{"id":89140,"date":"2026-06-30T17:33:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T21:33:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/vance-and-rubio-chart-different-courses-on-iran-ahead-of-2028\/"},"modified":"2026-06-30T17:33:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T21:33:16","slug":"vance-and-rubio-chart-different-courses-on-iran-ahead-of-2028","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/vance-and-rubio-chart-different-courses-on-iran-ahead-of-2028\/","title":{"rendered":"Vance and Rubio Chart Different Courses on Iran Ahead of 2028"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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WASHINGTON \u2014 Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio appear to be charting separate courses when it comes to President Donald Trump’s national security agenda, even as both men publicly insist they are on the same page \u2014 and speculation grows about a potential rivalry heading into 2028.<\/p>

The two men bring very different backgrounds to their roles. Rubio is the son of Cuban immigrants with extensive Senate experience and a deep focus on Latin America. Vance, a Midwest native and Marine Corps veteran, served only two years in the Senate before being chosen as Trump’s running mate in 2024, largely on a platform of opposing foreign military entanglements.<\/p>

Their most visible difference has emerged over the Middle East. Vance has on multiple occasions voiced criticism of Israel and its military actions in Lebanon, stating that Trump has grown frustrated with Israeli strikes against the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah \u2014 moves that, in Vance’s telling, have complicated efforts to reach a deal with Tehran.<\/p>

Rubio, by contrast, has either backed Israel or stayed quiet on the Lebanon situation \u2014 a portfolio he has personally taken the lead on \u2014 and that effort produced a preliminary framework agreement last week.<\/p>

Foreign policy observers say the differences are real. “The talk about differences is not idle speculation,” said Dan Fried, a former assistant secretary of state and ambassador to Poland who now works with the Atlantic Council, a Washington think tank. “There is definitely something to it.”<\/p>

The White House pushed back hard against any suggestion of a divide. “Why is the legacy media obsessed with driving a wedge between Vice President Vance and Secretary Rubio that does not exist? There is one camp \u2014 President Trump’s camp \u2014 and the entire administration is fully behind the president’s efforts to ensure Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon,” said White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly.<\/p>

State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott echoed that sentiment, saying “Rubio and the entire administration is 100% in lockstep behind President Trump.”<\/p>

Behind the scenes, however, the picture is more complicated. According to Trump administration officials familiar with the situation, Rubio was skeptical enough about reaching a workable deal with Iran that he passed on leading the U.S. delegation to the first ceasefire talks held in April in Islamabad, Pakistan.<\/p>

Vance, seeing the episode as a chance to build his foreign policy r\u00e9sum\u00e9, reportedly asked Trump twice for the assignment before the president agreed, according to those officials, who requested anonymity to speak about internal deliberations.<\/p>

Vance went on to lead the U.S. team at those inconclusive Pakistan talks and again this month at negotiations in Switzerland, which followed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran. That agreement remains fragile, with both sides exchanging fire in recent days.<\/p>

“It’s rather unusual for the VP to be given the lead role in a negotiation, but it’s quite possible that Rubio is happy to let him. It’s a pig in a poke. It’s a loser job,” said Ian Kelly, a retired career diplomat and ambassador during the first Trump administration.<\/p>

Ian Kelly also noted that both men appear to harbor ambitions to succeed Trump, and that the president’s recent semi-joking suggestion that he would blame Vance if the Iran talks collapse may indicate Vance is being “set up for failure.”<\/p>

Vance has expressed cautious optimism about the Iran negotiations, while Rubio has publicly supported the effort but repeatedly struck a more noncommittal tone \u2014 all while rejecting any talk of division.<\/p>

“We’re all focused on the jobs in front of us. I think the president loves to stir the pot a little bit and loves the entertainment of it,” Vance said. He also spoke warmly of his relationship with Rubio: “I love Marco. I think he’s a great secretary of state. He’s become a very, very dear friend. I think both of us are very much focused on accomplishing the American people’s business right now.”<\/p>

Rubio likewise dismissed the notion of any conflict. “When it comes to foreign policy and national security, we have no drama. We have no games,” he told reporters last week during a stop in Bahrain, the final leg of a three-nation tour of Arab Gulf countries most directly impacted by the Iran conflict.<\/p>

“We have a group of people that work very well together and closely to execute on the president’s directives, which is why I think we’ve had good outcomes and good achievements, and we’re going to continue to have good outcomes and good achievements,” Rubio said. “Everyone has an important role to play, and everyone is playing that role and doing it in a collaborative process.”<\/p>

