JD Vance Defends Trump’s Iran Negotiations as War Critics Press for Continued Fighting
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 1
JD Vance Defends Trump’s Iran Negotiations as War Critics Press for Continued Fighting
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 1
Summary
Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach was the setting Wednesday as Vice President JD Vance told active-duty troops that Trump was using military leverage to negotiate an end to the Iran war, not showing weakness.
Vance argued the administration had pursued “clear objectives” in Iran — dismantling the nuclear program, crippling the military and destroying the defense industrial base — while insisting diplomacy should follow battlefield gains.
The speech answered criticism from both parties: Democrats have condemned the strikes that escalated into war, while hawkish Republicans say the emerging peace terms are too lenient and may not block an Iranian bomb.
For Vance, a former Marine and longtime opponent of “forever wars,” the defense underscores the strain of reconciling his anti-interventionist record with Trump’s more interventionist turn as talks still lack a final peace deal.