Vance says Israeli PM Netanyahu 'has got some things wrong' on Iran strategy
US Vice-President JD Vance said in a Fox News interview that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "has got some things wrong" on Iran strategy. The remarks were read as the first public rift in US-Israel relations.
On Fox News' Sean Hannity show, Vance said: "Netanyahu is Prime Minister; I respect his courage, but he has got some things wrong." Vance did not give a concrete example but said "an approach that waits only for a military solution is not sustainable." The Vice-President stressed that recent US strikes on Iran were "driven by US interests, not Israeli requests."
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt replied in a briefing: "Vice-President Vance's views are in full alignment with President Trump's." Netanyahu's office said: "The Prime Minister continues to work in close coordination with the Trump administration." The office added that rumours of Defence Minister Yoav Gallant's resignation are inaccurate.
The Financial Times reported Vance had discussed Iran policy with Trump at Mar-a-Lago over the weekend. Former US Ambassador Dan Shapiro told CNN: "This is the first signal of inward pressure within Trump's coalition." The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange's TA-35 index fell 1.6%, and the shekel weakened from 3.72 to 3.76 against the dollar. This is not investment advice.
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