Vance says US to pursue Iran nuclear deal regardless of Israel's position

The US will continue to seek an agreement with Iran over its nuclear program regardless of whatever position Israel takes, Vice President JD Vance said Monday.

"Thanks to what's happened over the last few months, but really over the last year and a half, we've created the space necessary where the president believes, and I think that he's right, that we can get the long-term settlement to Iran's nuclear deal," Vance said during an interview with Fox News.

"Now, Israel may like that, they may not like that, but fundamentally, we think this is in the best interest of the United States of America. So we're going to keep on pursuing it, because that's what the president of the United States was elected to do. That's what we have to do in order to properly serve the American people," he added.

The comments are the latest sign of a potential strain in ties between the US and Israel after President Donald Trump called on Israel not to retaliate to Iranian missile strikes on Sunday, a demand that went ignored.

Tensions escalated on Sunday when Israel bombed the Lebanese capital of Beirut despite an ongoing ceasefire, prompting Iran to launch missiles toward northern Israel in retaliation.

Israel subsequently carried out several waves of airstrikes against Iran, while Tehran responded with additional missile launches.

Iran’s military said early Monday that it was halting attacks on Israel while warning of a “crushing” response if Israeli attacks on Lebanon continued. Israeli media, citing unnamed officials, reported that Israel had agreed to halt airstrikes on Iran but would continue military operations in southern Lebanon.

The region has been on edge since the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran in late February, triggering Iranian retaliation on Israel and other regional countries hosting US assets.

A temporary ceasefire was reached on April 8, but negotiations later stalled amid disputes over its implementation and subsequent regional developments, even as Trump extended the truce indefinitely.

An agreement to fully end the US-Israeli war on Iran has proven elusive, with Iran insisting that any negotiations to address its nuclear program be subsequent to a full end to the war.