Vance removal from Iran talks, Digi Mart USA News: Decision-makers in Iran are weighing the implications of US Vice President JD Vance being removed from the Iran file to focus on domestic issues, a move analysts say could increase the chance of conflict between the two sides. Vance had served as Washington’s chief negotiator with Tehran.
According to a post by President Donald Trump on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump told Vance to direct his focus on alleged “corruption” by the Democratic Party. Trump also said a deal with Iran was no longer a priority for the US government.
Tehran is believed to view Vance as one of the more pragmatic figures in the Trump administration since the United States and Israel launched their surprise war on Iran on February 28. Nasser Hadian, a professor of international relations at the University of Tehran, said the move appeared mainly to signal a confrontation with Democrats after their sweeping midterm victories, but also sent a message to Iran that a deal was not a priority.
Vance is believed to have favoured a negotiated resolution to the war, citing its rising economic costs for Americans and opposition suggested in opinion polls. Envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff had backed Vance during a June memorandum of understanding with Iran that briefly paused the war and resumed shipping in the Strait of Hormuz; that memorandum is now defunct.
Analysts say the shift may not change the broader picture. Mohammad Saleh Sedghian, director of the Arab Center for Iranian Studies, said mistrust between the sides complicates any deal, and that the ongoing US blockade and sanctions could cost Iranians more than a shorter military conflict.
Iranian reformist newspaper Shargh argued Vance’s role was unresolved rather than definitively ended, while the conservative Farhikhtegan daily disputed the view of Vance as genuinely antiwar.
Meanwhile, fighting over control of the Strait of Hormuz continues. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and regular army separately claimed new incidents involving vessels hitting naval mines or being struck by projectiles.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported eight incidents in and around the strait in its latest weekly report and recorded 139 outbound and 169 inbound transits during the week, about 65 percent below pre-conflict levels.
Hadian said Iranian decision-makers are unlikely to tolerate the situation indefinitely and warned that a stronger blockade would make war more probable. He added that Washington believes economic pressure can force Tehran to make concessions, so the removal of Vance from the file is unlikely to radically alter the situation.
