On October 31 local time, Mohsen Rezai, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said in an interview that he had read the letter from US Vice President Williams but had not yet responded. He stated, “Their tone has completely changed; this is a good sign, indicating that the Iranian people have consolidated their victory and authority.”
He also revealed that since the letter did not propose any specific solutions, he will not make any comments at this time.
According to reports by media such as the Wall Street Journal, this letter was delivered to Rezaie under the instruction of U.S. President Trump through intermediaries such as Qatar. The purpose was to test whether the United States and Iran could find common ground on nuclear issues and the Middle Eastern situation, and to explore possible negotiation frameworks in an effort to prevent or delay a new round of military conflict. Sources revealed that Vance outlined the overall principles and framework for negotiations in the letter, but did not include a complete proposal.
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Agaye said on the 31st that Vance's letter had been carefully reviewed and discussed at a high-level Iranian meeting. The Iranian side considered the US letter to be a "positive step".
However, Al-Aragzi also emphasized that Iran currently has no plans to have direct meetings with US officials. The rumors about this matter are merely media speculation. Any substantive negotiations still depend on whether the US can address Iran’s concerns.
On the same day, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stated that he had met with senior commanders of the Iranian armed forces and ordered a 'prompt, effective response to the threats from the United States and Israel', without any geographical limitations. The Iranian military warned that if the United States took the risk of sparking conflict again, the flames would spread.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated on August 31st that Trump has yet to make a decision regarding military action against Iran.
Previously, Trump once declared that the conflict in Iran would “end soon”. Other US media reports suggest that Trump plans to resume sanctions against Iran after the mid-term elections, with the sanctions likely to be imposed as early as November 4th.
According to reports, the US government has informed its Gulf allies that preparations are needed for a round of ‘brief but intense’ strikes. The allies are trying to ease the situation, fearing potential retaliations from Iran.
A White House official said that the White House does not comment on potentially existing or nonexistent sensitive military plans, but Trump has all options open to ensure that Iran never obtains nuclear weapons.
