US Vice President JD Vance has bluntly warned Israel that it cannot resolve its national security challenges through military force alone, amid tensions over a new US-Iran memorandum of understanding.
Speaking in an interview with The New York Times published on Thursday, Vance responded to criticism from Israeli officials of the Trump administration’s deal with Iran, which aims to end the recent war.
“You’re a country of nine million people. You can’t just kill your way out of solving every single national security problem that you have,” Vance said.
He urged Israel to allow negotiations to proceed and to “give a little bit of credit to the United States of America, which I think has been an incredible partner for the Israeli government for a long time.”
Vance’s comments reflect a sharper tone from the Trump administration towards Israel, whose leaders have pushed for continued military pressure following operations in southern Lebanon and against Iranian-backed groups.
The vice president was defending the MoU signed by President Donald Trump and Iranian President Pezeshkian, which includes opening the Strait of Hormuz, lifting naval blockades and commitments to end fighting on multiple fronts.
Vance framed the agreement as a strategic win for the US, arguing that the war had already weakened Iran’s nuclear and military capabilities regardless of the outcome of further talks.
