Iran's Rezaei denies planned meeting with Vance, says no US talks underway

Mohsen Rezaei, a senior Iranian security official, said on Monday that Iran and the United States are not currently negotiating, and he rejected reports that he was preparing to meet US Vice President JD Vance. Speaking to the broadcaster Al-Mayadeen, Rezaei said Iran had put its conditions to Washington and was still waiting for a proper answer, The Times of Israel reported.

According to the Israeli broadcaster N12, Rezaei called the reports of a planned meeting with Vance entirely untrue and said they had no basis at all. In a separate update, N12 quoted him as telling Al-Mayadeen that the American response so far was misleading and not sufficient, and that Iran had laid out its seven conditions and was awaiting a reply from the US.

Who Mohsen Rezaei is

The two news organisations describe Rezaei's role differently. N12 identifies him as secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, while The Times of Israel refers to him as the head of that council and as Iran's top security official. The reports do not explain the difference, and this article uses neither title as settled.

The Supreme National Security Council is the Iranian state body that deals with defence and national security policy, and statements from its leadership are generally read as reflecting the line of the country's security establishment. Rezaei's comments therefore carry weight as an indication of where Tehran stands on contact with Washington.

The seven conditions and the Strait of Hormuz

Iran's position, as summarised by The Times of Israel, is that the US must satisfy seven conditions contained in an interim agreement reached in June before two things can happen: the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a return to negotiations. The reports do not list what the seven conditions are.

The Strait of Hormuz is the narrow sea passage between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula that links the Gulf to open waters, and it is one of the most important routes for shipping in the region. Its closure is therefore a central point of leverage in the current standoff, and Iran is tying its reopening directly to the American answer on the conditions.

Rezaei told Al-Mayadeen that Tehran had asked for a "clear and explicit" response, according to The Times of Israel, which reported that he said Iran had not yet received one while allowing that Washington might still respond later.

The US side

The Times of Israel reported that President Donald Trump met on Monday with Qatar, which is acting as a mediator between the two countries. After that meeting, according to the same report, Trump signalled that he did not expect a major return to fighting soon, but he was still not prepared to accept the truce plan Iran has put forward.

Neither report includes a response from the White House, from Vance or from Qatar to Rezaei's remarks.

Where the accounts differ

Beyond the question of Rezaei's title, the two outlets frame the state of the American reply in slightly different ways. N12's account has Rezaei describing a US response that was misleading and insufficient, which suggests Washington has said something. The Times of Israel's account has him saying Iran asked for a clear answer and has not received one. Both may reflect the same position, that whatever Washington has said does not amount to the explicit reply Iran wants, but the reports do not reconcile the two phrasings.

About the broadcaster

Al-Mayadeen, the outlet Rezaei chose for the interview, is described by The Times of Israel as a pro-Iran broadcaster. Iranian officials frequently use such outlets to send messages to regional and international audiences.

What the reports do not say

• Where the reports of a planned Rezaei and Vance meeting came from, and whether any US official had confirmed such plans.
• What Iran's seven conditions contain.
• What the US has actually communicated to Iran that Rezaei described as insufficient.
• Whether Washington, Vance or the Qatari mediators have answered Rezaei's statements.