The White House is considering a shift in its approach to the conflict with Iran by empowering Vice President JD Vance to conduct direct talks to end the war, the Wall Street Journal reported. President Trump has given Vance the authority to restart negotiations, including potential face-to-face meetings with Iranian officials, though internal administration debates persist over prior strategy and the current discussions remain preliminary.
The reports of diplomatic progress were dismissed by Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, who called accounts of negotiations in Qatar “lies” intended to lower oil prices and ease economic pressure. While Iran’s Foreign Ministry stated it remains open to diplomacy, Rezaei said Tehran has already rejected a first response from Washington to its seven preconditions, citing “deception” in the offer.
Tehran maintains that any agreement requires an end to the wars in Gaza and Lebanon and has stated it will not export enriched nuclear material. These disputes follow a reported effort by Qatar to secure a 2 week window to avert U.S. military strikes, with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani noting that significant disagreements remain over the unfreezing of Iranian funds and the lifting of a naval blockade.