Vance tells Tehran that nuclear talks are mandatory for ceasefire

Washington is signaling that any new pause in hostilities with Iran must include specific nuclear terms. US Vice President JD Vance outlined this requirement in a letter sent to Mohsen Rezaei, the country’s top national security official. Axios reported the details of the correspondence on Wednesday, citing a US official. Vance stated that negotiations aimed at stopping potential American attacks would require discussions on the nuclear issue. The letter marked the most senior-level communication from the White House to Tehran in several months.

President Donald Trump described the message as something he was enthusiastic about. Trump is currently evaluating whether to resume military strikes on Iran following the upcoming US midterm elections. The timing of the letter remains unconfirmed. The Wall Street Journal was the first outlet to report on the existence of the correspondence.

Rezaei holds a direct line to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. On Tuesday, Rezaei met with Khamenei after holding talks with representatives from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan. That session represented the first high-level contact between Iran and those three nations in recent months.

The diplomatic efforts overlap with a conflict over shipping safety in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian media have claimed that commercial vessels are hitting sea mines while transiting the waterway. US Central Command, or CENTCOM, has disputed those reports. In a post on X on Wednesday, CENTCOM stated that all internationally recognized primary transit routes have been cleared of sea mines by US forces and remain clear. The command noted that thousands of commercial vessels have used the lanes safely and continue to do so.