US Vice President Vance defends Iran deal, issues blunt warning to Israel

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - WASHINGTON — US Vice President JD Vance on Thursday delivered an extraordinarily direct rebuke to Israeli critics of the US-Iran peace agreement, underscoring a widening rift between the two close allies.

Vance castigated members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet for criticizing the Iran deal, saying they should "wake up and smell the reality".

Israeli leaders need to “wake up and smell the reality” that they are isolated internationally, Vance said as he sought to defend the preliminary deal the Trump administration struck with Iran this week.

“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. He added, “If I were 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 agreement has faced mounting criticism from Israeli lawmakers, as well as some Republicans in Washington, who argue that it gives Iran economic relief while punting negotiations on its nuclear program down the road.

In an interview with the New York Times published on Thursday, Vance named Israel's national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich as critics of the deal.

He said: "I guess my response to them would be — what is your exact proposal? You're a country of nine million people. You can't just kill your way out of solving every single national security problem that you have."

Netanyahu himself stressed the importance of maintaining Israel's close ties with the US on Thursday, saying Washington had stood "shoulder to shoulder" with the country during the war with Iran.

The 60-day clock for the United States and Iran to negotiate the future of Iran’s nuclear program and other issues has begun, Vance said.

Vance also reminded Israeli critics of the deal that two-thirds of the weapons “that have protected your homeland” were American-made and paid for by Americans’ tax dollars.

Responding to criticism about the sanctions relief that Iran is set to receive, Vance said Iran would have to “change their behavior” first — even though the deal lays out several benefits including some sanctions waivers that begin “upon the implementation of this M.O.U.”

Those terms include the United States unfreezing assets and releasing restricted funds and both sides committing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway whose closure roiled global supply chains and prices.

Iran also immediately receives waivers on sanctions from the Treasury Department for the export of oil and other petroleum products that have long been restricted.

Other elements of the agreement, such as broader sanctions relief, would take place on “an agreed-upon schedule as part of the final deal.”

Vance claimed that lifting oil sanctions on Iran was “not a new benefit” for the country, even though severe economic restrictions in place before the war meant that Iran had to sell its oil at a steep discount. Lifting sanctions means it will be able to fetch higher prices, sell to a wider array of buyers and receive payment in more currencies.

Asked about Iran’s ballistic missiles, Vance told reporters that it was impossible to tell any country that they’re not allowed to maintain a self-defense capacity. He said the administration’s priority was to stop Iran from sowing regional chaos.

Israel is not a party to the deal, and its fighting with Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia in Lebanon, had threatened to derail the US-Iran talks, to the increasing frustration of American officials.

But both Israel and Hezbollah have carried out strikes against each other since the US-Iran agreement was announced, including strikes reported in Lebanon on Thursday that killed three people.

Israel argues its conflict against Hezbollah is separate from its war on Iran. Hezbollah has also rejected the terms of the deal between Iran and the US.

Vance told reporters that Israel would have to respect the peace process with Iran, which he said was good for them, stating that attacks in Lebanon's capital Beirut that kill civilians are "not acceptable".

Vance’s barbed remarks from the White House came a day after President Trump himself admonished Israel over its military campaign.

Trump's decision to end the war with Iran has raised criticism from some in the US, including Republicans dismayed by the terms of the deal.

Republican Senator Bill Cassidy described the agreement as the "worst foreign policy blunder in decades".

"Iran's nuclear ambitions were not curbed, and they have learned that threatening the Strait of Hormuz works," he said.