Vice President of the United States JD Vance Israel criticized the deal reached by the United States and Iran after weeks of conflict and tension, sending a strong warning to Israel. Vance defended the MAGA top leader: “Trump is Israel’s only ally.“His comments came amid reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies are “privately unhappy with the deal” aimed at ending the conflict with Iran. Vance also stressed that Washington remains Israel’s strongest and most important ally.Vance spoke at a White House news conference to defend the deal amid criticism from critics who say it fails to adequately address Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs and could limit Israeli military action against Hezbollah in Lebanon.In response to reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was dissatisfied with the deal, Vance said he had heard no such comments directly from Netanyahu but criticized members of the Israeli cabinet.“My message to them is twofold. One: Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the world who sympathizes with the State of Israel at this moment,” Vance said.He added, “If I were in the Israeli government cabinet, I probably wouldn’t attack my only strong ally in the world.”The vice president also emphasized the United States’ military support for Israel, saying: “Two-thirds of the defense weapons that protect Israel are made by Americans and paid for by American taxes.” According to Reuters, the United States currently provides approximately $4 billion in military aid to Israel each year. However, Netanyahu’s office or the Israeli Foreign Ministry have not yet responded to the remarks.“Israel’s problem is not Donald J. Trump or any Israeli who thinks their biggest problem is the president of the United States, they need to wake up and understand the reality of the situation this country is in,” Vance said.Israeli officials told Reuters on condition of anonymity that the deal did not address concerns about Iran’s nuclear and missile programs. Netanyahu later said Israel valued its relationship with Washington but would continue to maintain a security presence in southern Lebanon.The dispute intensified after Vance criticized Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalai Smotrich in an interview with The New York Times.Vance said in the interview, “What are your specific recommendations? You’re a country of 9 million people. You can’t just kill every national security problem you face.”He also described Israel’s “strange panic” and “panic” over the deal, adding, “That’s not how the deal is written.”Meanwhile, the White House said Vance would not travel to Switzerland for a planned round of technical talks with Iran due to logistical challenges. Reuters quoted officials as saying that negotiations on implementation details were continuing and that oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz had resumed following the easing of restrictions and a temporary ceasefire.
