JD Vance's straw man offensive on Iran
The war in Iran's first few months belonged to Marco Rubio. The secretary of state seemed to be everywhere at once: blanketing the airwaves, leading press conferences, and leaning over President Donald Trump’s shoulder to whisper in his ear. Vice President JD Vance had been relegated to the bench — seated alongside the equally sidelined Tulsi Gabbard — while Trump and Rubio ran the war from Mar-a-Lago.
TL;DR
- JD Vance has become the primary spokesperson for the war in Iran, overshadowing former Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
- Vance is leading negotiations for a memorandum of understanding with Iran's speaker of parliament, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf.
- Vance is accused of using straw man arguments, fabricating opposition to the war, such as claims of calls for massive troop deployments.
- The article suggests Vance's real target may not be war hawks but President Trump, whose threats Vance has been unwilling to condemn.
- Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, the Iranian counterpart, has a history of violence against protesters.
- Vance's comments about senior Iranian leadership and IRGC officials being open to change are questioned given Ghalibaf's background.