With Trump's Mandate, Vance Considers Direct Talks with Razaee to End War

US officials told The Wall Street Journal that Vice President JD Vance is considering holding direct face-to-face talks with Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

According to sources, this comes as Vance emerges as the main negotiator with Iran in an effort to end a war seen as a burden on the Republican Party.

The officials told the newspaper that President Donald Trump informed his senior aides and counterparts in recent days that he is open to Vance resuming talks with Iran and granted him authorization to negotiate.

US officials confirmed to the newspaper that discussions about sending Vance to hold direct meetings with Iranian officials are still in their early stages.

People familiar with the discussions told the newspaper that Doha was proposed as a possible location for the next phase of negotiations, should Vance and Iranian officials agree to meet.

In October, Vance sent a message to Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s top security body, requesting a meeting. Although no date has been set yet, the two countries are conducting talks through intermediaries and allies regarding the next steps.

According to the newspaper, a direct meeting between the US Vice President and senior Iranian security officials would be unusual and reflects the extent of Vance’s willingness to go far in his efforts to end the war.

Officials stated that Vance has recently taken a more active role in diplomacy related to Iran compared to special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who are also negotiating to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Some officials believe that positioning Vance as the primary interlocutor with Iran carries political risks; it could make him the face of another round of peace talks that may fail if Iran refuses to make substantive concessions. Conversely, Vance could emerge as a victor who succeeded in ending an unpopular conflict.

Two officials noted that Trump criticized, in private conversations in recent weeks, the memorandum of understanding concluded in June, which Vance helped negotiate, questioning whether it represented a costly mistake; he views it as having given Iran vital time to regroup and generate oil revenues before the US imposed a naval blockade.

A White House official denied that Trump had changed his mind regarding the memorandum of understanding, confirming that the negotiators acted in good faith, according to the newspaper.

Within the White House, Vance also stood out by publicly blaming the war, considering it the reason behind the Republican Party’s disastrous performance in midterm elections. For his part, Trump said he understands Vance’s position but affirmed that he would do the same thing again.

Other administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, defended President Trump’s decision to enter the war, stating that Trump had no other choice to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

A White House official stated that only Trump knows what his next step toward Iran will be.

According to people familiar with their orientations, Iranian officials require, as a condition for returning to the negotiating table, that the US lift the blockade, release frozen assets, and ease sanctions imposed on the oil sector.

Intermediaries suggested immediate measures to build confidence between the parties. Middle Eastern officials stated that these measures include the US withdrawing its aircraft carriers to a sufficient distance to limit the risk of widespread strikes, and easing the blockade on Iranian ports. In return, Iran would allow 25 tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the officials.

According to the newspaper, Iranian diplomats express doubts in private about the possibility of reaching an agreement. They fear that Trump might resort to launching an attack to justify his previous decision to enter the war, noting that previous negotiation rounds were halted due to Israeli and American strikes.

Other Middle Eastern officials fear that Ahmad Vahidi, the hardline commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary Guard, has greater influence than Rezaei—who is considered less hardline—and that he could undermine any talks with the United States.

Rezaei has escalated his rhetoric in recent days amid growing rumors about a potential meeting with Vance. He described any negotiations as “fake talks,” affirming that Iran “will not remove even a grain of enriched nuclear material from the country.”

The newspaper observed that “these statements perhaps help Rezaei maintain his position; especially since the conciliatory steps taken by Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the parliament speaker—who talked with Vance in Islamabad—ultimately led to his marginalization.”

Trump renewed his threats of strikes in remarks made on Monday afternoon from the White House, indicating that the US maintains the status quo regarding the blockade but may change course.

Trump said: “I hope we can reach an agreement with Iran,” adding that the US is sending another aircraft carrier to the region and is “fully prepared and at full strength” to act if necessary.

Vance’s recent peace efforts—which involved talks with Iran in Switzerland during June—resulted in a ceasefire and the signing of a memorandum of understanding, but did not lead to any Iranian commitments to limit its nuclear program or relinquish control over navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

The newspaper noted that “within the administration, the debate over the next step has shifted from whether to reignite the war to whether it is better to resume peace talks or simply maintain the naval blockade and sanctions on Iran until its leaders are ready to conclude a viable peace agreement.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Tuesday, on the sidelines of the Group of Seven ministers’ meeting in Paris, that “at this stage, the economic campaign—with the pressures it imposes and the damage it inflicts on the Iranian regime—is bearing fruit very well, to the point that the President does not actually need to carry out large-scale combat operations.”

He added that the US military remains on standby to confront Iran if it crosses any red lines.

Two US officials stated that Rubio and Stephen Miller, who assumed the role of White House Chief of Staff, support continuing the pressure campaign on Iran and waiting for Tehran to yield.