Vance Privately Said Netanyahu Was 'Wrong on Everything' on Iran War, Axios Reports

US Vice President JD Vance privately accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being 'wrong on everything' about the Iran war, according to reports. The clash exposes tensions within the Trump administration.

The clash, reported by Axios on November 4, comes after Republicans lost control of both chambers of Congress in Tuesday's midterm elections. Vance publicly blamed the war for the party's defeat while urging President Donald Trump to pursue a negotiated settlement rather than renewed military strikes.

Later on Wednesday, Vance wrote on X: 'The reason we lost is the war.'

Natan Sachs, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, told Fox News Digital that low-level hostility between Vance and Netanyahu is beneficial for Vance. In his words, it allows Vance to create some distance from the Trump administration, which has just taken a huge electoral beating, and also to position himself in a very different position than President Trump himself without attacking Trump.

According to reports, Vance has led a faction of senior administration officials urging Trump to negotiate an end to the conflict. They warned that the unpopular war could cost Republicans control of Congress.

Netanyahu, meanwhile, had urged Trump to resume strikes against Iran ahead of the midterms. But Trump held off after endorsing Netanyahu for reelection in Israel.

Sachs said Vance's main concern appeared to be the prospect of overthrowing Iran's government after Netanyahu presented Trump with a plan for regime change. Many opposition leaders in Israel are skeptical that regime change can be brought about through an air campaign, and Sachs added that such a campaign could have the opposite effect and strengthen the regime.

As previously reported by Fox News Digital, Vance had also declined to endorse Netanyahu's reelection campaign and criticised Israeli government officials who opposed Trump's efforts to end the Iran war.

Sachs said the Israeli election further complicated the relationship, leaving Netanyahu's political future uncertain and raising the possibility that Vance could have to work with a different Israeli leader. Sachs also raised the question of whether, if Netanyahu is not Israel's leader, Vance would continue a confrontational line with new leadership or say it was all Netanyahu and a different path is now possible.

Sachs also said Netanyahu is a very easy target here, both because there are very real differences of opinion and Netanyahu's role was important, and because this way Vance can criticise the war and criticise Netanyahu without saying any bad word about Trump.

According to the AP Voter Poll, roughly 6 in 10 voters said US military action against Iran was the wrong decision.

The reports also raise questions about Vance's potential 2028 presidential ambitions, the report said.