Vice President JD Vance said the United States will continue to pursue its own national interests in negotiations with Iran, even as questions emerge about the relationship between the Trump administration and Israel amid ongoing efforts to secure a long-term nuclear agreement, as reported by Fox News.
Speaking on Fox News’ “Jesse Watters Primetime,” Vance addressed reports of friction between the United States and Israel over how to handle negotiations with Iran and broader security issues in the Middle East.
“The Israelis and the United States, we have a lot of shared interests, but we also have some situations where our interests diverge,” Vance said.
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“I think where the president has been very clear here is that 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,” he added.
The vice president’s comments come as recent intelligence reports have raised concerns about alleged Israeli surveillance efforts targeting American officials involved in U.S.-Iran negotiations.
According to reports, those allegedly monitored included Elbridge A. Colby, the Pentagon’s top policy official, and Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s lead negotiator.
The reports surfaced as questions continue about tensions between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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Trump recently confirmed that he referred to Netanyahu as “f---ing crazy” during a heated phone conversation concerning Israel’s military operations in Lebanon.
The disagreement highlighted a rare public split between two leaders who have generally maintained a close working relationship.
Despite those tensions, Vance emphasized that American policy decisions regarding Iran will ultimately be guided by U.S. interests.
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“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,” Vance said.
“Now, Israel may like that, they may not like that,” he continued. “But fundamentally, we think this is in the best interest of the United States of America.”
The remarks came after Israel and Iran halted military exchanges following a weekend of renewed hostilities that tested a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. The fighting marked the first direct military exchanges between the two countries since a ceasefire took effect in early April.
Vance indicated that negotiations with Iran have shown signs of progress and suggested Tehran may have incentives to avoid a prolonged conflict.
“The Iranians don't want this war to continue,” the vice president said. “It's not in their best interest, and I think they're coming to the table, putting some real things on the table.”
Fox News host Jesse Watters asked Vance whether he believed Iranian negotiators were attempting to manipulate the United States during the talks.
“Everybody's always trying to play everybody,” Vance responded.
“I don't assume that anybody's acting in good faith.”
Even so, the vice president expressed confidence that a final agreement remains achievable if verification measures are strong enough to ensure compliance.
“We've been very involved in these negotiations,” he said.
“We're going to take the attitude of: ‘Accomplish the president's mission, but verify over the long term that the Iranians are keeping their end of the bargain.’ It's a tall order, but it's one that the president has put us in a good position to achieve.”
Vance also criticized the Obama-era nuclear agreement, arguing that it lacked sufficient safeguards.
“The number one thing that went wrong with the Obama deal, Jesse, is that there was not a proper inspections regime to ensure that the Iranians could never build a nuclear weapon,” Vance added.
The vice president concluded by arguing that a successful agreement would represent a major achievement for the United States.
“If we get to this deal, it’s gonna be a home run win for the American people,” he said.
The comments come as the Trump administration continues negotiations aimed at limiting Iran’s nuclear capabilities while seeking a broader settlement that could reduce tensions across the Middle East.
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