US Vice President JD Vance has taken charge of backchannel diplomacy with Iran over the past two weeks, and the effort matters beyond the negotiating table: an administration that lost ground in this week’s midterm elections is now testing whether a deal with Tehran can be reached before any decision on renewed military strikes, The Times of India reported. Trump has allowed the diplomatic channel to continue, while the US military stays prepared to resume strikes at short notice if talks fail.
Axios reports that Vance has been in touch nearly every day with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, and additional mediators across the region as he works to advance the negotiations. In a letter sent to Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, two weeks ago, Vance suggested restarting direct talks.
Negotiator Writes to Iran's Council
- Vance, who opposed the conflict before it began, is now the administration’s lead negotiator — writing directly to Tehran’s security council two weeks ago.
- Trump says the military option remains ready: “We’re talking to them,” he told reporters on Friday.
- A prior US-Iran memorandum of understanding in June collapsed within weeks when the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps resumed attacks on ships — the precedent both sides are negotiating against.
Vance’s Diplomatic Track, From Islamabad to a Letter to Rezaei
Before hostilities broke out at the close of February, Vance stood out as one of the most doubtful figures within Trump’s circle, favoring a diplomatic path rather than military action. He then headed the US delegation at the April summit on Iran held in Islamabad and took a hands-on role in the talks that led to a US-Iran memorandum of understanding in June.
The vice-president then headed the American delegation for direct talks with Iran in Switzerland. Those discussions ended with Tehran agreeing to invite UN inspectors to visit its nuclear facilities.
But the agreement did not hold. The understanding collapsed shortly afterwards when Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps resumed attacks on ships. That collapse is the central risk in the current round: the last diplomatic opening ended not at the negotiating table but with resumed attacks at sea.
Why the Midterms Put Vance in Front
Vance has linked the war to the Republican Party’s losses in this week’s midterm elections, per The Times of India. His involvement comes as the Trump administration explores a diplomatic way out of a conflict the vice-president had opposed before it began — a position that now aligns with the post-election political calculus.
Trump is allowing the effort to continue to see whether a deal with Tehran is possible. Asked about his message to Iran on Friday, he told reporters: “We’re talking to them.”
Doha’s Role as the Standing Channel
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said efforts to prevent further escalation had continued through coordination with officials in Washington and Tehran.
“For the past couple of weeks we have worked with colleagues in the US administration who have a genuine intention to find a way to contain the situation and to de-escalate it. Thanks to them and thanks to wise voices in Tehran we prevent it from getting out of control.”
The administration’s intention to find a diplomatic solution, he said, remained unchanged and a deal was possible.
The Timeline Both Sides Are Negotiating Against
| Date | Event | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| End of February | Conflict begins; Vance had advocated diplomacy | Vance overruled within the administration’s early posture |
| April | Islamabad summit on Iran; Vance leads US team | Negotiating channel established |
| June | US-Iran memorandum of understanding; Vance involved in talks | Tehran agrees to UN inspector visits |
| Shortly after June | IRGC resumes attacks on ships | Understanding collapses |
| Past two weeks | Vance writes to Rezaei; near-daily talks with Qatar, Pakistan mediators | Renewed backchannel effort underway |
Nor do they specify a timeline for direct US-Iran negotiations to resume; the current effort runs through mediators in Doha and Islamabad rather than a scheduled summit.
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