U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that no country, whether Israel or Iran, can be denied the right to self-defense, according to multiple Israeli media reports circulating in the evening.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Thursday evening explicitly included Israel in his widening self-defense symmetry argument, stating that no country — whether Israel or Iran — can be denied the right to defend itself, according to multiple Israeli media reports. The remark, circulated via Hebrew-language Telegram channels and Israeli news outlets, sharpens the parallel Vance has drawn throughout the day between the two countries under the emerging U.S.-Iran nuclear framework. It follows earlier statements in which he applied the principle to Israel alone and then to Iran with missile caveats.
The Zioneer reported earlier Thursday (10:41 Jerusalem) that Vance told CBN that Israel retains its right to self-defense, adding that no country should be told it cannot defend its people. A bulletin at 19:01 noted Vance then stated that Iran, like Israel, does not forfeit that right under the nuclear deal, but that the final agreement should constrain Iran's long-range missile capability. The thread's third version, also published at 18:34, saw Vance assert executive authority to lift oil sanctions without congressional approval and call on Israel to respect the peace process while affirming Iran's self-defense claim. Tonight's remark, surfaced by Israeli media, eliminates any remaining ambiguity: Vance placed Israel and Iran on identical footing regarding the principle itself.
The démarche builds on days of U.S. administration messaging asserting that the emerging U.S.-Iran framework does not waive any country's right to self-defense — a point The Zioneer reported from a senior U.S. official on June 12, from an Israeli source on June 13, and from a U.S. official regarding Lebanon on June 15. The administration appears to be managing a diplomatic narrative that balances non-proliferation goals with the sovereign defense claims of both Israel and Iran.
What remains unclear from the reports is whether Vance's remark was responding to a specific question or event. The statement also does not clarify how the U.S. envisions reconciling mutual self-defense claims if Israel and Iran are involved in hostilities with each other.
4 developments
- StrongVP Vance reiterates Israel's right to self-defense in CBN interview
- DevelopingVP Vance: Deal does not mandate Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, self-defense right retained
- DevelopingSenior US official: no country will waive self-defense right due to Iran deal
- DevelopingVance declines to deny Israeli espionage claim against US
Source and signal
- Internal intake