US Vice President JD Vance has alleged that individuals linked to the Israeli government are financing influence campaigns designed to obstruct Washington’s efforts to negotiate an end to its war with Iran.
Speaking on the Joe Rogan podcast, Vance said a highly organised and well-funded effort was underway to derail negotiations and prevent a potential agreement.
His remarks highlight growing public disagreements over Israel’s policies, despite Washington’s close alliance with Tel Aviv. Vance, who is widely regarded as a possible future Republican presidential contender, also defended the agreement reached last month to bring the conflict with Iran to an end.
The deal has faced criticism in both the United States and Israel. Opponents argue that it does not sufficiently restrict Iran’s missile capabilities, lacks a clear mechanism for dismantling its nuclear infrastructure and limits Israel’s military options in its conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Vance said foreign governments routinely seek to influence US policy, adding that such efforts by Israel, Russia and other countries were not unusual in modern politics.
However, he said he objected when foreign influence operations began affecting the judgment of American policymakers.
Vance had already criticised Israeli opponents of the Iran agreement in June, arguing that President Donald Trump remained Israel’s only real ally and pointing to the substantial US defence assistance provided to the country.
Senior Israeli officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, have described the agreement as harmful to Israel because it does not adequately address concerns surrounding Iran’s nuclear programme and ballistic missile capabilities. They have said those concerns are broadly shared by Israel’s political leadership.
Asked whether the United States would have entered the latest conflict with Iran without Israeli influence, Vance replied that he believed it would have.
He said Trump independently held a strong conviction that Iran must not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon, a position Vance said he also fully supported.
