Vance Says U.S. Opened Direct Doha Channel With Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and CENTCOM

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said in an interview published Thursday that Washington has set up a direct channel in Doha between representatives of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and U.S. Central Command. He said the goal of the talks was to reduce tensions with Tehran and that the arrangement emerged from negotiations held in Switzerland three days earlier, on his flight back to Washington.

Vance described the Swiss meetings as a success and said the first U.S.-Iran encounter took place in Istanbul. He said that initial meeting felt “almost like a show,” because both sides had to air grievances, but it eventually created room for real discussion. He also pushed back on criticism that the emerging deal resembles the Obama-era nuclear agreement, saying it is a broader framework meant to open the Strait, stop the shooting, and see whether a nuclear agreement is possible, while the Iranian side sees it as a way to lift the blockade, halt attacks, and explore sanctions relief.

According to Vance, Iran is also proposing steps that differ significantly from the JCPOA, including the destruction of its enriched uranium stockpile. He said, “They really want to change the relationship with the U.S. and with the world.” He added that Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates, which he called the most hawkish and pro-Israel Gulf Cooperation Council state, value the new track because they too are engaging with Iranian officials, including the Revolutionary Guards, on incentives for investment.

Vance said progress so far has been limited, but he argued that the situation is better than it was a few weeks ago. He pointed to two days in which the ceasefire in Lebanon held, and said Iranian officials even called him five days earlier to direct his attention to developments on the ground. “Yes, it’s annoying, we’re going to keep working on it,” he said.