JD Vance thrust into Trump's high-stakes Iran gamble as secret plan is revealed after dramatic U-turn
Donald Trump is considering deploying JD Vance as a top negotiator with Iran as his faltering ceasefire threatens to collapse amid a fresh wave of ballistic missile strikes.
Vance could be called in to close a deal with the Islamic regime, with potential talks being held in Pakistan.
Special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would likely lead formal negotiations, but Vance could step in to seal any agreement, a US official told the Wall Street Journal.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has urged Trump to press on with the war, privately describing the conflict as a 'historic opportunity' to remake the region and pushing for US troops to seize Iranian energy sites and topple the regime.
Tehran may send Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to any talks, though he and other Iranian officials have signaled deep reluctance to engage, the WSJ reported.
US officials have suggested that Iran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, a hardline regime figure, could meet with the Trump delegation in Pakistan.
However, Ghalibaf is unlikely to leave Iran unless Vance also attends those talks, suggesting he may refuse to engage with Witkoff or Kushner.
Trump announced on Monday a five-day ceasefire on all strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure after what he described as 'very good conversations' aimed at ending the war. Top Iranian officials flatly rejected his claim that peace talks are underway.
Donald Trump (left) gives remarks as Vice President JD Vance looks on during an Executive Order signing event in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, March 16
Iran's medium-range ballistic missile called Hayber (Hurremshahr-4) is seen during the test launch as part of the promotional program organized with the participation of high-ranking military officials in Tehran, Iran on May 07, 2023
US sailors taxiing an F/A-18F Super Hornet, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 41, on the flight deck aboard Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), in support of Operation Epic Fury, on March 17
The ceasefire did not last the night. Iranian state media reported US-Israeli strikes hit two gas facilities and a pipeline on Monday, prompting Tehran to launch ballistic missiles at central Tel Aviv and Kuwait.
Vance has also held private calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the question of negotiations with Tehran, according to multiple reports.
'These are sensitive diplomatic discussions and the U.S. will not negotiate through the press,' White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told the Daily Mail. 'This is a fluid situation, and speculation about meetings should not be deemed as final until they are formally announced by the White House.'
Vance built his political career by advocating against foreign wars abroad in the Middle East and is viewed within Trump's inner circle as a non-interventionist voice.
Markets reacted positively to Trump's ceasefire on Monday, with the Dow surging 1,000 points in pre-market trading, the S&P and Nasdaq each jumping more than 2 percent, while oil dropped 10 percent.
However, as Tehran signaled they would not engage in future diplomatic talks with Trump and launched more ballistic attacks against American Gulf bases, oil rose back to over $100 a barrel.
Trump's faltering ceasefire came after he threatened over the weekend to bomb Iran's electricity grid unless the regime reopened the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.
Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the war has caused a global oil and energy crisis.
Smoke rises from the direction of an energy installation in the Gulf emirate of Fujairah on March 14
Tehran, so far, has not promised to reopen the passageway. Iran's stranglehold over the Hormuz is seen as it's greatest leverage of the US in the ongoing conflict.
Palestinians inspect the remains of a ballistic missile that landed in the West Bank village of Haris, near Salfit, March 24
Closing the Strait of Hormuz has proven relatively inexpensive for the regime, relying on drones and explosive suicide boats to disrupt global shipping
Gas prices have surged to an average of $4.00 a gallon nationwide up from $2.90 before the conflict began three weeks ago.
The narrow strait - through which a fifth of the world's oil flows - remains blocked by the threat of Iranian mines and missiles.
Tehran has so far refused to promise any reopening. Iran's stranglehold over Hormuz is seen as its greatest point of leverage over the US in the conflict.
Closing the Strait of Hormuz has proven relatively inexpensive for the regime, relying on drones and explosive suicide boats to disrupt global shipping.
Trump has also threatened to deploy US troops to seize Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf, through which 90 percent of Iran's crude oil exports pass.
