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JD Vance Accuses Israeli Officials of Pushing Americans Toward War With Iran
US Vice President JD Vance accused some Israeli government officials of trying to influence Americans to support a prolonged war with Iran during an interview with podcaster Joe Rogan Thursday, July 16, 2026.
Speaking in an interview with Joe Rogan, Vance said he trusted some members of the Israeli government but believed others wanted to influence Americans so that the fighting would continue indefinitely.
“There are people trying to influence our citizens and continue an endless war.”
Vance said some people within the Israeli government had tried to persuade the United States to abandon negotiations with Iran.
“I think we have seen a well-funded campaign, carried out behind the scenes, aimed at stopping the negotiations and preventing an agreement.”
He added that there was “concrete evidence” that some Israeli officials were unhappy with the agreement.
The Israeli government had not commented on Vance's remarks.
In recent weeks, the United States and Iran had resumed negotiations and signed a preliminary agreement intended to lead to a permanent peace deal.
Afterwards, tensions over the Strait of Hormuz resurfaced. The United States intensified attacks on Iran, while Tehran continued launching attacks against US allies in the Middle East.
Vance played a key role in discussions on Iran. He attended talks held in Pakistan in April and traveled to Switzerland in June to officially launch peace negotiations that were expected to last 60 days.
He told Joe Rogan that he was not troubled by criticism from some members of the Israeli government over how the United States handled the Iran issue because foreign governments often tried to influence another country's decisions.
“What bothers me is when Americans accept it, or when the American leadership accepts that those efforts influence the way they think and what they support.”
The United States and Israel launched major attacks on Iran in February 2026, prompting Tehran to retaliate with attacks on Israel and countries allied with the United States in the Persian Gulf. The fighting also spread into Lebanon.
Israel said Iran posed a threat to its national security and insisted that Tehran's weapons programs should be stopped permanently. It also called for political change in Iran's leadership.