Trump, meanwhile, has not shied away from stoking the rivalry, repeatedly asking supporters at rallies which of the two men they would prefer to see succeed him, and even floating at one point that the pair could form an unbeatable ticket.<\/p>

Foreign policy analysts say the two men genuinely see the world differently. “Rubio speaks within the rubric of the Ronald Reagan construct of the free world and its importance,” Fried said. “Vance is not interested in the free-world construct. He speaks in the language of not wanting to fight what he believes are abstractions.”<\/p>

Fried cautioned that the current direction on Iran concerns him. “We’re headed toward a bad place in Iran, which is giving up any support for Iranian civil society and not being terribly good at containing Iran,” he said. “Instead, we seem to be allowing ourselves to be backed into a ‘sphere of influence’ situation where Iran is weaker but ends up better off than before. I can’t imagine Rubio agreeing to that.”<\/p>

Aides to Rubio have noted that he has repeatedly said he would step aside for Vance if the vice president decides to seek the 2028 Republican nomination. At the same time, Rubio has used his dual role as the nation’s top diplomat and national security adviser to reshape the National Security Council, placing several close allies in senior White House positions in recent weeks. Those include his former State Department counselor, Mike Needham, now serving as deputy national security adviser; Jeremy Lewin, who oversaw the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development and is set to join the NSC as a deputy for the Western Hemisphere; and Dylan Johnson, who heads NSC communications while also serving as assistant secretary of state for public affairs.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are taking noticeably different stances on Iran and the Middle East, even as both men deny any rift within the Trump administration. The two are widely seen as potential rivals for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination. Their diverging approaches have drawn attention from foreign policy experts and prompted pushback from the White House.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":89139,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[833],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-89140","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1782855196307.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbtNqq-nbK","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":45484,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/2028-presidential-hopefuls-vance-rubio-show-split-on-iran-war-strategy\/","url_meta":{"origin":89140,"position":0},"title":"2028 Presidential Hopefuls Vance, Rubio Show Split on Iran War Strategy","author":"Admin","date":"April 1, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are displaying contrasting approaches to the ongoing Iran conflict, potentially previewing a major divide in the 2028 Republican presidential race. 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The ongoing Iran conflict is highlighting their different approaches, with Vance taking a more cautious stance while Rubio strongly supports the military campaign.","rel":"","context":"In "Politics"","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1774779728798.jpg?fit=450%2C289&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":87065,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/vance-and-rubio-show-subtle-splits-on-iran-deal-and-israel\/","url_meta":{"origin":89140,"position":2},"title":"Vance and Rubio Show Subtle Splits on Iran Deal and Israel","author":"Admin","date":"June 26, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Despite the Trump administration insisting it speaks with one voice on foreign policy, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have shown notably different approaches to the Iran peace deal and Israel over the past week. Vance has taken a more diplomatic tone toward Iran and criticized\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Politics"","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1782451032356.jpg?fit=450%2C307&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":43913,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/jd-vance-tops-conservative-poll-for-2028-presidential-race\/","url_meta":{"origin":89140,"position":3},"title":"JD Vance Tops Conservative Poll for 2028 Presidential Race","author":"Admin","date":"March 28, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Vice President JD Vance emerged as the leading choice among conservative activists for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination in a recent straw poll. The survey shows Vance capturing 53% support, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio trailing at 35%.","rel":"","context":"In "Politics"","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1774732880127.jpg?fit=450%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":61841,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/vp-vance-makes-first-iowa-trip-since-taking-office-eyes-2028-presidential-run\/","url_meta":{"origin":89140,"position":4},"title":"VP Vance Makes First Iowa Trip Since Taking Office, Eyes 2028 Presidential Run","author":"Admin","date":"May 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Vice President JD Vance traveled to Iowa Tuesday to campaign for Rep. Zach Nunn, marking his first visit to the crucial early primary state since assuming office. The trip is being viewed as an early test of Vance's appeal among Iowa Republicans ahead of the 2028 presidential race.","rel":"","context":"In "Politics"","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1777956142495.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1777956142495.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1777956142495.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1777956142495.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":40768,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/democratic-leaders-begin-early-attacks-on-vp-vance-ahead-of-2028-race\/","url_meta":{"origin":89140,"position":5},"title":"Democratic Leaders Begin Early Attacks on VP Vance Ahead of 2028 Race","author":"Admin","date":"March 22, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Democratic governors and strategists are increasingly targeting Vice President JD Vance rather than focusing solely on President Trump, viewing the 41-year-old as the likely Republican frontrunner for 2028. 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