The US has proposed holding talks with Iran that would be led by Vice President JD Vance and Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, with Turkey acting as the mediator, Al-Monitor reported on Monday, citing a Turkish source.
The report said that so far, there’s been no response from Iran, and Ghalibaf called reports from Israeli sources that he was speaking with US officials “fake news,” though other Iranian officials have acknowledged receiving messages from the US through mediating countries.
Iran’s position has been that it’s not seeking talks since it has been attacked twice while negotiating with the US. Iranian officials have also said that they don’t want a ceasefire without real guarantees that they won’t be attacked again in the coming months or years.
Middle East Eye reported that Turkey has been seeking an off-ramp for the war and has been engaging in talks with US and Iranian officials. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Sunday spoke with officials from the US, Iran, Egypt, Gulf Arab states, and Europe to discuss steps toward ending the conflict.
Fidan told reporters that Ankara was seeking a potential short-term ceasefire to allow time for negotiations, but said Israel was an obstacle to peace. “Israel may pursue a policy of prolonging the war and inflicting greater damage on Iran,” he said.
“In the face of such an approach, the stance the United States takes will become crucial. Israel gives the impression that it will not stop until it has eliminated the military and industrial targets it considers vital. The problem is that Israel does not want peace,” Fidan added.
President Trump claimed on Monday morning that the US and Iran had held talks over the past two days and could potentially reach a deal, but Iran has denied that any negotiations have taken place and suggested that Trump’s claims were an effort to manipulate global markets.
