Vance reportedly told allies Netanyahu is wrong on Iran war
Vice President JD Vance privately criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the Iran conflict, as the war divides the Trump administration and reshapes Vance's standing ahead of 2028.
Vice President JD Vance reportedly told associates privately that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is "wrong on everything" regarding the war with Iran, according to a report by Axios dated Nov. 4. The account adds a sharp dimension to a debate that has split the Trump administration and is now shaping the political positioning of several senior Republicans.
Publicly, Vance has blamed the Iran war for Republican losses in the midterm elections, and he has urged President Donald Trump toward a negotiated settlement rather than renewed strikes. Vance has led a group of senior officials pushing for negotiations to end the conflict. Netanyahu, by contrast, reportedly urged Trump to resume strikes before the midterms. Trump held off, and he has since endorsed Netanyahu's bid for reelection in Israel. Vance declined to do the same.
Political analysts quoted in the reporting read Vance's criticism as a way of distancing himself from Trump's decisions without breaking with the president directly. One analyst said Vance is trying to balance an anti-war stance with his continued service in the administration. According to the same analysis, Vance's central objection is to a regime-change plan that Netanyahu has presented, and the analyst argued that an extended air campaign could strengthen rather than weaken Iran's ruling government.
Diplomacy has run alongside the political debate. Vance sent a letter through Qatari intermediaries to Mohsen Rezaei, proposing renewed talks and stating that Iran's nuclear program must be addressed. Trump reportedly backed the outreach. Rezaei confirmed receipt of the letter but has not replied. Vance was also involved in an earlier memorandum of understanding with Iran. Separately, Reuters reported that Tehran sent a formal nuclear proposal through Qatar on Thursday.
Public opinion appears to be running against the military campaign. An AP Voter Poll found that about six in ten Americans say military action against Iran was the wrong decision. The poll comes after Republicans lost control of both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections, a result that has intensified internal arguments about the direction of American foreign policy.
The administration's next steps remain unsettled. The White House is reportedly weighing a resumption of strikes, additional economic pressure, or a settlement. It is also uncertain whether the United States and Iran can reach agreement on navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and on a ceasefire. Netanyahu's political future also remains unclear following the Israeli election.
The disagreement has also drawn attention to other figures in the administration. Secretary of State and national security adviser Marco Rubio, who serves as the top U.S. diplomat, on Thursday denied reports that he plans to leave the administration. Speculation about 2028 presidential ambitions continues to surround both Vance and Rubio, and the Iran debate has become one of the clearest tests of how each is positioning himself within the Trump White House.
Source: foxnews.com
5
