US Vice-President JD Vance has reportedly reached out to Mohsen Rezaei, a prominent Iranian hardliner, in an attempt to explore the possibility of negotiations as President Donald Trump considers resuming military action against Iran after next week’s US midterm elections.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Vance sent a letter to Rezaei at Trump’s direction. Rezaei is a senior figure in Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and a former longtime commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The outreach appears aimed at determining whether Washington and Tehran can establish enough common ground to prevent Trump from authorising a short, intense military attack on Iran in the coming weeks. The letter and subsequent exchanges between US and Iranian officials have reportedly focused on creating a framework for negotiations rather than outlining specific terms for a peace agreement, a person familiar with the matter told the newspaper.
However, the circumstances surrounding the outreach remain unclear. Trump acknowledged on Wednesday that Vance had contacted Iranian authorities, but disputed the suggestion that he had directed an effort to restart peace negotiations. He said the communication was intended to help Iran obtain medical supplies and other assistance.
Trump signals possible military action as Iran sets conditions
Last week, Trump said his administration was not negotiating with Tehran and suggested that developments could follow soon.
“We’re not negotiating with them, we are going to have something one way or another, it’ll happen soon,” the US President said.
Rezaei, meanwhile, has insisted that Iran will not enter negotiations with Washington unless its key demands are met first, highlighting the obstacles facing efforts to reduce tensions.
According to reports, Vance’s letter also stressed that Iran’s nuclear programme would have to be part of any negotiations. Washington wants Tehran to make major concessions on its nuclear programme, while Iran is seeking immediate economic relief.
Some US officials believe engaging Iranian hardliners could produce better diplomatic results. These figures have gained influence in Tehran since US and Israeli attacks killed Iranian regime leaders at the beginning of the war, according to the WSJ report.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has maintained that Tehran remains open to diplomacy despite preparing for further military confrontation.
“While our Brave Armed Forces are fully prepared to defend the Homeland, Iran continues to give diplomacy a chance to succeed,” Araghchi said.
Vance’s outreach comes ahead of US midterm elections
The reported diplomatic effort comes as Republicans face the possibility of losing seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate in the midterm elections, potentially surrendering control of one or both chambers of Congress.
The conflict with Iran and rising fuel prices have added to voter dissatisfaction with Trump and his fellow Republicans, making the war a significant political concern ahead of the November 3 elections.
Vance has publicly supported the military campaign against Iran but has privately expressed reservations about prolonging the conflict. Before Trump launched Operation Epic Fury in February, the vice-president had pushed for stronger diplomatic efforts.
Trump subsequently appointed Vance as the lead negotiator, and the vice-president travelled abroad twice to meet Iranian officials in an attempt to reach a final agreement.
A spokesman for Vance declined to comment on the reported contacts, while the White House referred questions to the vice-president’s team. Iran’s foreign ministry said it had no information about the outreach, and Rezaei and the Supreme National Security Council could not be reached for comment, according to the WSJ report.
Who is Mohsen Rezaei?
Rezaei, who commanded Iran’s Revolutionary Guard during the 1980s war with Iraq, has emerged as an influential hardliner amid mounting US threats against Tehran.
Earlier this month, he warned that Iran could target the United Arab Emirates, as well as data centres and internet cables across the region, if the conflict escalated.
His reported emergence as a potential interlocutor for Washington could also change the dynamics of negotiations. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Araghchi have previously played prominent roles in diplomatic engagement with the US.
Rezaei also held a rare meeting in Tehran on Sunday with senior security officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey. The meeting took place as regional countries sought to ease tensions, with previous visits more commonly involving diplomats rather than senior security officials, according to the WSJ.
Previous negotiations failed to produce lasting agreement
Repeated negotiations between Washington and Tehran have failed to deliver a durable settlement. A memorandum of understanding signed in June collapsed just two weeks later after the two sides disagreed over how to reopen shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump wants Iran to agree to major concessions on its nuclear programme, while Tehran is demanding immediate economic relief. The United States continues to block Iranian ports, and oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz remain affected.
The disruption has had wider consequences for energy markets, with higher fuel prices adding to economic pressures in the United States and other countries.
With no clear path to a diplomatic solution, Trump has warned that military action could resume after the midterm elections. He has also insisted that the conflict will end only when he decides the time is right.
“They’ve wanted to make a deal, but they like tapping it along. Maybe they’re waiting for the election or something, but that’s not gonna help them,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday night.
Vance’s reported outreach therefore comes as Washington continues to consider both diplomatic engagement and renewed military action, while Tehran maintains that its demands must be addressed before it agrees to negotiations.