US vs. Israel? JD Vance Admits Rift Over Emerging Trump-Iran Nuclear Pact

US Vice President JD Vance said the United States and Israel share many interests, but that Washington will ultimately act according to its own priorities as the Trump administration pursues a possible nuclear agreement with Iran.

In an interview with Fox News, Vance was asked about concerns that Israel was “spying on the United States” and “freelancing in Lebanon.” He did not directly address those claims, instead turning to the administration’s broader policy on Iran.

“The president has been very clear here,” Vance said. “While Israel obviously has some objectives that it has, the United States’ main objective in Iran is to ensure that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon.”

Vance said the Trump administration believes it has created the diplomatic space needed to reach a long-term arrangement over Iran’s nuclear program.

“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,” he said.

He added that Israel may not support every part of the emerging American approach.

“Israel may like that, they may not like that,” Vance said. “But fundamentally, we think this is in the best interest of the United States of America.”

Asked whether Iran was trying to manipulate US negotiators, Vance replied that “everybody’s always trying to play everybody,” but argued that the administration’s approach would be based on verification.

Vance contrasted the talks now underway with the 2015 nuclear deal, saying the earlier agreement lacked a proper inspection regime to ensure Iran could not build a nuclear weapon.

“That is one of the big differences between what happened then and what the president of the United States would get to, assuming we are ultimately able to make a deal,” he said.

The vice president said Washington’s position is to carry out Trump’s mission while verifying over time that Iran is keeping its commitments.

“It’s a tall order, but it’s one that the president has put us in a good position to achieve,” Vance said.

He also claimed that Iran does not want the current conflict to continue and is beginning to put serious proposals on the table.

“We are of course going to verify it,” Vance said. “But if we get this deal, it’s going to be a home run win for the American people.”