Vice President JD Vance has contacted a top Iranian political and military official to propose a renewal of comprehensive peace negotiations, according to a senior U.S. official and an Iranian official with knowledge of the communication.
Mr. Vance made the outreach in a letter sent last week via Qatari meditators and delivered Sunday to Gen. Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and former commander in chief of the Revolutionary Guards Corps, the officials said. In the letter, Mr. Vance suggested that American and Iranian officials meet soon, adding that he would lead the talks for the United States.
The proposal was received well by Iran’s leaders, many of whom view Mr. Vance as an influential figure who could help bring an end to hostilities, the Iranian official said. Mr. Rezaei was expected to formally reply by Thursday.
Mr. Trump read the vice president’s letter and approved it before it was sent to Tehran, the U.S. official said. The White House referred comment to Mr. Vance’s office. A spokesman for Mr. Vance declined to comment.
The outreach by the vice president comes at a tense moment. President Trump has been weighing a possible renewal of active strikes against Iran, potentially after next Tuesday’s midterm elections. The U.S. military has drawn up an expanded list of targets to strike, including energy infrastructure and other sites vital to the Iranian economy.
Iran has warned that it would retaliate fiercely, targeting infrastructure and underwater cables in the region. And U.S. officials said last week that Iran was in advanced stages of planning attacks against Americans in the Middle East and other regions.
