"They wanted the war to continue".. Vance reveals Israeli pressure on Washington

SadaNews - U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance stated that some members of the Israeli government attempted to influence American public opinion to push it against an agreement reached by the United States to end the war with Iran.

These comments recall earlier criticisms from Vance, who is considered by many to be a potential presidential candidate in the future, regarding the policies adopted by the Israeli government amid the growing boldness of open disputes between the two sides.

In a radio interview, Vance defended the agreement that was reached last month to end the war with Iran, despite facing criticism in the United States and Israel for failing to curb the Iranian missile program or provide a clear path to dismantling Iran's nuclear facilities, in addition to imposing restrictions on Israel in its war against Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon.

Vance said, "I know for sure that there are people within the Israeli government who were actually trying to steer us away from this policy because they wanted to continue the military campaign."

The U.S. Vice President added that he has "good relations" with some members of the Israeli government, but he said that "there are people within its institutions that we know for sure are trying to manipulate American public opinion and influence it in order to keep the war ongoing indefinitely."

He pointed out that many countries, whether they are allies or adversaries, seek to influence U.S. policy, adding, "I'm not bothered that Israel tries to do that, and frankly, I’m also not bothered that Russia or some other countries are trying to do the same."

He continued, saying that this is "part of the nature of political work and leadership in 2026."

He said, "What bothers me is when those operations and influence campaigns actually affect U.S. policy and decision-making in the United States."

Senior Israeli officials, who requested anonymity, stated that the terms of the agreement were unfavorable for Israel because they did not address concerns related to the Iranian nuclear and missile program, a position they believe has broad support within the Israeli leadership.

When asked whether he believed that the United States would have engaged in the latest war with Iran without Israeli influence, Vance replied, "Yes, yes I believe that."

He added, "I believe the president, regardless of any Israeli influence, strongly believes, and I agree with him on this, that Iran should not possess nuclear weapons."