US Vice President JD Vance has written to an Iranian security chief to try to revive stalled peace talks, even as the White House weighs renewed strikes on Iran after next week's midterm elections.
According to the Wall Street Journal report, the letter went to Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council.
Rezaei is a hard-liner who led the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for longer than anyone else. One person familiar with the matter told the newspaper that Vance acted at President Donald Trump's direction and that Trump knew of the effort.
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The aim was to test whether the two sides could agree on a framework for negotiations. No detailed proposal has emerged.
Trump has given a different account. Asked by reporters at Joint Base Andrews whether he had told Vance to open talks, he denied it and said the contact was about medical supplies. "Iran needs help with medical supplies," he said.
The outreach comes at a tense moment. Earlier this week, US officials told Gulf and other regional allies to prepare for possible new military action and Iranian retaliation after the November 3 elections.
The war began in late February, when Trump launched "Operation Epic Fury". Trump has swung between seeking a settlement and threatening heavier bombing.
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Diplomacy has so far failed. A memorandum of understanding reached in June fell apart within two weeks, as the sides disagreed over how shipping through the Strait of Hormuz would be restored.
Talks mediated by Qatar and Pakistan have not broken the deadlock.
Washington wants nuclear concessions first, while Tehran wants immediate economic relief. Rezaei said last week that Iran would not negotiate until its core demands were met.
Rezaei's role matters for Tehran's own politics. His growing influence could push aside figures such as Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who have been more visible in earlier diplomacy.
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Araghchi said on Wednesday that Iran still wants diplomacy to succeed. Rezaei has also warned that Iran could target the United Arab Emirates, as well as data centres and internet cables across the region.
On Sunday, he met security chiefs from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey in Tehran.
The move is delicate for Vance, who has publicly backed the war but privately voiced reservations about prolonging it. He urged stronger diplomacy before the conflict began and later became Trump's lead negotiator, travelling abroad twice to meet Iranian counterparts.
He is seen as an early contender for the 2028 Republican nomination. Republicans fear midterm losses, with voters citing the war and high fuel prices.
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