Vice President JD Vance publicly rebuked Israeli leaders for their opposition to a newly signed US-Iran memorandum of understanding, telling them to recognize their growing international isolation and stop attacking the one head of state still showing them sympathy: Donald Trump.
What’s in the deal, and why Israel hates it
The MoU, signed by Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian around June 17, 2026, aims to establish a framework for peace, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and address regional conflicts involving Iranian-backed groups like Hezbollah. It includes commitments related to Iran’s nuclear program and sets up a 60-day negotiation period for working out the finer details.
Israeli officials were, to put it mildly, not thrilled. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir rejected the MoU framework outright. Several other Israeli leaders have advocated for continued military pressure against perceived Iranian threats rather than diplomacy.
Vance characterized the Israeli response as a “weird panic” and a “freakout.” He went further, directly criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for past policy errors, though he didn’t specify which ones.
