Vance weighs direct talks with Iran’s Rezaei to end war

Vice President JD Vance is considering in-person talks with Mohsen Rezaei, a senior Iranian security official, and would make himself Washington's main negotiator in an effort to end a war that has become a burden for Republicans. The Wall Street Journal reported this on Wednesday, citing U.S. and Middle Eastern officials. President Trump has recently told senior advisers and foreign allies that he is open to Vance restarting negotiations and has given him authority to hold talks, though officials said discussions of a direct meeting are still at an early stage, according to the Journal.wsj.com

The report builds on a letter Vance sent in late October to Rezaei, a former Revolutionary Guard commander who now serves as secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. Rezaei has said Tehran will not negotiate until its core demands are met, the Economic Times reported.economictimes.indiatimes.com

Mixed signals from Washington

The Journal and The New York Times reported that the letter was sent at Trump's direction. Trump later denied that he had told Vance to restart peace talks. "They need help with medical supplies and various things," he told reporters on October 28, Dawn reported. The letter reportedly offered a personal meeting and said Iran's nuclear program had to be part of any talks, according to Iran International, which cited The Washington Post.dawn.com+1

Trump has alternated between diplomacy and threats. On Monday, November 9, after meeting Qatar's prime minister, he said Iran was "militarily, effectively over" but that U.S. forces remained "locked and loaded," Iran International reported. Earlier, Vance told reporters that he and Trump "both feel pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement," AP reported.iranintl.com+1

Tehran keeps its distance

Rezaei said on October 31 that the U.S. "tone has completely changed" and called this a "good sign," but he said he had not replied to the letter, Iran International reported. He has since taken a harder line. He wrote "STOP manufacturing FAKE NEWS about imaginary talks" on X and demanded that Washington accept Tehran's seven conditions, which include an end to hostilities and the release of frozen assets, according to Iran International and Latin Times. On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there were no plans for Rezaei to meet Vance. That came after Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin said the two were set to meet in Doha next week, Iran International reported.lranintl.com+2

Political stakes for Vance

Leading on Iran diplomacy could be politically risky for Vance, U.S. officials told the Journal. He is seen as an early contender for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination and has publicly backed the war while privately voicing doubts about extending it, the Economic Times noted. A June memorandum collapsed within weeks. The two sides remain split over sequencing. Washington wants nuclear concessions first, and Tehran wants economic relief first. Kalin said the main dispute is "which side would take the first step," Iran International reported.iranintl.com+2