Daily Caller White House correspondent Reagan Reese asked White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday about Vice President J.D. Vance’s influence in reaching a ceasefire agreement.
Vance reportedly emerged as a key figure in securing a ceasefire agreement between the U.S. and Iran. In response to these reports, Leavitt said Vance had played a “key role” in Trump’s negotiations with Iran since the very beginning and will be leading the new phase of negotiations later in the week.
“It’s been reported that a ceasefire was struck after the involvement of two unlikely factors, J.D. Vance and China. What role did those parties play in striking a deal?” Reese asked.
“Well, Vice President Vance has played a very significant and a key role since the very beginning. Of course, he’s the president’s right-hand man, he is the Vice President of the United States. He’s been involved in all of these discussions,” Leavitt said. “And as I just announced, he’ll be leading this new phase of negotiations in Islamabad later this week.”
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The Chinese government also played a leading role in securing the ceasefire. Leavitt confirmed that top officials in the U.S. and China held discussions about ending the war.
President Donald Trump said Vance, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, was among the top officials leading negotiations with Iran. Vance will head to Islamabad, Pakistan, on Saturday to negotiate an end to the war.
Officials alleged that Vance opposed the U.S. getting involved in a war with Iran and expressed skepticism about Trump’s decision to launch Operation Epic Fury in late February, according to Politico. He dismissed these allegations by telling reporters on March 13 that the administration discussed what actions needed to be taken to “best protect the American people.”
Vance had long opposed foreign interventions, stating in 2023 that he supported Trump because he would not send Americans to fight wars overseas. In a leaked Signal chat in 2025, Vance appeared to break with Trump by writing that he believed bombing the Houthis was a “mistake.”
Trump warned that a “whole civilization will die” if Iran failed to reach an agreement to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil export waterway, by the 8 p.m. deadline on Tuesday. Iran agreed to a two-week unconditional ceasefire before the deadline, which includes temporarily reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
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