Key Points
- Vance is considering direct talks with Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei, U.S. and Middle East officials said.
- Trump has empowered Vance to restart negotiations, sidelining envoys Witkoff and Kushner on the Iran file.
- Failure would tie Vance to an unpopular war he publicly blamed for Republican midterm losses.
The latest:
Vice President JD Vance is weighing a face-to-face meeting with Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s top security body, as he takes over as lead negotiator with Tehran, U.S. and Middle East officials and people familiar with the talks said. Trump has told aides he is open to Vance restarting negotiations. U.S. officials stressed the discussions remain preliminary, and no date has been set.
Details:
- The letter: Vance wrote to Rezaei in October requesting a meeting, officials said. No date has been fixed, but the two governments are communicating through mediators and allies about what comes next. A direct meeting between a sitting vice president and senior Iranian security officials would be highly unusual.
- Who is out: Vance has taken a more active role on Iran than special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who are also working to end the Russia-Ukraine war, U.S. officials said. A spokesman for Vance declined to comment, and a White House official said only Trump knows his next move.
- The political bet: Some U.S. officials said becoming the primary interlocutor is risky: Vance would own another round of talks that could collapse if Iran refuses major concessions. The alternative is that he emerges as the figure who ended an unpopular conflict.
- Trump’s doubts: Two officials said Trump has privately criticized the June memorandum of understanding Vance helped negotiate, questioning whether it let Iran regroup and collect oil revenue before the naval blockade. A White House official denied Trump had second thoughts and said negotiators acted in good faith.
- Iran’s price: Iranian officials want the U.S. to lift the blockade, release frozen assets and ease oil sanctions before talks resume, people familiar with their thinking said, arguing the midterm result lets Tehran drive a hard bargain. Rubio said Tuesday the demands are unrealistic but could change.
- The confidence package: Mediators proposed immediate steps, Middle East officials said: pulling U.S. aircraft carriers back far enough to reduce the risk of major strikes and easing the blockade on Iranian ports. In exchange, Iran would allow 25 tankers to cross the Strait of Hormuz.
- Rezaei’s line: As meeting rumors spread, Rezaei escalated, dismissing any negotiations as “imaginary talks” and insisting Iran will not remove a single particle of enriched material. Officials noted that Vance’s previous interlocutor, parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, was sidelined after conciliatory moves in Islamabad.
- The skeptics: Iranian diplomats privately doubt a deal is reachable, fearing Trump may still strike to vindicate going to war, and noting earlier talks were halted by Israeli and U.S. strikes. Some mediators cite harder messages relayed through Revolutionary Guard officials.
- The rival hardliner: Middle East officials worry that Guard commander in chief Ahmed Vahidi carries more weight than the less hawkish Rezaei and could undermine any agreement with Washington.
- The pressure camp: Rubio and new White House chief of staff Stephen Miller back maintaining the economic campaign and waiting for Tehran to fold, two U.S. officials said. Rubio told reporters in Paris the campaign is working so well Trump has no need for major combat operations.
Background:
Vance’s June talks in Switzerland produced a pause in fighting and a memorandum of understanding, but no Iranian commitment to limit its nuclear program or give up control over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran denies seeking a bomb while holding highly enriched uranium.
Between the lines:
The internal argument has moved past whether to resume fighting. It is now between restarting talks and holding the blockade until Tehran folds — with Vance on one side and Rubio and Miller on the other. Vance publicly blamed the war for the midterm losses; Rubio and Hegseth defended going to war. Trump said he understood Vance’s position but would do it again.
What’s next
Watch whether a date emerges for a Vance-Rezaei meeting, with Doha floated as a venue after Monday’s talks with the Qatari prime minister. Also watch the additional aircraft carrier Trump said is moving into the region.
