Vice President JD Vance delivered a blunt message to Israeli officials who have criticized the Trump administration's newly brokered deal with Iran, declaring that the United States remains Israel's singular powerful ally in a hostile world.
Speaking at a White House briefing, Vance pushed back against cabinet members in Netanyahu's government who have attacked both the agreement and President Trump personally. His remarks came after several Israeli officials anonymously warned that the deal fails to address Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities, concerns they say are shared across the Israeli leadership.
"Donald J Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time," Vance said. "If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world."
The vice president then pointed to the concrete scale of American support. He reminded Israeli officials that two-thirds of the defensive weapons protecting Israel were manufactured and funded by the United States, underscoring that roughly $4 billion in military assistance flows from Washington to Jerusalem annually. The two countries are currently negotiating a new aid package.
Vance also took aim at specific members of Netanyahu's coalition, particularly National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, in remarks to the New York Times. He challenged their military strategy directly.
"What is your exact proposal? You're a country of 9 million people. You can't just kill your way out of solving every single national security problem that you have," Vance said.
The dispute centers on the freshly concluded Iran accord, which critics in both the US and Israel contend fails to curtail Iran's missile capabilities or chart a clear course toward dismantling its nuclear program. The agreement also constrains Israeli military options against Hezbollah forces in Lebanon, drawing sharp objections from hardline cabinet members.
Ben-Gvir responded to Vance's criticism on social media, invoking World War II rhetoric and arguing that dealing with Iran required the kind of decisive action America once used against Nazi Germany.
Netanyahu's office and Israel's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. However, Netanyahu himself addressed the controversy at a public event, saying Israel valued its relationship with the United States but would maintain military control over southern Lebanon to protect Israeli citizens near the border.
Israel published a military control map Thursday showing an expanded zone in southern Lebanon and signaled it would not rule out operations beyond those boundaries, a move that directly challenges the terms of the US-Iran agreement. Trump had suggested Netanyahu adopt a gentler approach to the Hezbollah conflict.
The tension between Washington and Jerusalem marks a sharp reversal after the two countries coordinated strikes against Iran just four months earlier. That escalation roiled global markets and prompted Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route.
Trump posted on social media after Vance's remarks, calling for all parties in the Middle East to maintain their commitment to negotiations and expected "a complete Ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, Hezbollah, and Israel."
Author James Rodriguez: "Vance's naked threat about military aid is Trump's negotiating playbook in full view, and Israeli hardliners testing whether Washington actually means it."
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