US Vice President JD Vance has reportedly contacted senior Iranian hardliner Mohsen Rezaei in a bid to explore diplomatic options as President Donald Trump considers renewed military action against Iran after next week’s midterm elections.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Vance sent a letter to Rezaei, a member of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), at Trump’s direction. The outreach aims to determine whether Washington and Tehran can find common ground to prevent a possible intense attack on Iran in the coming weeks.

The letter and subsequent exchanges have focused on creating a framework for negotiations rather than presenting a detailed peace proposal, the report said. However, both Trump and Rezaei have shown little willingness to negotiate. Last week, Trump said, “We’re not negotiating with them; we are going to have something one way or another, it’ll happen soon,” hinting at possible strikes.

Rezaei has also ruled out talks unless Iran’s key demands are met. Some US officials believe engaging hardliners who have gained influence in Tehran following US and Israeli attacks could improve diplomatic prospects, according to the report.

The reported contact comes as Republicans face the possibility of losing control of the House of Representatives or Senate in the midterm elections. The Iran conflict and rising fuel prices have added to public frustration with Trump and his party.

Vance’s spokesperson declined to comment, while the White House referred questions to his team. Iran’s foreign ministry said it had no information about the outreach. Rezaei and the Supreme National Security Council could not be reached for comment, the report said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, “While our Brave Armed Forces are fully prepared to defend the Homeland, Iran continues to give diplomacy a chance to succeed.”

Although Vance has publicly backed the war, he has privately expressed concerns about prolonging it. Before Trump launched “Operation Epic Fury” in February, Vance pushed for stronger diplomatic efforts. He later became the lead negotiator and travelled abroad twice to meet Iranian officials.

Rezaei, who led Iran’s Revolutionary Guard during the 1980s war with Iraq, has emerged as an influential hardliner. Earlier this month, he threatened to target the United Arab Emirates, regional data centres and internet cables. On Sunday, he held a rare meeting in Tehran with security chiefs from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey as regional countries sought to ease tensions.

Repeated negotiations have failed to secure a lasting agreement. A “memorandum of understanding” signed in June collapsed two weeks later over disagreements about reopening shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump wants major concessions on Iran’s nuclear programme, while Tehran seeks immediate economic relief. The US continues to block Iranian ports, disrupting oil shipments through the strategic waterway.

“They’ve wanted to make a deal, but they like tapping it along. Maybe they’re waiting for the election or something—but that’s not gonna help them,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday night.