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Vance Sends Letter to Iranian Official to Restart Peace Talks
Confirmed
In Short: Vice President JD Vance has sent a letter to Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council and a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), in an effort to restart stalled peace negotiations, according to The Wall Street Journal, citing U.S. officials.
Vice President JD Vance has sent a letter to Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council and a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), in an effort to restart stalled peace negotiations, according to The Wall Street Journal, citing U.S. officials.
The outreach was authorized by President Donald Trump, who was aware of the initiative, one source told the Daily Sabah.
Vance’s letter and subsequent discussions between U.S. and Iranian officials have not included specifics for a peace proposal but instead focused on a possible framework for negotiations, said a person familiar with the matter.
The letter was sent at Trump’s direction, one person said, and Trump is aware of the outreach.
The reported outreach comes at a critical point in the conflict, with Washington threatening fresh military action after the November 3 midterm elections and Tehran signaling that a proposed agreement could be implemented in less than a week.
Vance’s outreach comes as Republicans are bracing to lose seats in the House and Senate as a result of the midterms, potentially ceding control of one or both chambers.
Trump separately acknowledged that he had approved Vance’s contact with Tehran, but disputed reports that Vance had contacted a senior Iranian official to revive peace negotiations.
Trump told reporters Tuesday night, “While our Brave Armed Forces are fully prepared to defend the Homeland, Iran continues to give diplomacy a chance to succeed.”
What this adds
The outreach aims to determine whether sufficient common ground exists to restart negotiations rather than presenting a detailed peace proposal.
Vance's letter stressed the need to address Iran's nuclear program in any renewed talks, according to Axios, citing a U.S. official.
What's confirmed
- Vance sent a letter to Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council and a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to U.S. officials and people familiar with the matter cited by the newspaper.
What's still developing
- A “memorandum of understanding” struck in June collapsed two weeks after it was signed amid conflicting interpretations of how to unlock shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
- “We’re not negotiating with them, we are going to have something one way or another, it’ll happen soon,” he said.
- Trump said last week the administration wasn’t talking with the Iranians, and hinted at forthcoming strikes.
- He argued for more robust diplomacy before Trump launched “Operation Epic Fury” in February.
- “They’ve wanted to make a deal, but they like tapping it along. Maybe they’re waiting for the election or something—but that’s not gonna help them,” Trump told reporters Tuesday night.
- Vance is testing whether Tehran and Washington could find enough common ground to persuade Trump not to give a final order for a short, intense attack on Iran in the coming weeks.
- “We remain in close and ongoing contact with intermediaries to review ideas that can ensure implementation of our 7-Day Plan in even less than a week,” Araghchi wrote on X.
- “No. Iran needs help with medical supplies. Basically, it’s getting supplies in to help people that are not well,” Trump said.
- The Wall Street Journal described the initiative as an attempt to determine whether sufficient common ground existed to restart negotiations rather than a detailed peace proposal.