Trump's Aid Claim, Strike Preparations Loom

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he approved Vice President JD Vance’s contact with Iranian authorities to seek medical supplies and other assistance, while denying he had directed Vance to restart peace negotiations. At the same time, US and Israeli officials are preparing for possible strikes after the November 3 elections, according to reports cited in the base article. The same apparatus is discussing aid, bargaining over nuclear oversight and preparing military action.

Humanitarian Supplies, Political Terms

“They need help with medical supplies and various things. He asked me what I thought. I said, ‘if you want to do that, that’s OK,’” Trump told reporters. “Basically, it’s getting supplies in to help people that are not well,” he added. Trump’s account described Vance’s outreach as assistance, not a peace initiative.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Vance sent a letter to Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, seeking to restart negotiations between Washington and Tehran. Axios, citing a US official, reported that the letter said talks to prevent further US military strikes would need to address Iran’s nuclear program. The official said Vance proposed contacting Rezaei, who has direct access to Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, and Trump supported the initiative. “The President was enthusiastic about the letter,” the official told Axios.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the outreach explored a possible framework for renewed talks, not a detailed peace proposal. Vance had privately expressed reservations about prolonging the war, which began in February, while publicly supporting the US military campaign, the newspaper reported. He previously led US negotiations with Iranian representatives, but those efforts produced no lasting agreement.

Washington is seeking nuclear concessions before economic relief. Tehran wants the United States to lift its naval blockade, release frozen Iranian funds and allow oil exports before negotiations move forward. The terms put economic restrictions and nuclear oversight at the center of negotiations conducted by governments, with relief and military pressure both part of the picture.

Mediators and Conditional Relief

Regional mediators led by Qatar, with support from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey, are working to restart talks, Axios reported. Qatari negotiator Ali al-Thawadi visited Tehran earlier this week to discuss possible terms for an agreement with the Trump administration.

One proposal would allow International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to visit Iranian nuclear facilities damaged during US and Israeli attacks in exchange for limited sanctions relief. It could include waivers for Iranian oil exports and the release of some frozen funds to buy food and other humanitarian supplies, Axios reported, citing a regional source familiar with the discussions.

“There is some movement. We are waiting for the Iranian response,” the regional source told Axios. The proposed arrangement could initially allow Iran to retain its enriched uranium while Washington secured steps toward renewed nuclear oversight. Trump confirmed to Axios on Wednesday that negotiations were taking place through mediators but said their outcome remained uncertain. “We need to finish the job — either through a deal or another way — we will find out if negotiations can succeed,” Trump said.

Qatari mediators also presented Iran with ideas for a seven-day process addressing concerns on both sides, Reuters reported Wednesday, citing an official briefed on the negotiations. The draft called for daily confidence-building measures from each side, potentially beginning early next week, with several countries serving as guarantors. Iran was expected to respond by the end of the week. A senior Iranian official told Reuters Qatar had not presented a formal peace proposal, but had put forward ideas Tehran considered unacceptable. The official said Iran would show no flexibility on the nuclear issue.

Talks Beside the Strike Plans

Another option under discussion is reviving a September 2025 agreement between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency in Cairo, which established a framework for inspections of Iranian nuclear facilities. The agreement was suspended after the UN Security Council reimposed sanctions on Iran the following month. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told the UN Security Council on Tuesday that reviving it could provide a basis for restoring inspections at facilities damaged during the war.

The diplomatic contacts are unfolding as mediators seek an agreement to prevent further military action. Axios, citing US and Israeli officials, reported that a potential operation after the November 3 elections could involve a week of extensive strikes against Iranian leadership, energy infrastructure, nuclear facilities and other targets. Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir spoke with US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper on Monday to coordinate preparations for possible attacks, the report said.

The Wall Street Journal separately reported that Washington had warned several Persian Gulf countries to prepare for a possible short, intense military campaign after the elections. The US military has been strengthening regional missile defenses, moving personnel from vulnerable bases and replenishing munitions; additional naval and air forces are also being prepared for possible operations. Trump has not made a final decision on further military action, the reports said.

Saudi officials have urged Washington to allow more time for negotiations before deciding on further strikes, Axios reported, citing a US official. Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani security officials also discussed the situation during recent meetings in Tehran. The negotiations remain uncertain. So do the military plans being prepared alongside them.