VP JD Vance warns Israel to accept Trump's Iran deal, saying the U.S. is its only ally left

Jun 18, 2026

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.”