In a surprising twist to the ongoing Middle East conflict negotiations, Iran has expressed interest in engaging with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, following a recent 15-point ceasefire proposal from former President Trump.

Iranian representatives have indicated a preference for Vance over traditional Middle East envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, whom they accuse of betrayal during past diplomatic dealings.

According to insiders speaking with CNN, there is a belief that Vance would be more committed to concluding the conflict, unlike Kushner, Witkoff, or Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Adding to the sentiment, a source from the Middle East revealed to The Telegraph that Iran perceives Kushner and Witkoff as untrustworthy.

“Vance is favored,” the source explained to The Telegraph, emphasizing Iran’s unwillingness to collaborate with Kushner and Witkoff due to previous grievances.

Tehran believes that Witkoff and Kushner represent the failed negotiations that took place before the US and Israel began attacking and wouldn’t be productive now.

CNN reported that Iranian envoys flat out refuse to re-start negotiations with Kushner and Witkoff, citing two sources in the region.

Two regional sources told CNN that Iran sees Vance – who has denied rumors of splitting with Trump on the war since it began a month ago – as more sympathetic to potentially ending it. 

Iran wants Vice President JD Vance at the negotiating table to help end the ongoing Middle East conflict after Trump sent the nation a 15-point ceasefire plan

Iranian officials reportedly said they would rather talk with Vance because top Mideast envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner ‘stabbed them in the back’

However, its believed that ultimately, Iran doesn’t have a choice and may have to deal with Witkoff, who is heavily embedded in the US’ Middle East dealings. 

‘Who the administration decides to send, the Iranians will have to deal with, but it doesn’t mean they don’t have a preference,’ the other source said. 

The White House said  ‘President Trump and only President Trump determines who negotiates on behalf of the United States.’ 

However, the president himself has said that Vance may be leading the discussions. 

Meanwhile, Kushner and Witkoff are working on a framework involving ‘the declaration of a monthlong ceasefire period, during which the sides would negotiate,’ sources told Israel‘s Channel 12.   

The 15-point plan, modeled on Trump’s Gaza deal, was confirmed by two officials briefed on the talks, the New York Times reported. 

It includes Iran dismantling all of its nuclear and long-range missile capabilities, as well as opening the Strait of Hormuz, and abandoning its ties to proxy terror groups across the Middle East.

The proposal outlines reciprocal benefits for Iran, including assistance with advancing its civilian nuclear program, as well as lifting all sanctions imposed by the international community.

‘The perception is that Vance would be intent on wrapping up the conflict’ as opposed to Kushner, Witkoff or Secretary of State Marco Rubio (pictured left with Trump)

Iran ian envoys flat out refuse to re-start negotiations with Kushner and Witkoff

Pakistan delivered the plan to Iranian officials with a 24-hour deadline to respond, Haaretz reported.  

Trump said Tuesday that Iran had abandoned its nuclear ambitions, with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio leading the peace talks. 

‘They’re talking to us, and they’re talking sense,’ the President told reporters in the Oval Office. 

Multiple sources said Iran and the United States could stage talks in Islamabad, Pakistan this week but are doubtful they materialize.  

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has urged Trump to press on with the war, privately describing the conflict as a ‘historic opportunity’ to remake the region and pushing for US troops to seize Iranian energy sites and topple the regime.

Tehran may send Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to any talks, though he and other Iranian officials have signaled deep reluctance to engage, the WSJ reported. 

Witkoff and Kushner would likely lead formal negotiations, but Vance could step in to seal any agreement, a US official told the Wall Street Journal.

US officials have suggested that Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, a hardline regime figure, could meet with the Trump delegation in Pakistan.

Closing the Strait of Hormuz has proven relatively inexpensive for the regime, relying on drones and explosive suicide boats to disrupt global shipping

Tehran, so far, has not promised to reopen the passageway. Iran’s stranglehold over the Hormuz is seen as it’s greatest leverage of the US in the ongoing conflict.

However, Ghalibaf is unlikely to leave Iran unless Vance also attends those talks, suggesting he may refuse to engage with Witkoff or Kushner.

Trump announced on Monday a five-day ceasefire on all strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure after what he described as ‘very good conversations’ aimed at ending the war. Top Iranian officials flatly rejected his claim that peace talks are underway. 

The ceasefire did not last the night. Iranian state media reported US-Israeli strikes hit two gas facilities and a pipeline on Monday, prompting Tehran to launch ballistic missiles at central Tel Aviv and Kuwait. 

Vance has also held private calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the question of negotiations with Tehran, according to multiple reports. 

The vice president built his political career by advocating against foreign wars abroad in the Middle East and is viewed within Trump’s inner circle as a non-interventionist voice. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to the White House and a spokesperson for Vance for further comment. 

Markets reacted positively to Trump’s ceasefire on Monday, with the Dow surging 1,000 points in pre-market trading, the S&P and Nasdaq each jumping more than 2 percent, while oil dropped 10 percent.

