The details were reported Friday by Axios, citing one American and one Israeli source familiar with the matter.
According to an unnamed US source, Netanyahu had earlier tried to convince President Donald Trump that military action against Iran would be relatively straightforward and that the chances of regime change were higher than they actually were. The source added that Vance maintained a more realistic assessment of the situation.
US officials also believe some Israeli officials view Vance as not sufficiently hardline. There are concerns that efforts were made to undermine him, particularly as he has taken a more prominent role in discussions about ending the conflict.
Following the call, White House officials began to suspect that elements within the Israeli government may have been behind negative media leaks targeting Vance. The tense conversation reportedly included Vance telling Netanyahu that several of his earlier predictions about the war, especially the prospect of a popular uprising leading to regime collapse, had proven overly optimistic.
One US source said, “Before the war, Netanyahu presented the situation to the president as very easy. He suggested that regime change was far more likely than it really was. But the vice president approached these claims with realism.”
The day after the call, a right-leaning Israeli newspaper owned by donor Miriam Adelson published a report claiming that Vance had shouted at Netanyahu over settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
However, multiple US and Israeli sources have denied the accuracy of that report. Vance’s advisers suspect the story may have been leaked by Israeli sources, though an Israeli official denied the allegation, saying Netanyahu’s office had rejected the claims when asked by media outlets.
The Israeli Embassy in Washington declined to comment on the diplomatic exchange between the two leaders.
Meanwhile, Israel is reportedly concerned about Vance’s stance on ending the war with Iran. A senior US official said that if Iran cannot reach an understanding with Vance, it is unlikely to secure any deal at all, suggesting he represents its best possible negotiating partner. However, another Trump administration official dismissed the idea that Vance is pushing for a quick deal to exit Iran, calling it “an operation targeting J.D.”
The report comes amid growing speculation that Iran is interested in engaging directly with Vance. His advisers also suspect that critics in Israel may have circulated claims in Hebrew-language media alleging he had scolded Netanyahu over failing to curb settler violence, claims that both US and Israeli officials have rejected.
A former Iraq War veteran, Vance has long expressed skepticism about prolonged US military involvement, particularly in the Middle East. Even before the Iran conflict began, he was among the more cautious voices within the Trump administration, raising concerns about the duration of the war, its objectives, and the strain on US military resources.
Despite this, Vance has publicly aligned with the administration and supported the joint US-Israel strikes launched on February 28.
Earlier reports suggested that the head of Mossad had assessed that a successful operation could enable intelligence agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency, to help trigger a popular uprising in Iran that might ultimately lead to regime change.
According to The New York Times, Netanyahu had discussed this plan with the White House prior to the war. However, the plan was not implemented, and he has reportedly been frustrated by the possibility that Trump could halt the war at any moment.
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