Netanyahu has ‘certainly gotten some things wrong,’ says US vice president

US Vice President JD Vance said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has “certainly gotten some things wrong” in his dealings with Washington but declined to elaborate on the disagreements in an excerpt of an interview released Wednesday.

Asked whether Netanyahu had made mistakes in working with the United States on Iran, Vance told CBS in an interview scheduled to air in full on Sunday: “Look, he’s certainly gotten some things wrong.”

The vice president did not elaborate further, saying such discussions were “better left in private.”

Vance’s comments came amid heightened scrutiny in Israel over the relationship between Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump following a report by the Israeli newspaper Maariv that Trump berated the Israeli leader during a phone call earlier this month. The newspaper reported that Trump called Netanyahu an “ungrateful bastard” over rising tensions in Lebanon and accused him of undermining negotiations with Iran.

Asked more broadly about Netanyahu’s handling of ties with Washington, Vance said the Israeli leader “aggressively asserts the interests of his country,” which sometimes align with those of the United States and sometimes do not.

“Our job as an administration, and certainly what the president has done, has been very clear about what is in our best interest. We have to fundamentally be focused on what is in the United States’ best interest,” Vance said.

He added that Washington would continue to pursue American interests when they diverge from those of Israel.

The region has remained on edge since the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran in late February, prompting Iranian retaliation against Israel and other countries in the region hosting US assets.

A temporary ceasefire took effect on April 8, but subsequent negotiations stalled amid disagreements over its implementation and broader regional developments.