JERUSALEM: US Vice President JD Vance said some members of the Israeli government had tried to influence US public opinion to oppose a deal by the US to end the war with Iran, in a podcast episode with host Joe Rogan posted on Wednesday.

The comments echoed earlier criticism of Israeli government policy by Vance, whom many view as a potential future presidential candidate, in a widening public rift between the two countries.

Vance defended a deal reached last month to end the war with Iran, which critics in the US and Israel have slammed for failing to curb Iran’s missile programme and providing no clear path to dismantling its nuclear facilities, while constraining Israel in its war with Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

“I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there have been people within the Israeli government who are trying to, like, actually shift us away from that policy because they want to continue the military campaign,” Vance said. The vice president said that, while he has “good relationships” with some members of the Israeli government, “there are some people within their system that we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that are manipulating and trying to change American public opinion to keep the war going on indefinitely”.

Vance said that many countries, allies and adversaries try to influence American policy and that “it doesn’t bother me that Israel tries to do this, it frankly doesn’t even bother me that Russia or some of these other countries do it”. He said it was “just the nature of being a political leader in 2026”.

“What does bother me is when those operations, those influence campaigns, actually affect American political judgment,” said the vice president.

Vance lashed out at Israeli critics of the Iran deal in June, saying President Donald Trump is Israel’s only ally, in a sharp rebuke that referenced the billions in US defense aid the country receives.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2026