US President Donald Trump on Wednesday denied reports that he had directed Vice President JD Vance to reopen peace negotiations with Iran, saying the outreach was limited to arranging medical supplies for the country.
Speaking to reporters at the airport before departing Washington for a campaign rally in Ohio, Trump was asked directly whether he had instructed Vance to engage Iran on peace talks. "No," Trump replied. "Iran needed help with medical supplies. He asked me what I thought about it, and I said fine. It's simply about getting supplies to help patients."
The denial came shortly after the Wall Street Journal published a report, citing US officials, claiming that Trump had ordered Vance to send a letter to Iran's top security official, Mohsen Rezaei, with the aim of relaunching stalled peace negotiations.
Relations between Washington and Tehran have remained strained over Iran's nuclear ambitions and regional tensions. Trump's remarks added a new layer of uncertainty to speculation about behind-the-scenes diplomatic contacts between the two governments.