Oil prices fell another five percent and Asian shares gained on Wednesday over possibilities of a de-escalation of the Iran war and negotiations between the United States and Iran.

US officials have suggested that Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf (pictured), a hardline regime figure, could meet with the Trump delegation in Pakistan

Rocket trails are seen in the sky above the Israeli coastal city of Netanya amid a fresh barrage of Iranian missile attacks

The Trump administration is said to have offered a 15-point ceasefire plan to Iran. 

Trump’s claims of progress being made from talks with Iran this week and his postponement on Monday of a deadline to ‘obliterate’ Iran’s power plants over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz have also fueled optimism that an end to the Iran war could come soon.

With the Strait of Hormuz being a key waterway for crude oil and liquefied natural gas transport, oil and gas prices have spiked and fluctuated in recent days.

Trump’s faltering ceasefire came after he threatened over the weekend to bomb Iran’s electricity grid unless the regime reopened the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.

Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the war has caused a global oil and energy crisis.

Gas prices have surged to an average of $4.00 a gallon nationwide up from $2.90 before the conflict began three weeks ago.

The narrow strait – through which a fifth of the world’s oil flows – remains blocked by the threat of Iranian mines and missiles.

Tehran has so far refused to promise any reopening. Iran’s stranglehold over Hormuz is seen as its greatest point of leverage over the US in the conflict. 

Closing the Strait of Hormuz has proven relatively inexpensive for the regime, relying on drones and explosive suicide boats to disrupt global shipping.

Trump has also threatened to deploy US troops to seize Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf, through which 90 percent of Iran’s crude oil exports pass. 

While Iran has denied negotiations were taking place, and attacks in the Middle East continued, Pakistan has offered to host talks between Washington and Tehran.

And as Trump raised optimism of a de-escalation of the war, at least 1,000 more American troops from the 82nd Airborne Division are said to be deployed to the Middle East in the coming days.

Exclusive to Fox: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is highlighting its successful collaboration with New York authorities in keeping an illegal immigrant, accused of a heinous crime against a young girl, off the streets. This cooperation is notable given the challenges posed by New York’s sanctuary laws, which typically limit such partnerships.

Carlos Aguilar Reynoso, a 27-year-old Guatemalan national, is at the center of this disturbing case. He was entrusted with babysitting a 5-year-old girl as a favor to her mother. Upon returning home from work on February 1, the mother found her daughter in distress, bleeding through her underwear. This alarming discovery led to an immediate hospital visit.

The child was subsequently transferred to a specialized hospital where a rape kit was administered, and she underwent surgery to address severe internal injuries, according to reports by the New York Post, which cited law enforcement sources.

Accused of this appalling crime, Reynoso was apprehended by immigration officials and now faces a final removal order. However, due to the unavailability of processed DNA evidence, he was initially charged only with endangering the welfare of a child. This charge, under New York’s bail reform laws, does not permit prosecutors to request bail. Additionally, state sanctuary laws would have typically prevented federal immigration authorities from detaining Reynoso.

With DNA not yet processed, Reynoso could only be initially charged with endangering the welfare of a child, an offense that bars prosecutors from seeking bail, under New York’s bail reform laws. Federal immigration authorities would also have been barred from taking Reynoso into custody under the state’s sanctuary laws. 

“Carlos Aguilar Reynoso, a criminal illegal alien from Guatemala, was charged for raping a five-year-old child in New York. While local law enforcement processed DNA evidence and built their case, they contacted ICE to arrest this pedophile so he would not be released into our communities to prey on more innocent children,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis.

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer’s badge and gear.  (Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

In a move to circumvent sanctuary laws, Reynoso was given a desk-appearance ticket so he would be processed and released from a police precinct for the endangerment charge. 

ICE agents nabbed Reynoso as he was leaving a police precinct the day after the alleged rape. DNA results later tied him to the rape, authorities said. 

On Monday, Reynoso was charged with predatory sex assault against a child, vaginal sexual contact with a child, sexual abuse, acting in a manner to injure a child and resisting arrest.

“This case shows why we need local law enforcement cooperation. When we work together, our communities are safer,” Bis said. 

DHS noted that seven of the 10 safest cities cooperate with ICE. 

Last week, Reynoso was issued a final order of removal from the United States by an immigration judge. 

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In an emotional courtroom scene, a New York City lawyer admitted to embezzling $4.4 million intended for pandemic-related supplies, with prosecutors claiming he diverted the funds to maintain a relationship with his CEO girlfriend.

Bryan McKenna, once a real estate attorney, was found guilty in July of siphoning over $4 million from an escrow account that was supposed to facilitate a company’s purchase of latex gloves, as detailed by the District Attorney’s Office.

McKenna’s defense attorney contended that he faced severe financial difficulties and was struggling to afford mental health care for his son, as reported by The New York Post.

Prosecutors, however, argued that McKenna misappropriated the money to enhance his personal life and to foster a romantic involvement with Duni Zenaye, who was then the CEO of the business consulting firm AstZen Group.

