JD Vance holds indirect talks with Iran on a new ceasefire for a second week

Indirect talks with the personal involvement of the vice president

US Vice President JD Vance has personally taken part in indirect contacts with Iran for the past two weeks, aimed at a new ceasefire agreement and the resumption of nuclear talks. This was reported by Axios, citing two sourcesfamiliar with the situation; Anadolu briefly summarized the report. According to the sources, Vance speaks almost daily with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Pakistan's army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, and other mediators; White House special envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner are also involved in the process.

A letter to Tehran and a planned but unrealized meeting

Axios sources said that Vance and the mediators discussed holding a working technical meeting between the two sides in the coming days, but it has not yet taken place. Two weeks ago, according to the outlet, Vance sent a letter to the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei proposing a return to direct talks; Iranian officials, according to Axios, said the letter created a positive impetus. Gazeta.Ru, citing the same sources, notes that the dialogue is moving extremely slowly, although some progress has already been made. Vance himself, as Anadolu reports, said that the war with Iran was the main reason for the Republicans' defeat in the US midterm elections held this week.

Contacts amid ongoing military tension

The diplomatic track is developing against the backdrop of continuing military incidents. US President Donald Trump confirmed the fact of contacts with Tehran, but on the same day the American military struck a surface-to-air missile launcher on Iran's Qeshm island in the Strait of Hormuz — according to Gazeta.Ru, in response to a missile launch from that territory toward a US Air Force fighter jet. In addition, Fox News, citing sources, reported that the US may resume its military campaign against Iran on November 9, when the new moon occurs in the Middle East; earlier reports mentioned the redeployment of American forces to the region. On Friday, Trump spoke with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who, according to his office, stressed the need to continue dialogue and prevent further escalation. Thus, the diplomatic and military tracks are developing in parallel: the technical meeting between the sides that Axios sources spoke about has not yet taken place, and reports of a possible resumption of strikes remain officially unconfirmed.