Vice President Vance accuses Israeli-linked efforts of attempting to influence US opinion against Iran diplomacy, while defending negotiations aimed at ending the conflict,reports Asian Lite News Desk
US Vice President JD Vance has accused some figures within Israel’s government of attempting to influence American public opinion against diplomatic efforts to end the war with Iran.
Speaking in an interview with US podcaster Joe Rogan that aired on Wednesday, Vance said there were individuals within the Israeli government who were trying to shift US policy away from negotiations and continue the military campaign.
Vance defended a US deal reached last month aimed at ending the conflict with Iran, saying he believed there had been efforts to derail the negotiations.
He referred to a report by Time Magazine that alleged a former Trump campaign manager was hired on behalf of Israel to run a digital campaign aimed at influencing US views on Israel and the Iran war.
“There’s a literal foreign influence campaign being funded to tank the very deal that I was pursuing,” Vance said during the interview.
He alleged that some people were attempting to shape American public opinion in favour of continuing the war, while adding that countries and allies often seek to influence US policy.
Vance said he did not object to Israel attempting to make its case, but said he was concerned if such efforts affected American political decisions.
The US vice president also said he had faced personal criticism over his diplomatic engagement with Iran, describing the attacks against him as “vicious”.
The comments come amid tensions over the US-Iran conflict and opposition in Israel to the diplomatic agreement reached by Washington.
Vance said he believed US President Donald Trump’s position on preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon was independent of any outside influence.
He has previously criticised opponents of the Iran agreement and defended the Trump administration’s approach towards the issue.
