Published on 6/18/2026
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Last update: 6/19/2026 05:04 (Mecca time)
On Thursday, US Vice President J.D. Vance criticized members of the Israeli government who attacked the memorandum of understanding reached with Iran, saying that President Donald Trump is “the only president currently sympathetic to Israel.” In Tel Aviv, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper quoted informed Israeli sources as saying that a state of shock was prevailing in Israeli political circles after the statements of the US Vice President.
During a press conference in Washington, Vance said that if he were in the shoes of any member of the Israeli government, he would not have “attacked the only strong ally I have left in the entire world,” noting that “two-thirds of the weapons that protected them over the past months were manufactured and financed by the United States.”
He added: “Our message to the Israelis and to everyone is that we want this peace process to be in their interest.”
The US Vice President also criticized Israel’s bombing of sites in Lebanon whenever progress was made towards concluding an agreement, pointing to the fall of many casualties who had nothing to do with Hezbollah in Beirut.
Vance also said that “Israel has the right to defend itself, but it must also respect the peace process.”
Many media outlets recently reported a dispute between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against the backdrop of the memorandum of understanding that was signed between Washington and Tehran.
Earlier today, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation quoted Trump as saying that his relationship with Netanyahu is good, but he needs to be “more rational,” stressing his readiness to meet him.
In the context of signing the memorandum of understanding, Vance spoke about the United States’ commitment to implementing its side within the initial phase of the agreement concluded with Tehran, announcing that the 60-day period stipulated in the memorandum of understanding has already begun.
Vance said that a field team in Switzerland will directly manage the technical and nuclear talks with Iran.
At the same time, the US Vice President hinted that the United States possesses economic, diplomatic and military pressure cards “that no other party in the world has,” pointing out that he will use them if the Iranians do not change their approach.
The agreement with Iran
During the same press conference, the US Vice President said that the 60-day period stipulated in the memorandum of understanding with Iran began today.
Vance added that his country is committed to implementing its part of the initial phase of the agreement, considering that what has happened so far is “a victory for the American people and for President Trump, regardless of what the Iranians will do.”
He continued that Washington will not provide any money or lift sanctions until it sees the required behavior from the Iranians, saying that the United States is currently imposing a stifling economic blockade on Iran and will not end it unless Tehran radically changes its behavior.
According to the US Vice President, Iran changing its behavior is a condition for its reintegration into the global economic system.
Vance also said that within the framework of any upcoming final agreement, Washington will strictly ensure that Iran does not possess a nuclear weapon in any way, in addition to cutting off the way for it to finance what he described as terrorist activities.
He pointed out that following the entry into force of the memorandum of understanding, 12.5 million barrels of oil crossed the Strait of Hormuz, noting that this amount is the highest rate since the start of the conflict last February.
Today, US Central Command announced the lifting of the naval blockade on Iran, in line with President Trump’s directives.
The US President and officials in his administration threatened to resume the war and impose the naval blockade again if Iran did not adhere to what was stated in the memorandum of understanding.
Israeli shock
In Tel Aviv, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said on Thursday that the sharp criticism directed by the US Vice President against ministers in Benjamin Netanyahu’s government because of their position on the Iran agreement caused shock among political circles in Israel.
The sources added – according to the Israeli newspaper – that Netanyahu’s government chose not to respond to Vance’s statements, for fear of deepening the dispute with the administration of President Donald Trump at a time when tensions are escalating between the two sides against the backdrop of the US-Iranian agreement and the Lebanese file.
According to the newspaper, Vance’s statements were understood to carry hints of the possibility of reconsidering the level of American military support for Israel if public criticism of the Trump administration’s policies continued, which raised concern within the Israeli political establishment.
On Monday, the right-wing Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, said, “The Trump agreement does not bind us.” He added in a post on the X platform that Israel is not affiliated with the United States, stressing that Tel Aviv is not a partner in this agreement.
In turn, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich described the agreement with Iran as “bad for us and for the entire free world,” as he put it. “We must continue our campaign to overthrow the Iranian regime ourselves and ensure that Tehran does not possess a nuclear weapon,” Smotrich said in a blog post on X.
For his part, the head of the left-wing Democratic Party, Yair Golan, said on the X platform, “The agreement was concluded without Israel’s knowledge and provides a lifeline to the murderous regime in Tehran.”
