JD Vance: US-Iran Nuclear Deal a Victory for the American People Despite Israel's Rejection

United States Vice President JD Vance has stated that the peace deal being pursued between Washington and Tehran represents a major victory, or home run, for the American people. This assertion stands irrespective of whether Israel approves of the agreement or not. Vance’s comments came on Tuesday (9/6) local time, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s prediction that a deal is merely two or three days away. Trump also dismissed speculation that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defied his orders regarding retaliatory missile strikes against Iran on Sunday (7/6) night. In an interview with Fox News, Vance acknowledged that whilst the US and Israel share many common interests, there are certain situations where their interests diverge. “I think the President has been very clear here. Although Israel clearly has some of its own objectives, the primary objective of the United States towards Iran is to ensure that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon,” Vance said. Vance claimed that since Trump returned to power, the White House has created space for a nuclear deal far superior to the 2015 agreement reached under President Barack Obama. “Over the last year and a half, we have created the necessary space where the President believes—and I think he is right—that we can get a long-term settlement for the Iran nuclear deal,” he added. He stressed that the current administration’s main focus is the national interest of the United States. “Now, Israel might like that, or it might not. But fundamentally, we think this is in the best interest of the United States,” Vance asserted. According to Vance, the major difference between the deal being worked on and the Obama-era deal (JCPOA) lies in the inspection regime. Trump previously withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018 because it was deemed to lack strict monitoring mechanisms to ensure Iran never builds a nuclear weapon. The optimistic statements from the White House emerged amid a heated situation after Israel and Iran exchanged attacks for the first time in two months on Sunday night and Monday. Despite the flare-up, both sides have now announced restraint. Trump himself stated that he continues to communicate with Netanyahu. He denied that Israel’s retaliatory strikes were an act of defiance against his calls. According to Trump, when he spoke with Netanyahu on Sunday night, Iranian missiles were already in flight and Israeli forces were already in motion. “If I told him to do something, he would do it,” Trump said in a conversation reported by the BBC. “What I said was we have to use common sense. We are close to signing a very strong and very good deal.” Trump, who had just returned from the NBA Finals in New York on Monday night, confirmed that negotiations are currently in the final throes of what he described as a very advantageous deal. Open conflict between the US and Iran had previously peaked on 28 February through a joint bombing campaign to cripple Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programmes. A ceasefire was reached on 8 April through Pakistani mediation, but talks had stalled before finally reaching a breakthrough in recent days.