Iran Receives Vance Letter, Signals No Movement in Peace Deal Terms | Today’s news
(Bloomberg) — Iran has received a letter sent by U.S. Vice President JD Vance to his top security official, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported, with one of the country’s top negotiators later indicating that Tehran’s positions on ending the war would not be compromised.
Tasnim did not release the contents of the letter addressed to Mohsen Rezaee, the hardline head of the Supreme National Security Council, or say whether Tehran was preparing a response.
But in a post on X after the letter was reportedly received, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, one of Iran’s negotiators in previous talks to end the war, wrote that “Iran’s terms have been repeatedly and clearly communicated to the mediators.”
“The sugar and whip approach has no effect on Iran,” Ghalibaf continued, without mentioning Vance’s letter or saying whether his comments constituted a formal response.
Vance’s highly unusual approach comes as President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to resume airstrikes on Iran amid an impasse in negotiations to end the eight-month war. Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he had authorized Vance to contact Tehran, saying the letter was to help Iran with “medical supplies and various things,” without giving details.
The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Vance wrote to Rezaee in an effort to revive peace talks.
The development follows high-level talks in Tehran this week with officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan. The parties described the meeting as positive and agreed to continue discussions, although no formal second round has been set.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei reiterated earlier this week that his country has certain conditions that must be met before an end to the war can be agreed. At the heart of the impasse are Tehran’s continued attacks on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, while the US has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
Iran has repeatedly said in recent weeks that it remains open to diplomacy, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi writing on X Thursday that while “our Brave Armed Forces are fully prepared to defend the homeland, Iran continues to give diplomacy a chance to succeed.”
The U.S. and Israel began bombing Iran in late February, prompting retaliatory attacks by Tehran on Gulf countries that host U.S. military bases. The war has killed thousands – mostly Iranian civilians – and disrupted energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, roiling global markets.
–With help from Eltaf Najafizd and Sherif Tarek.
More such stories are available at bloomberg.com
