Trump backs Vance as hawkish Republicans cast doubt on Iran peace talks

President Donald Trump has backed Vice President JD Vance's handling of negotiations with Iran, dismissing the complaints of hawkish Republicans about the peace talks launched under a new U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU).

"I thought JD Vance this morning was FANTASTIC," Trump said June 22, referring to Vance's remarks after the first round of negotiations in Switzerland. "I watched his news conference from Switzerland. He's a VERY smart guy, did a great job."

The White House's Rapid Response account has underscored Trump's support, writing in response to criticism from former George W. Bush speechwriter Marc Thiessen June 19 that “everything the Vice President has said is what the President has said and believes. If you disagree with the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Armed Forces, that's on you."

The administration’s closing of ranks around Vance comes amid criticism of the latest peace efforts, including from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who said June 21 on CBS' "Face the Nation" that he expects the talks to fail. Graham also predicted Trump would ultimately use military force to secure the Strait of Hormuz.

Graham said he spent four-and-a-half hours with Trump on June 19 and believes military action is likely. He also predicted that if Hezbollah attacks Israel, "the new policy will be, we will attack Iran." 

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said after the first round of talks with Vance and other U.S. negotiators that there had been "major progress to end the Lebanon War," writing on X that ending the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah would be the first major test of the negotiations.

Israel’s fighting in Lebanon remains a potential obstacle. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz reiterated June 21 that Israel does not consider itself bound by the memorandum and will not withdraw troops from recently seized areas of southern Lebanon. 

A joint statement issued June 22 by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Katz, and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Rav Aluf Eyal Zamir said Israeli forces would "continue to act with determination" against threats and maintain a security zone in southern Lebanon.

As Zeale News reported, both Trump and Vance have pushed back on Israeli criticism of the MOU. Trump criticized Netanyahu at the G7 Summit last week for the high numbers of civilian casualties in Israeli strikes on Lebanon.

"You don't want to knock down an apartment house every time you're looking for somebody, because there are a lot of people in those apartment houses," Trump said. "They're not all Hezbollah, that I can tell you."

In an interview with The New York Times, Vance challenged Israeli critics of the agreement, saying: "You're a country of nine million people. You can't just kill your way out of solving every single national security problem that you have."

>> Vance sharply rebukes Israeli critics as Iran agrees to inspections under U.S. deal << 

The chairman of the U.S. bishops' international justice committee commended the Trump administration's agreement with Iran, calling it an important step toward ending hostilities and again urged the parties involved to "prioritize an end to the fighting in Lebanon."

Asked about Netanyahu's most recent declaration that Israel would not leave Lebanon despite the memorandum's terms, Trump told reporters, "We are going to take a look at it. I am a problem solver; I can solve problems fast, including with Bibi."

The 14-point MOU, signed last week, sets a 60-day window for negotiating a fuller deal — covering Iran's nuclear program, the Strait of Hormuz, and regional proxy conflicts. As part of the interim agreement, the U.S. Treasury on June 22 issued a 60-day license waiving sanctions on Iranian oil, authorizing its production, delivery, and sale through Aug. 21. 

Vance also raised the possibility of allowing Iran to access frozen assets to purchase U.S. agricultural products. He said the proposal originated with Jared Kushner and Qatari officials, and Qatar is overseeing the mechanism.

Pakistan and Qatar, which are mediating the talks, said in a joint statement that negotiators had made "encouraging progress." Political-level discussions have concluded, while technical talks led by Kushner and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff are continuing this week.