Earlier phone calls and meetings between the two officials were also described by officials as tense or difficult, according to reporting from Financial Times. In March, Vance told Netanyahu during a phone call that several of the Israeli prime minister's predictions about the war had proved overly optimistic, according to Axios. Vance took a lead role in defending the U.S.-Iran memorandum, which Netanyahu opposed but declined to publicly criticize, hoping instead that the agreement would collapse on its own, according to sources cited by Axios. Both officials and their teams confirmed agreement to continue pursuing cooperation on areas of mutual interest and shared goals, according to a U.S. official quoted by Axios. The remarks come as Vance has emerged as the most Netanyahu-skeptical voice within Trump's national security circle, taking on an increasingly prominent role in Middle East policy and Iran negotiations over the course of the year.