'Wake up and smell reality:' Vance warns Israel against attacking Trump over Iran agreement

US Vice President J.D. Vance delivered a blunt message to Israeli officials criticizing President Trump's agreement with Iran, arguing that some members of Prime Minister Netanyahu's government are attacking the one world leader most committed to Israel's security.

Speaking to reporters before departing for Switzerland, where Washington and Tehran formally signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), Vance pushed back against reports that Netanyahu was angry over the agreement and sharply criticized Israeli cabinet members who have publicly opposed the deal.

"Now, I saw the Axios report that Netanyahu is fuming," Vance said. "That's not reflective of the conversations that I've had with him, but maybe he's saying something to somebody else that he's not saying to me."

Vance said he was troubled by criticism coming from within Netanyahu's coalition, particularly attacks directed at Trump.

"You've seen people within Bibi's cabinet who have come out and attacked the deal, and in some ways very personally attacked the President of the United States," he said.

The vice president argued that Trump remains Israel's most important ally at a time of growing international pressure on the Jewish state.

"Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time," Vance said. "And he happens to be the head of state of the world's superpower. If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world."

Vance also emphasized the extent of American military support for Israel during recent conflicts.

"Over the last three months, two-thirds of the defensive weapons that have protected your homeland have been built by American hands and paid for by American tax dollars," he said. "The problem for Israel is not Donald J. Trump. And anybody in Israel who thinks their biggest problem is the President of the United States needs to wake up and smell the reality of the situation that country is in."

The remarks came as Vance defended the memorandum of understanding signed between Washington and Tehran, arguing that the agreement advances American interests while imposing strict conditions on any future economic benefits Iran may receive.

In an earlier interview with The New York Times, Vance rejected criticism from Israeli officials and commentators who have warned that the agreement could strengthen Iran without fundamentally changing its behavior.

"When the president identifies a gap between the goals of the political system in Israel and the interests of the American people, he acts in accordance with the interests of the United States," Vance said, referring to Trump's decision to move forward with the deal.

He dismissed concerns that the agreement would allow Iran to emerge stronger, suggesting that some of the reaction in Israel was driven by an assumption that Tehran would receive benefits without making meaningful concessions.

"In Israel, they assume that anything being considered that might benefit Iran will happen without the Iranians changing any of their behavior," Vance said. "I find this wave of hysteria somewhat strange."

The vice president also rejected claims that Washington had neglected Israeli security concerns.

"We did a very good job for that particular country and for that particular government," he said. "The claim that we made a bad deal is not supported by the facts."

Addressing criticism from Israeli ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, Vance questioned what alternative strategy they were offering.

"You are a country of nine million people," he said. "You can't just kill your way out of all your national security problems."

Vance argued that the new agreement differs fundamentally from the Obama-era nuclear accord because it requires the destruction of Iran's enriched uranium stockpile rather than allowing it to remain in place.

"The Obama-Iran agreement allowed the Iranians to create a stockpile of enriched uranium," he said. "Our agreement ensures that this stockpile will be destroyed and eliminated."

Despite his criticism of some Israeli officials, Vance stressed that the United States remains in close contact with Israel and continues to support its right to self-defense.

"We speak to Bibi or somebody in the Israeli government just as we speak to the Gulf Cooperation Council and our regional partners pretty much every day," he said. "The president has been very clear. He does not withdraw support from Israel. Israel has a right to defend itself."

At the same time, he argued that all parties must support the diplomatic process underway.

"The Israelis, just like everybody else, have to respect this peace process that is fundamentally good for them and good for the entire region," Vance said.

Vance acknowledged growing frustration within the Trump administration over incidents that have threatened to derail negotiations, pointing specifically to strikes in Beirut that resulted in civilian casualties.

"The president has grown frustrated sometimes when we seem to be right on the cusp of a major breakthrough and then all of a sudden there's a major explosion in a civilian population center in Beirut," he said. "A lot of people who have nothing to do with Hezbollah lose their lives. That's not acceptable."

"We do not want Hezbollah attacking Israel," he said. "But in order to ensure that happens, we have got to build the kind of regional framework that can cut off the money to Hezbollah, cut off Iranian support for Hezbollah, and ensure that Lebanon's territorial sovereignty is respected by all parties."

Vance also addressed the Lebanon-related aspects of the agreement, saying Washington expects both Israel and Hezbollah to abide by ceasefire understandings and ultimately wants the Lebanese government to establish effective control over southern Lebanon.

The vice president further emphasized that sanctions relief and any economic benefits for Tehran remain entirely dependent on Iranian compliance.

"Not a single penny" will come from the United States, Vance said, adding that Iran would benefit economically only if it fully honors its commitments and changes its behavior.

"If the Iranians don't change their behavior, their military and their nuclear program are still destroyed," he said. "If they do change their behavior, then they are going to have a transformative relationship with the Middle East."