Vance tells Israeli critics of US-Iran deal to ‘wake up’

The US VP has excoriated Israeli critics of the agreement, warning that “I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world,” Al Jazeera reports.

Speaking to reporters from the White House, Vance says President Donald Trump is “the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time” and has chastised Israeli cabinet members that the majority of the Jewish State’s defensive weapons were provided through US funding.

“The problem for Israel is not Donald J Trump and anybody in Israel who thinks their biggest problem is the President of the United States needs to wake up and smell the reality of the situation that country is in,” Vance said.
 The 60-day period for negotiations between the United States and Iran has started, but the agreement between the two sides took effect the day before, Vice President JD Vance tells reporters, AFP reports.

“I would say the 60-day period officially started today,” Vance says, adding that “the deal started yesterday. “
  
 12 ships pass blockade after Iran deal: Vance

The US military has allowed at least 12 ships to pass through its naval blockade of Iran’s ports following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran, Vice President JD Vance says, according to AFP.

“On the blockade, Centcom (US Central Command) has allowed north of a dozen ships to go through our naval blockade, and so we’re also honouring our end of the early part of the agreement,” Vance tells reporters at the White House.
 US Vice President JD Vance says he plans to go to Switzerland for talks with Iran this weekend, but that the plan could change, AFP reports.

“We think these technical negotiations are going to start sometime this weekend. That’s still the plan, but that could change,” Vance tells journalists at the White House.
 US Vice President JD Vance says that the Trump administration will soon brief Congress on the Iran deal, but adds that the administration is confident it can temporarily lift sanctions on Tehran without needing congressional approval, AFP reports. “We feel quite confident that we can temporarily lift those sanctions without going to Congress and seeking their approval on that,” Vance tells reporters at the White House.
 Asked if Iran recognises the leverage the United States has over it, Vice President JD Vance has replied in the affirmative. “I certainly think they recognise the leverage that the United States has over them, we’ve seen that in a number of our conversations, we’ve seen that just in their behaviour over the last couple of days,” he tells reporters.

“They certainly recognise that the United States has great leverage. Will that ultimately lead to a change in behaviour? I don’t know.” Addressing those sceptical of the agreement, Vance asks, “Isn’t it worth trying? Isn’t it worth seeing whether this incredibly weakened position that the president … has put the Iranians under, whether that motivates them to change their behaviour?”
US Vice President JD Vance says “pragmatists” within Iran’s leadership want to transform Tehran’s relationship with the world and those people “are winning the argument”.

“The United States wants to have a better relationship, but in order for that to happen, the Iranians have to perform,” he tells reporters, referring to Tehran honouring its end of the US-Iran agreement.

“If they don’t perform, as we’ve said before, they don’t get any of the benefits of the bargain,” he adds.
  JD Vance has expanded on the reported $300 billion reconstruction fund for Iran that was in the memorandum of understanding. “The simple fact is that the only way the Iranians get those resources — not a single penny from the United States of America under any circumstances — but the only way that they would ever get any benefit of the bargain is if they comply fully and change their behaviour,” he tells reporters at the White House.

“You really have a win-win situation for the United States of America: if the Iranians don’t change their behaviour, their military and nuclear programme is still destroyed. If they do change their behaviour, then they are going to have a transformative relationship with the Middle East and the Middle East will have a transformative relationship with the people of Iran,” he adds.
US Vice President JD Vance says that Iran is honouring its end of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding and has not attacked vessels for the second night in a row.

“Their nuclear programme has been completely destroyed. Their capacity for enrichment, the facilities that they were using to develop enrichment and develop potential nuclear weapons, those facilities are still destroyed,” he tells reporters, adding that Iran’s conventional military and capacity to threaten its neighbours is “gone”.
 JD Vance says that the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding is “bearing real fruit” during a press briefing at the White House. “Last night, 12.5 million barrels of oil went through the Strait of Hormuz, that is a high since the beginning of the conflict,” he tells reporters.

“Oil prices are down, nearly at their level from pre-war … gas prices dropped below $4 a gallon today for the first time since the conflict, and importantly, they’re going to keep falling further given how low oil prices are.”