US Vice President JD Vance is warning Israel to accept a new peace deal with Iran brokered by President Donald Trump, stating the U.S. is its 'only powerful ally left.' The agreement, which ends a four-month war and reopens the Strait of Hormuz, faces harsh criticism from Israeli officials and some US Republicans, who call it a dangerous blunder.
US-Iran interim peace agreement
- ▪The deal lifts sanctions on Iran's crude oil and fossil fuel industry
- ▪The agreement initiates a 60-day negotiation period, starting June 18, 2026, which could establish a $300 billion rehabilitation fund for Iran
- ▪The deal leaves the future of Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs to be decided during the 60-day negotiations
- ▪The US-Iran agreement commits Israel to halting missile attacks in Southern Lebanon, while Iran will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and not produce nuclear weapons
- ▪The US and Israel launched a joint war against Iran on February 28, 2026, approximately four months before the deal was signed
Khamenei approves deal reluctantly
- ▪Khamenei stated he approved the deal after assurances from President Masoud Pezeshkian that Iran's rights would be protected
- ▪Khamenei accused US President Donald Trump of making the deal out of "desperation."
- ▪Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei approved the peace deal despite holding a "different view."
Vance warns Israel on criticism
- ▪Vance stated that two-thirds of Israel's defensive weapons were built and paid for by American taxpayers
- ▪VP JD Vance warned Israeli officials not to criticize the US-Iran deal, calling the U.S. Israel's "only powerful ally" left in the world
- ▪A Netanyahu adviser said Israel does not consider itself bound by the Lebanon ceasefire portion of the memorandum
- ▪Vance specifically criticized Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, saying Israel "can’t just kill your way out" of its security problems
Strait of Hormuz blockade lifted
- ▪After the waterway reopened, Brent crude futures fell 1% to $79.03 a barrel
- ▪The US military has lifted its blockade on Iranian ports near the Strait of Hormuz as part of the interim agreement
- ▪Following the lifting of the blockade, 12.5 million barrels of oil passed through the strait on the night of June 17-18, 2026
Cancelled Switzerland peace talks
- ▪Follow-up peace talks between the US and Iran, scheduled for June 19, 2026, at Switzerland's Bürgenstock resort, were cancelled
- ▪Iran indicated it wants to see evidence of the US implementing the deal before committing to further negotiations
- ▪The cancellation occurred after VP JD Vance withdrew from the trip and Iranian officials expressed uncertainty about attending
Republican opposition to deal
- ▪Senate Arms Service Committee Chairman Roger Wicker stated the potential funds for Iran make the 2015 Obama deal "look like a pittance by comparison."
- ▪Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana called the US-Iran memorandum the “worst policy blunder in a decade.”
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