WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has denied reports that he instructed Vice President JD Vance to restart peace negotiations with Iran, saying recent contact with Tehran was aimed at helping deliver medical supplies rather than launching a new diplomatic initiative.
The statement has added uncertainty over Washington’s intentions towards Iran, as media reports suggest that a letter from Vance to Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei explored the possibility of reviving negotiations.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Vance sent the letter to Rezaei in an effort to assess prospects for renewed talks between the two countries. Trump acknowledged authorising the communication while rejecting the suggestion that its purpose was to begin peace negotiations.
Speaking to reporters, the US president said the contact was related to facilitating the supply of medical equipment to Iran.
However, a separate report by US news outlet Axios said Vance’s letter stressed that Iran’s nuclear programme would need to be addressed in any future negotiations.
The differing accounts have raised questions about whether the communication was primarily humanitarian in nature or also intended to explore a possible diplomatic opening between Washington and Tehran.
Neither account, as described in the reports, establishes that formal peace negotiations have resumed. Details about any response from Rezaei or further diplomatic contacts were not provided in the supplied report.
The development comes amid continued uncertainty over US policy towards Iran, with reports suggesting that Washington could consider renewed military action after the November 3 midterm elections.
No final decision on a new military operation was detailed in the report, leaving the future direction of US-Iran relations unclear.
Trump’s remarks appear to rule out the interpretation that he authorised Vance’s letter specifically to restart peace talks, while the reported emphasis on Iran’s nuclear programme suggests that the possibility of future negotiations remains a subject of discussion.
For now, the competing accounts highlight the uncertainty surrounding diplomatic contacts between the two countries, with humanitarian assistance, nuclear concerns and the risk of renewed confrontation all forming part of the wider debate over what comes next.
