Vance contacts Iranian security chief to restart peace talks

A file photo of Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Tehran, Iran, June 4, 2026. /VCG A file photo of Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Tehran, Iran, June 4, 2026. /VCG US Vice President JD Vance has contacted Iranian security chief to revive peace talks that could stave off a renewed American assault on Iran, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Wednesday.Vance sent a letter to Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, the WSJ reported, in a move that one of the newspaper's sources said was directed by President Donald Trump.The letter – as well as subsequent talks between US and Iranian officials – focused on a possible framework for negotiations rather than specifics of a peace proposal, the report said.The WSJ also reported Wednesday that Washington had told several Gulf Arab countries to prepare for a possible "short, intense military campaign" against Iran after the US midterm elections on November 3.But the newspaper, citing people briefed on the conversations, said Trump had not made a final decision.Meanwhile, Iran's military has warned it would retaliate more widely against any new attack, with Rezaei saying it could strike US-related infrastructure including data centers and other artificial intelligence targets.The United States and Israel launched the war against Iran in late February, which has severely disrupted energy shipments from Gulf countries, causing global economic fallout.Iran began blockading the key Strait of Hormuz waterway, through which around a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas used to travel, after the conflict began and regularly attacks vessels that attempt to cross without its authorization.The United States has maintained a naval blockade of Iranian ports, seeking to squeeze the country's economy.(With input from AFP)