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

By Steve Holland
By Steve Holland
Apr 1, 2026
U.S. Vice President JD Vance delivers a speech on the day he administers the oath of office to Colin McDonald, the U.S. Assistant Attorney General in charge of fraud enforcement, in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB) on the White House campus in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 1, 2026. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno
U.S. Vice President JD Vance delivers a speech on the day he administers the oath of office to Colin McDonald, the U.S. Assistant Attorney General in charge of fraud enforcement, in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB) on the White House campus in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 1, 2026. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno — Ken Cedeno

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)