The US Vice President confirms the widening gap with Netanyahu amid escalating tensions

US Vice President J.D. Vance said that President Donald Trump has an “unprecedented” record in opposing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when it comes to promoting the interests of the American people, during a speech he delivered online at a technology summit in Los Angeles, according to what the Hebrew newspaper “Jerusalem Post” reported.

Vance pointed out, during his virtual participation in the “All-In Summit” for technology, that Trump, more than any American president during the past forty years, “has shown an actual willingness to separate from Netanyahu when he feels that the interests of the American people differ from the interests of the Israeli government.”

Vance's statements came as part of a series of positions he made, in which he stressed the widening gap between Israel and America, coinciding with the approaching midterm congressional elections in November, and at a time when Netanyahu's popularity in the United States declined to a low level after three years of wars in the Middle East.

Republican figures are seeking to get rid of unpopular policies and associations, amid fears that the party will lose control of Congress in the midterm elections, which will undermine Trump's agenda during the last two years of his presidential term.

Vance said: “I find it a little ironic... to see Democrats criticizing Donald Trump for his relationship with Netanyahu, when Donald Trump is the only president over the past forty years who has been willing to say: Well, yes, Bibi is a good partner, but Bibi and I also have a different opinion on this issue, or Bibi is wrong on this matter, or maybe Bibi is right from Israel’s perspective.” But the American people need us to move in a different direction.”

But Vance has often taken a harder line, including accusing Israel of trying to influence American public opinion about war with Iran.

Vance said on Tuesday: “Israel has been an important partner when it comes to military technology, and when it comes to sharing intelligence, but the United States does not always agree with Israel.”

Serious differences have emerged since the failure of the common goals set by the United States and Israel for the war with Iran. Among these differences is the United States’ decision to end the war with Iran without a clear plan to prevent it from continuing its path toward possessing nuclear weapons.

“We cannot allow our foreign policy in the Middle East to be subordinated to the State of Israel,” Vance said during the All-In Summit.

At a time when the confrontation between the United States and Iran has continued for the seventh month, and its repercussions on navigation in the Strait of Hormuz are worsening, US Vice President J.D. Vance said that the conflict will enter a “completely different phase” within two months, without clarifying the nature of the new phase.

His statements come in light of President Trump's previous assurances that the war will end "immediately after" the midterm elections, indicating a new path of confrontation that coincides with the midterm congressional elections next November.

Vance said, in an interview with the New York Post on board Air Force 2, that President Donald Trump is correct in his expectation that the war will enter a different phase within two months, adding that Trump, as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, is the one who determines “when conflicts begin and when they end.”

The US Vice President added: “We cannot predict the future, but I think the president is right in saying that this matter will enter a completely different phase in two months.”

In an attempt to respond to the growing criticism within the United States, Vance acknowledged that there was “a degree of impatience among the American people,” but said that the United States “is not participating in aggressive operations” at the present time.

Vance also indicated that navigation traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has regained more than 50 percent of its normal levels, adding that the Iranian regime is gradually losing control over the Strait, and will continue to lose it until the midterm congressional elections.

But preliminary shipping data indicates the opposite; It explained the continued turmoil in the Strait of Hormuz, as only four ships crossed the strait on Tuesday, compared to 7 ships the day before, a number significantly lower than the average of the past ten days of 18 ships per day. The transit movement included two ships that entered the strait and two ships that left it, while none of them were giant crude oil tankers or liquefied natural gas tankers.

Before the outbreak of war on February 28, the Strait witnessed the crossing of about 125 large commercial ships daily, including oil and gas tankers, cargo ships, and containers. Nearly 20 percent of the world’s daily supplies of crude oil and liquefied natural gas passed through the Strait.

Tracking data does not necessarily reflect complete navigation; Some ships can turn off transmitters and receivers that determine their identity and location, and therefore do not appear in preliminary statistics.

While the military and economic pressure on Iran continues, China has entered the crisis line again, calling on Washington and Tehran to exercise restraint and return to the diplomatic track.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, during his meeting with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi in Beijing on Wednesday, that the two sides must show wisdom and restraint, return to the “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding” and engage in substantive consultations.

Wang also urged all parties to take measures to reopen the Strait of Hormuz “as soon as possible,” warning of the repercussions of the continued crisis on the stability of energy transport and global supply chains.

The Chinese minister expressed his country's concern about the tension spreading to other regions, saying that Beijing "does not want to see regional tensions extend further to the Red Sea."

Wang called on Washington and Tehran to “rebuild the negotiation mechanism” based on the understandings previously reached, at a time when Beijing is preparing to host high-level talks with the American side.

Chinese positions gain additional importance in light of economic relations with Iran. China is the main buyer of Iranian oil and Tehran's largest trading partner. Beijing has repeatedly called for the restoration of normal and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, while avoiding direct criticism of Tehran regarding its threats to navigation.

Wang said that the current developments prove once again that “the existing security structure in the Middle East is insufficient,” calling for its reform and strengthening, while stressing at the same time the stability of his country’s policy towards Iran.

For his part, Araqchi said that Iran, despite its readiness to defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity and security, welcomes diplomatic solutions that guarantee the rights of Iranians.

This comes at a time when Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirms that his country does not want war, while expressing its readiness to return to the negotiating table, on the condition that it responds to Iranian demands. Pezeshkian had also warned of the repercussions of the economic and living crisis on the country's cohesion, stressing the need to address these pressures so that Iran does not find itself forced to negotiate from a position of weakness.

On the ground, several explosions were heard on the Iranian island of Qeshm on the night of Tuesday - Wednesday, without an official announcement about their nature or causes. The official Iranian news agency, IRNA, quoted local sources as saying that the sounds of explosions came from the sea.

Explosions have been heard repeatedly on the island located in southern Iran in recent days. Four days ago, local sources reported two explosions from the sea side, while the authorities in Hormozgan Province said earlier that the sounds of explosions in the region resulted from the activity of air defense systems as part of testing and evaluating their capabilities.

These developments coincided with escalating tension in the Strait of Hormuz, including renewed American bombing of Iranian drone boats, which kept the strategic waterway at the heart of the confrontation between the two countries.

The future of the Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most prominent issues hindering reaching a settlement between Washington and Tehran. Iran adheres to a major role in managing navigation traffic, in coordination with the Sultanate of Oman, and proposes the possibility of imposing passage fees or fees for services provided to ships. The United States opposes this proposal, and insists that commercial ships should be able to cross the strait without restrictions.

Tehran and Muscat had held discussions over a long period on navigation management arrangements, but the disagreement over the nature of these arrangements contributed to the complexity of the broader negotiations between Iran and the United States.

As disputes continued over Hormuz, among other issues, the initial agreement reached in June collapsed, and the war entered its seventh month without clear signs of a final settlement.

In light of the continuing military tension, the decline in ship traffic, and the overlapping of American, Iranian, and Chinese interests regarding energy security, the Strait of Hormuz appears to be more than just an arena for direct confrontation. It has also become a main axis for any possible negotiating track between Washington and Tehran, while pressure is increasing to keep the crisis confined to its current borders and prevent it from spreading to other regions in the Middle East.