US-Iran Talks Continue as JD Vance Pushes for a New Ceasefire

Qatar said the United States and Iran were still working towards a deal, rejecting online claims that its prime minister had declared the negotiations a failure. US Vice President JD Vance has spent the past two weeks in contact with mediators seeking a new ceasefire and a return to nuclear talks, Axios reported, citing two people familiar with the discussions.

US President Donald Trump also said on Friday, November 6, that Washington was in contact with Tehran. “We’re talking to them,” he told reporters. US officials and regional sources cited by Axios said Trump was willing to give diplomacy time, though American forces were prepared to strike at short notice if he gave the order.

Qatar Says Its Prime Minister’s Remarks Were Distorted

Qatar’s International Media Office said online accounts had misrepresented remarks by Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. It said some of the claims came from fake accounts seeking to undermine diplomacy and encourage further escalation.

“His Excellency stated today that both sides are continuing to work towards a deal,” the office said. It added that Qatari mediators remained in close contact with Washington and Tehran.

Trump also spoke to Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on Friday morning about Doha’s efforts to bridge the differences between the two sides. The emir called for continued dialogue to avert further escalation, keep shipping routes open and protect energy supplies, according to a statement from his office.

Vance Seeks a Return to Direct Talks

The latest push gathered pace about two weeks ago when Vance wrote to Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, proposing that the two countries resume direct talks. Iranian representatives indicated that the letter had helped revive negotiations, according to Axios. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday that his government was still pursuing a resolution through dialogue.

Vance has been speaking daily with Qatar’s prime minister, Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir and other mediators, Axios reported. White House envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner are also involved. US officials and intermediaries have discussed bringing American and Iranian delegates together for a technical meeting, but no such meeting had taken place by the time of the report. The vice president’s office declined to comment.

Vance’s involvement comes days after he blamed the Iran war for the Republicans’ midterm defeat. He had pressed for diplomacy before the war began in late February and led the US delegation at talks in Islamabad in April. He also helped secure a memorandum of understanding in June.

Vance later led direct talks in Switzerland, where Tehran agreed to allow UN inspectors back into nuclear facilities. That agreement unravelled after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps resumed attacks on commercial shipping. People involved in the latest mediation told Axios that talks were making headway, though slowly.

US Offers Up to $20 Million for Nuclear Information

Separately, US Central Command said on Friday that the State Department’s Rewards for Justice programme was offering up to $20 million and possible relocation for information about Iran’s nuclear programme. The offer covers details about facilities, equipment and people associated with the programme, including scientists.

The State Department said Iran’s failure to comply with its safeguards obligations had left the International Atomic Energy Agency unable to maintain a continuous record of the production and inventory of key equipment, including centrifuges. The announcement gave no specific criteria for what information would qualify for the full reward.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that US strikes dismantled Iran’s nuclear programme. Earlier this week, he said one or two sites still needed to be addressed and singled out Pickaxe Mountain in central Iran. Tehran denies that it is a nuclear facility.

Speaking in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Friday evening, Trump said eight months of conflict had badly damaged Iran’s economy and military. “We’re dealing with them now. They want to make a deal very badly,” he said.

With inputs from ANI & agencies