What Positions Does JD Vance, Trump's Selected Vice President, Hold Regarding Iran?

Donald Trump, the former President of the United States and Republican candidate, announced that he has chosen Ohio Senator JD Vance as his potential vice presidential running mate. JD Vance is a politician who believes in the "America First" slogan, opposing the 2003 invasion of Iraq and military aid to Ukraine, but he exempts Israel from this slogan. As a devout Christian, he has stated that he is a strong supporter of Israel for both religious and political reasons and supports normalization agreements between Israel and Arab countries. In a recent speech at the Quincy Institute earlier this June, he mentioned "religion" as one of the reasons many Americans support Israel, stating that the United States is the "largest country with a Christian majority in the world" and that Christians believe that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ occurred in Israel and the West Bank. He added that therefore, U.S. foreign policy cannot ignore this region. The 39-year-old Vance successfully won a Senate seat in 2022 and has been active in the Senate since January 2023, serving on committees related to banking, commerce, economics, and aging. Senator JD Vance has also made various statements regarding Iran and previously emphasized a cautious approach to military action leading to an attack on Iranian territory. Last year, Vance criticized the more hawkish voices and the neoconservative wing of the Republican Party regarding U.S. military operations in the Middle East. However, in recent days, following an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Donald Trump, he spoke in an interview with Fox News in a tone that showed some differences. In this interview, he directed more criticism at Joe Biden's administration and stated that the number one priority should be "liberating American energy" from dependence on other countries. JD Vance stated, "If we are going to hit the Iranians, we need to hit them hard." He commented on energy imports, saying, "Joe Biden prefers to buy it from Iran rather than Pennsylvania," adding that the U.S. sits on natural gas resources comparable to the volume of Saudi Arabian oil reserves. Regarding foreign policy, JD Vance declared his full alignment with Trump's policies and, in response to a question from the Fox News host, said, "It was Trump who defeated ISIS, while Biden has only authorized 'weak small bombings'," referring to the U.S. campaign against Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen. Nevertheless, JD, who previously opposed continuing a path that would escalate tensions with the Iranian government about eight months ago, is now in his latest interview with Fox News advocating for heavier bombings against Iranian proxy groups such as Houthi militants in Yemen. In this recent interview, Mr. Vance praised Trump for the deadly attack on Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the IRGC's Quds Force, in 2020, saying, "If we are going to hit the Iranians, we need to hit them hard." He also called on Israel to "destroy Hamas" and predicted that Trump would "bring peace to Ukraine." In another interview with Fox News, he stated that he believes Biden should give Israel more leeway "to end the Gaza war" and then achieve a peace agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia to stabilize the situation. He described achieving a peace agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia as "an appropriate response to the Iranian threat." JD Vance, in November 2023, expressed his views on the ongoing war in Gaza and the increase in attacks by Iranian proxy groups on U.S. forces in the region following the outbreak of the Gaza war during the CBS program "Face the Nation." When asked whether he supports using military force against the Iranian government following attacks by Iranian-affiliated forces on U.S. military bases in Iraq and Syria, this Ohio Republican answered negatively. Vance responded to the issue of a U.S. military attack on Iran: "Right now? Definitely not. I think we should try to calm things down. Of course, we need to have red lines; if the Iranians attack American forces... if they play a provocative role in the conflict, we must be ready to respond." When reminded in this interview that some Iranian-backed militia groups have attacked U.S. forces, Mr. Vance clarified: "They have attacked, specific militia groups have attacked, and I think we have done the right thing, that is, we have given a proportional response." He also added: "If they hit us, we must hit them. But if you are talking about attacking the main territory of Iran, I think such an action would significantly escalate tensions right now, and that would be a mistake." After this interview, no further news has been released regarding JD Vance's subsequent views on the potential military attack on Iran. However, about six months later, Senator Vance expressed significant concerns about the excessive dispersion of U.S. military forces around the world and supported focusing on rebuilding America's defense capabilities and prioritizing national security interests. He particularly referred to the failures of U.S. foreign policy in the past, especially the Iraq War, as a "lesson" regarding the problems of interventionist policies. Following Iran's missile attack on Israel in April this year, Vance warned that there is a "real fear of escalating tensions" in the region and that the United States must work to contain this conflict. In an interview with CNN about this attack, he stated: "I think the most important thing for the United States here is to first prevent this conflict from turning into a broader regional conflict, because we are currently under a lot of pressure, and second, to support our Israeli allies." Vance also said that there is a fear of escalating tensions because "the world sees a United States that is very pressured." He urged his country's officials to restore deterrence regarding threats to U.S. interests by increasing weapons production. JD Vance reiterated in a speech earlier this June at the Quincy Institute that the U.S. created "a proxy group of the Islamic Republic in the Middle East" by invading Iraq in 2003.