US Vice President JD Vance has publicly accused elements within the Israeli government of attempting to manipulate American public opinion in order to prolong the military conflict with Iran “indefinitely” and undermine the Trump administration’s negotiation efforts. Speaking on a podcast released on Wednesday, Vance said there were people in the Israeli system “we know beyond a shadow of a doubt” who are working to keep the war going, and he pointed to a Time magazine investigation that detailed a discreet, well-funded campaign linked to a former Trump campaign official and allegedly financed by Israeli government elements. The report claimed the operation sought to turn US conservative audiences against a ceasefire deal between Washington and Tehran.

Vance insisted that President Donald Trump’s decision to resume strikes on Iran was taken independently of any Israeli influence and was rooted in the conviction that Iran must not be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon. He defended the administration’s dual-track approach of combining economic pressure and military action with diplomatic outreach, arguing that bombing alone cannot secure the Strait of Hormuz because Iranian forces can still easily target commercial shipping. “You’ve got to actually be willing to talk and to try to figure out the problem,” he said. The vice-president also noted that not all Israeli officials oppose the peace process, and he described himself as a “reasonable moderate” in the broader US debate over support for Israel.

Viewed from Tel Aviv, Israeli security sources cited by the outlet Al-Monitor have expressed concern that the Trump administration might lose its determination to dismantle Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and instead shift its focus to protecting maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. The Israeli government has not officially responded to Vance’s remarks. Iran, for its part, announced on Sunday the closure of the strait until what it called US intervention in the region ends, following a series of mutual strikes that began on 8 July. US Central Command has described its attacks as retaliation for Iranian actions against commercial vessels, while Iranian forces have responded by targeting American bases in several Middle Eastern countries. President Trump has since declared that the United States will act as the “guardian” of the strait and has reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.

The public airing of grievances between Washington and Jerusalem marks a rare open rift between the traditional allies, coming after a US-Iran peace deal last month reportedly blindsided Israeli officials and drew sharp criticism in the Israeli press. Despite the friction, military operations continue and Trump has signalled that negotiations with Tehran are still underway. Vance described the overall trajectory as moving “in the right direction,” though he cautioned the process would be “very complicated, with a lot of pauses and resumptions.” No date has been set for the next round of talks, and the situation in the Strait of Hormuz remains a central flashpoint.