Vance Defends Iran Ceasefire Agreement, Criticizes Israel's Opposition

US Vice President JD Vance has mounted a vigorous defense of the newly signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) to end the US-Israeli war with Iran, directly rebuking Israeli officials who have criticized the deal. In an interview with The New York Times published on Thursday, Vance singled out far-right Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, questioning their alternative proposals. “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,” he said. He urged Israel to let negotiations proceed and to acknowledge the United States as an invaluable partner.

The MoU, signed by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Pezeshkian, opens the Strait of Hormuz, lifts the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, and pledges to end fighting on all fronts, including in Lebanon. It includes immediate sanctions waivers on Iran’s fossil fuel industry and commitments to create a $300 billion reconstruction fund. However, critics, including members of both the Democratic and Republican parties, argue the deal appears to favor Tehran, noting that it yields few concessions not achievable through earlier diplomacy.

Vance, who was never in favor of the war, claimed victory regardless of the negotiation outcome, stating that the conflict has degraded Iran’s nuclear capacity, set back its conventional military, and weakened its economy. “If the Iranians don’t change their behaviour, their military and their nuclear programme is still destroyed. If they do change their behaviour, then they are going to have a transformative relationship with the Middle East,” he said. He also asserted that millions of barrels of oil have already passed through the Strait of Hormuz, a point critics counter by noting the strait was fully open before the war started.

The deal remains highly controversial. Israeli leaders have pushed Washington to continue the war, while Trump himself has criticized Israel’s rules of engagement, calling for restraint and noting that “too many people have been killed.” The agreement leaves key issues unresolved, including Iran’s ballistic missile program and the potential lifting of sanctions, raising concerns among critics who fear it may not ensure long-term security.