US Vice President Vance criticises Israeli officials over Iran deal, highlighting allied tensions

U.S. Vice President JD Vance has sharply criticised members of the Israeli government, stating that the country is deeply isolated and its leaders have failed to appreciate American diplomatic and military support. The remarks, made during a White House news briefing on Thursday, underscore a growing rift between the two allies following the interim deal reached between the United States and Iran to end their war.

“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,” Mr. Vance said. “The problem for Israel is not Donald J Trump, and anybody in Israel who thinks their biggest problem is the President of the United States needs to wake up and smell the reality of the situation that country is in.”

Israel and the United States jointly launched the war against Iran on February 28, closely coordinating the month-long military operation. However, disagreements emerged following a preliminary ceasefire agreement on April 8, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushing to continue the campaign while Mr. Trump moved to wind down a war that was deeply unpopular in the U.S. and had rattled the global economy.

While Mr. Netanyahu has been careful not to openly criticise the ceasefire deal, some members of his Cabinet have been more outspoken. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who leads a small ultranationalist party, declared this week that Israel is not “bound” by Mr. Trump's agreement and would not cave to international pressure.

Mr. Vance noted that Mr. Netanyahu has not publicly criticised Mr. Trump, but he accused unnamed members of Mr. Netanyahu's Cabinet of being ungrateful. He said Israel has few friends in the international community and protects itself using weapons largely paid for by the United States.

Mr. Netanyahu's office declined to comment on Mr. Vance's statement. In recent days, Mr. Trump has expressed frustration with Mr. Netanyahu, claimed credit for Israel's existence, and described the Israeli leader as “crazy”. He sidelined Israel throughout the negotiations and criticised Israeli airstrikes in Beirut.

In his first comments on the newly signed memorandum of understanding, Mr. Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israel's military will remain in a zone it occupies in southern Lebanon “as long as Israel's security needs require it”. This statement threatens to undermine the deal, which calls for a halt in all fighting and respect for Lebanon's territorial integrity. However, Mr. Netanyahu also stressed the importance of maintaining the relationship with American allies.