Trump Redirects Vance After Report of Possible Direct Talks With Iran
Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United States does not need an agreement with Iran and told JD Vance to focus on domestic issues, a day after reports that his vice president was considering direct talks with Tehran.
Trump's statement shifted the immediate focus of a diplomatic story that had centered on a possible meeting between Vance and Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. Reuters reported the president's instruction to concentrate on alleged crime and corruption in Democratic governed cities and states. Trump also claimed that American control over Iranian funds and the Strait of Hormuz gave Washington sufficient strength.
A Possible Meeting Meets a New Message
The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that Vance was considering meeting a senior Iranian security official directly. The newspaper said Trump had empowered Vance to pursue negotiations.
Rezaei denied that a meeting was planned, according to Walla's account of the diplomatic contacts. The two positions left an important distinction for anyone following the earlier deadlock in US and Iranian talks: an American discussion about a meeting was still awaiting agreement from the other side.
Qatar Confirms Its Mediation
Qatar's Foreign Ministry supplied a separate, official account of the diplomatic activity. In a 10 November briefing, ministry spokesman Ibrahim bin Sultan Al Hashmi said Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani had met Vance in Washington the previous day and subsequently met Trump at the White House.
The ministry said the discussions concerned the regional situation and ways to advance negotiations between Washington and Tehran. It described Qatari mediation as continuing in coordination with regional and international partners.
The June Memorandum Remains Disputed
Ynet's account of the Wall Street Journal reporting said Trump had privately criticized the June memorandum of understanding, arguing that it gave Iran time to recover and increase oil revenues before the American naval blockade. The White House denied that he regretted the memorandum and defended the negotiators' conduct.
The same reporting described Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Stephen Miller as supporters of maintaining pressure on Iran. Tehran's demands included lifting the blockade, releasing frozen assets and easing oil sanctions before renewed talks. Rezaei also publicly rejected sending enriched nuclear material out of the country, according to Ynet.
Israel Watches the Terms of Any Agreement
For Israel, the practical questions are what limits an agreement would place on Iran's nuclear activities and how economic or maritime concessions would be linked to those limits.
Israel is also maintaining military preparations concerning Iran. Netanyahu briefed Eisenkot in Jerusalem on Thursday, while a Security Cabinet meeting is expected on Sunday.
