On June 18 (UK time), according to Reuters, US Vice President JD Vance defended the peace agreement just reached between the US and Iran, and affirmed that US President Donald Trump is still Israel's most important ally in the context of many objections to this agreement from Tel Aviv.
Speaking at the White House, Mr. Vance was asked about information that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not satisfied with the US-Iran agreement. He said he had not heard directly from Mr. Netanyahu, but admitted that some members of the Israeli cabinet had publicly criticized the agreement and Mr. Trump personally.
If I were a member of the Israeli cabinet, I would not attack the only powerful ally I still have in the world," Vance said.
He also emphasized that most of Israel's current defense capabilities are supported by the US.
According to Reuters, Washington is providing about 4 billion USD in military aid each year to Israel and the two sides are currently continuing negotiations on a new defense assistance agreement.
Israel's problem is not Donald Trump. Anyone who thinks the US President is the biggest challenge to Israel needs to re-examine the current reality," Vance added.
The above statements were made as the preliminary peace agreement between the US and Iran continues to be controversial in Israeli politics. Some officials in this country said that the document has not fully addressed concerns related to Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and may affect Israel's military activities in Lebanon.
In his first statement after the agreement was announced, Prime Minister Netanyahu affirmed that Israel still values relations with the US but will continue to maintain a military presence in southern Lebanon for security reasons.
On June 19, Israel also announced a map of the expanded military control area in southern Lebanon and said it remained open to the possibility of conducting military operations outside this area if necessary.
Meanwhile, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich continued to express their opposition to the US-Iran agreement.
Previously, in an interview with The New York Times, Mr. Vance said that Israel cannot solve all security challenges by military measures alone.
After the debates surrounding the agreement, President Trump also posted a message on social media, calling on the parties in the Middle East to continue to pursue dialogue.
“We look forward to a complete ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, Hezbollah and Israel,” Mr. Trump wrote.
