In Trump's shadow, Vance becomes face of Iran deal

As he defended the US-Iran deal at the White House press briefing on Thursday, Vice-President JD Vance brushed aside a question about whether President Donald Trump had positioned him as the "fall guy" for an agreement that is broadly unpopular with Republicans in Washington. "I think the president was joking," Vance said, referring to Trump's comment the previous day that he might blame the vice-president if the deal collapses. Vance has spent the week defending the memorandum of understanding with Iran. Yet he was often contradicted or overshadowed by Trump - and his uncertainty about the logistics of a signing ceremony he was planning to attend in Switzerland with Iranian leaders only further underscored his challenges in handling a defining issue of his vice-presidency. Late Thursday, the White House announced that Vance would ultimately not be travelling for the ceremony, at least for now. Despite all the challenges, Vance has still delivered a forceful defence of the deal. He also delivered a blunt rebuke of Israel's response to the agreement, going further in his criticisms than anything Trump has said in recent days. The timing is awkward for Vance, who just days ago publis