U.S. Vice President JD Vance speaks during a press briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on June 18, 2026. (Credit: Ken Cedeno/AFP)
Press conferences, television interviews, White House briefings and newspaper profiles: Over the past week, it has been nearly impossible to escape JD Vance. The objective is clear: to sell the Memorandum of Agreement reached between Washington and Tehran, reassure Republicans, and convince Americans — as well as U.S. allies — that the White House has a coherent strategy for the Middle East.For Vance, however, the challenge is only beginning. The vice president must now defend an agreement criticized from all sides, one on which he is undoubtedly staking part of his political future. Yet behind his vigorous defense of President Donald Trump's diplomatic initiative lies a broader vision for the future of U.S. foreign policy, particularly in the Middle East. It is a vision marked by a break with several of the paradigms that have...
Press conferences, television interviews, White House briefings and newspaper profiles: Over the past week, it has been nearly impossible to escape JD Vance. The objective is clear: to sell the Memorandum of Agreement reached between Washington and Tehran, reassure Republicans, and convince Americans — as well as U.S. allies — that the White House has a coherent strategy for the Middle East.For Vance, however, the challenge is only beginning. The vice president must now defend an agreement criticized from all sides, one on which he is undoubtedly staking part of his political future. Yet behind his vigorous defense of President Donald Trump's diplomatic initiative lies a broader vision for the future of U.S. foreign policy, particularly in the Middle East. It is a vision marked by a break with several of the paradigms that have...
