VP Vance to Join Iran Talks

Iran has refused to engage with two of President Donald Trump’s top envoys while signaling openness to talks with Vice President JD Vance, exposing deep mistrust as tentative diplomatic efforts continue alongside the war.

According to Gulf sources cited by The Telegraph, Iranian officials have rejected negotiations with US envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner, accusing both men of betraying Tehran during earlier rounds of diplomacy.

“They stabbed us in the back,” one source described the Iranian position, referring to talks that took place shortly before the launch of US-led strikes on Iran. The operation, known in Israel as Operation Roaring Lion and in the United States as Operation Epic Fury, appears to have fundamentally eroded Tehran’s willingness to deal with those directly involved.

Iranian officials reportedly believe that while negotiations were ongoing, Washington was already preparing military action, a perception that continues to shape their approach to current diplomatic contacts.

In contrast, Tehran has indicated it is open to engaging with Vice President JD Vance, who was not centrally involved in earlier negotiations and is viewed by Iranian officials as more skeptical of military escalation.

“Vance is the preferred option,” one Gulf source said. “They don’t want to work with Kushner or Witkoff.”

The shift highlights both a tactical recalibration by Iran and a broader credibility problem facing the Trump administration’s diplomatic team.

Trump, however, has publicly downplayed any internal divisions in his negotiating framework. Speaking at the White House, he insisted that multiple senior figures are involved in the effort.

“Vance is involved and Marco is involved and Witkoff is involved and Kushner is involved. I’m involved too,” Trump said, adding that the stakes of the negotiations are too high to detail publicly.

The president has repeatedly claimed that talks with Iran are progressing, describing them as “very good and productive” and suggesting that a broader agreement to end hostilities could be within reach.

Tehran has publicly contradicted those claims.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has reiterated that it will not enter negotiations until it achieves its military objectives, while also maintaining its hardline position on the Strait of Hormuz, which remains effectively closed to vessels linked to countries involved in the conflict.

Behind the scenes, however, there are signs of limited engagement.

Sources familiar with the discussions told The Jerusalem Post that Iran’s skepticism toward US intentions has led Washington to involve Vance more directly, in an effort to convince Tehran that the talks are genuine and not a pretext for further military action.

“Twice we sat down for talks, twice we scheduled another meeting — and instead of a meeting, we got a war,” an Iranian message conveyed to US officials said, according to one source. “You lied to us.”

The fragile diplomatic track is unfolding as the Pentagon prepares to escalate its military posture in the region. The Wall Street Journal reported that the deployment of elements from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East could be approved within hours, signaling continued US readiness for a broader conflict.

The parallel tracks of negotiation and escalation underscore the central tension of the current moment: both sides are talking about ending the war while simultaneously preparing for it to expand. For now, any potential breakthrough appears constrained not just by strategic disagreements, but by a basic lack of trust.