During Tuesday’s proceedings, the 62-year-old lawyer openly wept, using a tissue to dab at his tears, as he received a prison sentence of up to six years.

‘I am ashamed of myself. I tried to lead a good life,’ McKenna explained to the Manhattan Supreme Court judge.

‘I did these crimes, I deserve to go to jail,’ he added. ‘I don’t know what else to say for myself.’ 

The massive fraud scheme began in 2021, when Elkay Plastics – a packaging manufacturer and distributor – reached out to AstZen Group to buy 500,000 boxes of latex gloves during the pandemic. 

Bryan McKenna (pictured), a former Manhattan real estate attorney, broke down in tears as he admitted to stealing $4.4 million meant for pandemic equipment during his Tuesday sentencing

Prosecutors claimed McKenna used the funds for his personal life and to advance a ‘romantic relationship’ with Duni Zenaye (pictured), then CEO of business consulting firm AstZen Group 

Elkay Plastics then put $4.45 million into an escrow account controlled by McKenna – a routine, secure setup where money is held by a third party until all conditions of a deal are satisfied.

That January, McKenna promised to keep the funds in the escrow account until AstZen Group officially shipped off the gloves.

By April, the account was emptied, and the medical-grade equipment was never delivered, according to the DA’s office.

Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Borle alleged that McKenna siphoned the millions to spend on him and AstZen Group’s then CEO and his lover, Zenaye, to bolster their romance.

However Eric Franz, McKenna’s defense lawyer, argued that the money was only funneled to help his family, particularly his son who was struggling with mentally.

‘His focus was on, “I need to help my son,”‘ Franz told Judge Althea Drysdale, according to The Post.

Franz further bolstered his argument, telling the court that McKenna was a desperate father trying to secure doctor appointments for his son’s medications and mental wellbeing.

Prosecutors fired back, arguing he instead used the money to enrich his personal life and advance the ‘romantic relationship’ he had with Zenaye, who faced no charges.

In 2021, Elkay Plastics – a packaging manufacturer and distributor – reached out to AstZen Group to buy 500,000 boxes of latex gloves, with $4.4 million going into an escrow account run by McKenna (stock photo)

The DA’s office claimed that, despite being given the chance to return the stolen money in summer 2021, McKenna kept lying about where it was until November. 

In July 2025, then-Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. announced that McKenna had pleaded guilty to stealing millions from the escrow account of the company buying personal protective equipment (PPE).

‘This plea and expected prison sentence demonstrate the seriousness with which my office treats fraud targeting New Yorkers,’ Bragg wrote in an office press release.

‘From real estate clients to a company purchasing hard-to-find medical gloves during the pandemic, Bryan McKenna repeatedly drained the accounts of those who looked to him for legal representation,’ he added.

But McKenna’s Covid fraud only came to light during an investigation that revealed he had also stolen more than $260,000 from two clients in New York City and Brooklyn real estate deals.

Court documents show that in 2021 – the same year he ran the escrow account dry – McKenna represented a woman in selling her Manhattan condo, taking $1,149,900, the sale proceeds, into his escrow account. 

His client instructed McKenna to pay her $835,000 and hold back $184,600 in the account to cover the IRS capital gains tax owed on the sale. 

She soon realized her tax liability had been reduced by about $24,000 and ordered McKenna to pay her that amount. 

 The office of former Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (pictured) said McKenna was given the chance to return the stolen money in summer 2021, but kept lying about where it was until November

While he handed over the $24,000, McKenna kept the remaining $160,000, diverting it to his own bank account rather than paying his client or the IRS. 

Two years on, in October 2023, he again represented a client – this time in the sale of a Brooklyn townhouse, according to the DA’s office.

As with his earlier client, he received the sale proceeds – specifically $762,000 – which were deposited into his attorney escrow account. 

The client ordered him to pay off two mortgage loans totaling $653,000 from the proceeds, which McKenna carried out.

But the leftover $109,000 was never paid to the client and was once again transferred straight into McKenna’s own account and drained. 

By December 2023, McKenna had voluntarily resigned from the New York State Bar, only to be indicted in September 2024. 

Before his disbarment, he appeared to lead a double life as a stand-up comedian in New York, with Instagram posts showing him performing at The Comic Strip in the Upper East Side. 

During the pandemic lockdown, McKenna’s social media featured short comedy skits and family moments with his wife and children. 

McKenna (pictured) had also stolen more than $260,000 from two clients in New York City and Brooklyn real estate deals

McKenna’s social media featured short comedy skits and family moments with his wife (pictured) and children

He was charged in a New York State Supreme Court with one count of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree and one count of Scheme to Defraud in the first degree. 

‘Hard working New Yorkers need to be able to trust that their attorneys are acting in their best interest,’ Bragg wrote in a statement announcing his indictment.

‘As alleged, Bryan McKenna completely violated that trust by draining his attorney escrow account of funds from two clients’ real estate transactions,’ he added.

Bragg explained that the probe was still active, eventually leading to the discovery of the stolen $4.4 million and McKenna’s alleged romantic relationship with the company’s CEO.