Vance reaches out to Iranian official to revive peace talks: WSJ

• US Vice President JD Vance has reportedly sent a letter to Iranian official Mohsen Rezaei at President Donald Trump’s direction.
• The outreach aims to explore whether a diplomatic compromise can avert a potential US strike on Iranian targets.
• The effort comes as Trump has threatened escalation while publicly dismissing ongoing negotiations.
• Tehran has maintained that formal talks depend on Washington addressing Iran’s core preconditions.

US Vice President JD Vance has initiated indirect diplomatic outreach to senior Iranian official Mohsen Rezaei in an effort to revive peace negotiations, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, as US President Donald Trump signals the possibility of further military action against Iran.

At Trump’s direction, Vance sent a letter to Rezaei, who has held senior positions within Iran’s political and security establishment, according to sources familiar with the matter cited by the newspaper. The outreach is intended to assess whether a diplomatic compromise can be reached before a potential short, high-intensity US strike on Iranian targets.

The initiative reflects an effort by some officials in the Trump administration to explore engagement with Iran’s hard-line leadership, which has consolidated its position following earlier US and ‘Israeli’ strikes targeting senior Iranian figures. Officials are reportedly seeking to determine whether a framework for negotiations can be established despite the deep divisions between Washington and Tehran.

The diplomatic move comes amid mixed signals from the White House. Last week, Trump dismissed the prospect of negotiations, saying: “We’re not negotiating with them, we are going to have something one way or another, it’ll happen soon.”

Vance’s communication has not reportedly laid out detailed terms for a peace agreement. Instead, the letter and preliminary contacts between officials have focused on establishing a possible framework for future discussions.

Significant obstacles remain, however. Rezaei has reiterated Tehran’s position that formal negotiations cannot proceed until Washington addresses Iran’s core preconditions, underscoring the uncertainty surrounding the latest diplomatic effort.

The report comes as Washington and Tehran remain divided over the terms of ending the conflict. Vance has previously said Iran must make a substantial, verifiable reduction in its uranium-enrichment capacity, while Tehran has insisted that Washington recognize its right to enrich uranium and meet other conditions before nuclear negotiations can begin. 

The latest outreach has yet to produce a concrete agreement, and it remains unclear whether the contacts will lead to formal negotiations or prevent a resumption of US military action.

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