US VP Vance spoke to intermediaries about Iran conflict as recently as Tuesday, source says

By Steve Holland

WASHINGTON, April 1 (Reuters) – U.S. Vice President JD Vance communicated with intermediaries from Pakistan about the Iran conflict as recently as Tuesday, a person briefed on the matter told Reuters, a sign of his expanding role in efforts to broker an end to the conflict.

At President Donald Trump’s direction, Vance signaled privately that Trump was open to a ceasefire as long as certain U.S. demands were met, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the source told Reuters on Wednesday.

Vance also delivered what the source described as a “stern message” that Trump was impatient, warning there would be growing pressure on Iranian infrastructure unless Tehran agreed to a deal.

Pakistan has been acting as an intermediary between the United States and Iran, the source said.

Vance has taken a greater role in trying to negotiate an end to the war, now in its fifth week. Widely viewed as a potential successor to Trump in the 2028 presidential election, Vance has taken a cautious approach on the conflict, reflecting his long-held skepticism of prolonged U.S. military involvement overseas.

Trump has warned the U.S. would attack Iranian infrastructure but has delayed launching such attacks on Iran’s power grid until April 6 in hopes of reaching a deal with Tehran.

(Reporting by Steve Holland; Writing by Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Daphne Psaledakis, Colleen Jenkins and Nia Williams)