The United States will persist in its efforts to reach an agreement with Iran regarding its nuclear program, irrespective of Israel's stance, Vice President JD Vance declared on Monday.
Vance's Statement on Iran Nuclear Deal
"Thanks to what's happened over the last few months, but really over the last year and a half, we've created the space necessary where the president believes, and I think that he's right, that we can get the long-term settlement to Iran's nuclear deal," Vance stated during an interview with Fox News.
"Now, Israel may like that, they may not like that, but fundamentally, we think this is in the best interest of the United States of America. So we're going to keep on pursuing it, because that's what the president of the United States was elected to do. That's what we have to do in order to properly serve the American people," he added.
US-Israel Tensions
The comments highlight a potential rift between the US and Israel following President Donald Trump's call for Israel not to retaliate against Iranian missile strikes on Sunday, a request that was disregarded. Tensions escalated Sunday when Israel bombed Beirut despite an ongoing ceasefire, prompting Iran to launch missiles toward northern Israel in retaliation.
Israel subsequently conducted multiple waves of airstrikes against Iran, with Tehran responding with further missile launches. Iran's military announced early Monday that it was ceasing attacks on Israel but warned of a "crushing" response if Israeli attacks on Lebanon continued. Israeli media, citing unnamed officials, reported that Israel agreed to halt airstrikes on Iran but would continue military operations in southern Lebanon.
Regional Context
The region has been on edge since the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran in late February, triggering Iranian retaliation on Israel and other regional countries hosting US assets. A temporary ceasefire was reached on April 8, but negotiations later stalled amid disputes over its implementation and subsequent developments, even as Trump extended the truce indefinitely.
An agreement to fully end the US-Israeli war on Iran has proven elusive, with Iran insisting that any negotiations addressing its nuclear program must follow a complete cessation of hostilities.
