Arab News | JD Vance considers direct diplomacy with Iran to end war

DUBAI: US Vice President JD Vance is contemplating talks with a senior Iranian security official as Washington seeks a way out of the war with Iran, reported the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday.

According to the report, US President Donald Trump told foreign counterparts he was open to Vance taking the lead in renewed negotiations with Tehran, giving his vice president authority to pursue diplomatic efforts.

Washington and Tehran are communicating through mediators and regional allies about the next steps, according to the report, but no official date has been set yet.

The WSJ said Vance sent a letter in October to Iran’s secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, requesting a meeting.

The report notes that the move is a high-stakes gamble for Vance, where failed talks could leave him tied to a diplomatic breakdown, and a successful deal could boost his standing for helping end an unpopular conflict.

It also said Trump expressed skepticism regarding the June framework agreement brokered with Vance’s participation, reportedly contending that it enabled Iran to recuperate and accrue oil revenues prior to the imposition of a US naval blockade.

A White House official disputed assertions that Trump harbored doubts about the accord, stating that negotiators operated in good faith.

Vance has publicly connected the ongoing war in Iran to the Republican Party’s underwhelming performance in last week’s midterm elections, pointing to intensifying political pressure on the administration to resolve the conflict.