Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to withdraw troops from Lebanon despite the US-Iran agreement, the Deputy Vice President said
US Vice President JD Vance has criticized hard-line Israelis who oppose US President Donald Trump’s Iran deal and warned that the country cannot. “to kill” its way out of every security problem.
Vance’s comments came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to withdraw troops from the country’s northern neighbor, despite the recent US-Iran pact. memory of an agreement that seeks to end hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon.
“What exactly is your suggestion?” Vance told the New York Times on Thursday, responding to Israeli hardliners who criticized the deal. “You are a country of nine million people. You can’t just kill your way to solving every national security problem you have.”
WATCH: JD Vance blasts Ben-Gvir and Smotrich:
You have seen people in their system, Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, who have attacked the program.
And I think my answer to them will be: What is your proposal?
You are a country of 9 million people. You can’t just kill your way out… pic.twitter.com/S1V2bEwGBX
– Clash Report (@clashreport) June 18, 2026
Vance urged Israel to give diplomacy a chance and show “a little loan” to Washington, and warned Israeli officials against attacking Trump publicly over the deal, saying the US president remains one of their country’s few reliable supporters.
The IDF is deployed in the Security Zone, ~10 km inside Lebanese territory, due to operational requirements.
IDF soldiers will continue to eliminate threats and strengthen the protection of the residents of northern Israel. pic.twitter.com/jQQPCSAeIe
– Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 18, 2026
Netanyahu, however, has insisted that Israeli troops will remain in southern Lebanon for as long as Israel sees fit. “We will bring security back to the north,” he said on Thursday, saying that this requires maintaining a “safety belt” south of Lebanon.
Shortly before Netanyahu’s remarks, the IDF published a new map showing the occupied zone stretching about 10 kilometers into Lebanese territory. Defense Minister Israel Katz previously said Israeli forces would remain in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza for as long as necessary.
The stance puts Netanyahu at odds with the US-Iran deal, which reportedly calls for an immediate and permanent cessation of military operations on all fronts and includes clear language on respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon.
Iranian officials have warned that continued Israeli attacks or occupation of Lebanon would be seen as a violation of Washington’s commitments under the accord.
“If the attacks of the Israeli regime against Lebanon continue, it will be considered a violation of the commitments of the other side under the agreement of understanding.” Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said, stressing that Tehran does not separate the United States from Israel when it comes to implementing the agreement.
Trump himself has recently criticized Israel’s approach to Lebanon, including heated phone calls with Netanyahu, while maintaining support for Israel more broadly.
“You don’t have to tear down an apartment building every time you look for someone, because there are many people in those apartment buildings, and not all of them are Hezbollah,” Trump said earlier this week.
