US Vice President Criticizes Israel: 'You Can’t Solve Every Security Problem with Violence'

U.S. Vice President JD Vance defended the memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at ending the U.S.-Iran war and criticized reactions from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers. However, in an interview with The New York Times published on August 8, Vance reserved his harshest criticism for Israel, which has been urging Washington to continue the conflict.

Vance addressed criticism of the agreement from Israeli officials, including far-right ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir. “My answer to them is: What is your concrete proposal? Israel is a country of 9 million people. You cannot solve every national security problem with violence,” he said.

The vice president called on Israel to let negotiations proceed and “give some credit to the United States, which has long been a great partner of the Israeli government.” This marks the latest instance where President Donald Trump’s administration has taken an unusually tough approach, at least rhetorically, toward Israel — a nation currently occupying and conducting military operations in southern Lebanon, threatening to break the agreement to end the war with Iran.

Earlier, Trump criticized Israel’s rules of engagement, which war monitors say have led to high civilian casualties, and urged restraint in the fight against Hezbollah. “Too many people have died. You don’t have to blow up an entire apartment building just to find someone, because there are many people living in those buildings who are not Hezbollah,” Trump said at the G7 summit in France.

Declaring Victory

At an August 8 press conference, Vance continued defending the MoU with Iran. The agreement opens the Strait of Hormuz, lifts the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports, and commits to ending hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon. Many senior Democrats and some Republicans argued the initial agreement favors Tehran, as it secures no significant concessions compared to previous diplomatic rounds.

However, Vance insisted that the Trump administration’s war had created more favorable conditions for the U.S., including weakening Iran’s nuclear capabilities, conventional military, and economy. He characterized the war as a victory regardless of the outcome of upcoming negotiations. “If Iran doesn’t change its behavior, its military and nuclear program remain destroyed. If it changes, it will have a transformative relationship with the Middle East. That’s a win for the American people and the president, no matter which option Iran chooses,” he said.

Unanswered Questions

The agreement includes immediate sanctions relief for Iran’s fossil fuel sector, a commitment from the U.S. and regional partners to establish a $300 billion reconstruction fund, negotiations to release frozen assets, and lifting all remaining sanctions. Iran commits to diluting its stockpile of highly enriched uranium “on-site,” but questions about the future of Iran’s nuclear program remain unanswered and will be left open during 60 days of negotiations.

Vance expressed confidence that Iran will change its long-standing stance on its nuclear program, possibly agreeing to an inspections regime if Washington uses sanctions leverage and frozen funds. The MoU currently does not address Iran’s ballistic missile program or support for proxy forces in the region — key issues for Israel and Iran hawks in the U.S.

Vance hopes negotiations will yield an agreement preventing Iran from building “the kind of missiles that could threaten the entire world.” However, like Trump before him, the vice president abandoned previous commitments to dismantle Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities. “You can’t tell any country, whether Israel or Iran, that they are not allowed to defend themselves,” he said. The MoU also lacks commitments on future management of the Strait of Hormuz or preventing Iran from imposing fees for passage through the strait. Vance stated that any future deal would “ensure the strait is never used as a chokepoint for the global economy.”