Vice President Vance is taking center stage as the U.S. is poised to sign a preliminary deal with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, in what could prove to be a political opportunity or minefield as he seeks to tout his credentials ahead of 2028.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Trump said on Monday the vice president will represent the U.S. in a signing ceremony of the physical document with Iran in Switzerland if the deal ultimately goes through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a top Senate ally of Trump, then raised eyebrows in a post on the social platform X, where he referred to Vance as the \u201carchitect of the deal.\u201d Graham also mentioned some worries about the agreement given how Iran was describing it and said it should be presented to Congress for final approval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If Vance is seen as the face of a lasting deal to end the unpopular war, it could bolster his anti-interventionist bona fides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vance is widely seen as the Trump administration official who least wanted to enter the war, and while he has remained loyal to Trump throughout, the president has acknowledged Vance\u2019s relative coolness to the Iran intervention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Given that the American public, according to polls, is broadly skeptical of the war, that might not be a bad place for Vance to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet there is also skepticism of the deal from hawkish factions of the GOP, which could put Vance in a difficult position, particularly if an ensuing deal on Iran\u2019s nuclear program \u2014 to be negotiated over the next two months \u2014 falls apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGiven that Vance is in pole position, every ball he picks up is fraught with peril,\u201d said Dan K. Eberhart, a Republican donor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI would not want that specific assignment,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vance made the rounds on a number of U.S. morning shows on Monday to promote the deal, announcing that more details would be made available later this week. The vice president also previewed what to expect in the memorandum of understanding, describing it on CNN as a one and half page general document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s a great day for the American people,\u201d Vance told CNBC, noting oil prices plunging in response to the news and the \u201clong-term commitment that Iran will never develop or procure a nuclear weapon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThose are two very big wins for the American people,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vance also sought to quell potential concerns over the deal, addressing Graham\u2019s social media post in an interview with ABC\u2019s \u201cGood Morning America.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019d caution Lindsey Graham and anybody else not to believe the hard-liner propaganda in Iran but to believe what\u2019s actually in the agreement,\u201d the vice president said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One former Trump administration official said that Vance\u2019s status as an elected official makes him the best option to represent the U.S. in a signing ceremony in the case that it heads to Capitol Hill for approval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is signing something that could potentially be passed through the Senate as a treaty,\u201d the former official said. \u201cHaving it signed by an elected official of which the executive branch only has two is, I think, significant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vance also emphasized that Iran will not receive U.S. funds as a part of the deal unless Iran carries out what the vice president said were their obligations, such as giving up their nuclear program and putting a stop to funding terror activity across the Middle East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat we are saying is that we\u2019re willing to give significant sanctions relief if the Iranians make the kind of long-term commitments that are necessary to be a normal country,\u201d Vance told ABC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vance is also likely to get more questions on the agreement this week as he promotes his new book \u201cCommunion\u201d which is slated to come out on Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He\u2019s scheduled to visit ABC\u2019s \u201cThe View\u201d on Tuesday and is also expected to be a guest on Megyn Kelly\u2019s podcast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vance is widely seen as the most likely heir apparent to Trump as the next GOP presidential nominee, though he has some competition in the public eye, at least, from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Trump has not named a successor but has repeatedly referred to Vance and Rubio as a dream team for the 2028 Republican ticket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rubio has received widespread praise for his role in the administration, leading to questions of whether he is bound for a primary matchup against Vance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s kind of a jockeying underway, and I think it\u2019s important that the vice president himself [gets into] the arena and starts demonstrating some political heft of his own,\u201d said one Republican.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Others say the role Vance has taken on in regard to Iran is no different than the role he\u2019s played on other key issues in the administration like selling the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to voters and leading the administration\u2019s anti-fraud task force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis has sort of been a consistent role JD has played throughout the administration,\u201d said Alex Pfeiffer, a Republican strategist and former principal deputy White House communications director during Trump\u2019s second term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI sort of just see this as a continuation of JD\u2019s role as a spokesman or an advocate for administration policy wins,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rubio will likely play a key role in promoting the deal to his foreign counterparts at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in France this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat Cabinet all plays to a slice of the Republican base that got Trump into the White House,\u201d said Ford O\u2019Connell, a Republican strategist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The deal comes as Americans grapple with skyrocketing gas prices, which have played into Democratic messaging against Trump and Republicans on affordability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s unclear whether gas prices will go down in time to boost Republicans in November, but Vance\u2019s pitch of the deal to voters could serve as a blueprint for candidates in tough races.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think the biggest thing that\u2019s going to help the Republicans hold the House is getting gas prices back to pre-conflict levels, and that\u2019s what the deal is essentially going to do assuming we have the same deal in 60 days,\u201d O\u2019Connell said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf you hold the House, you have a better chance of the Republican ticket winning in 2028 versus not holding the House,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n