Tehran Weighs Vance Letter as Trump Tells Gulf to Prepare
Iran was expected to reply on Thursday to a letter from JD Vance to its security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, proposing direct talks soon. US reports say the letter, passed on by Qatari mediators, insists the nuclear programme must be on the table from the outset. Trump has meanwhile told Gulf allies to prepare for a short, intense campaign after next week’s midterms.
The Wall Street Journal says the letter offered a “framework for negotiations” rather than peace terms. Its aim was to see whether the two sides could find enough common ground to persuade Trump not to order a final strike. The New York Times reported that Tehran’s leaders “received well” the letter, and Qatar or Turkey could host talks as early as next week, with Vance leading the US side as he did in June. Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday that Iran “continues to give diplomacy a chance”. Trump’s own talk of “another little Epic Fury” shows how little time is left.