties, as well as supporters of Israel in the U.S. Critics said the agreement, meant to launch two months of talks, gave Iran benefits up front while offering little in return, and did not settle Trump’s stated goal of preventing an Iranian nuclear weapon. Under the published text, Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile, believed to be buried under rubble, must at least be diluted under international supervision, and Iran again commits not to acquire or develop nuclear weapons. Beyond the promise that the U.S. and Iran will negotiate over Tehran’s nuclear program, the rest still has to be worked out.