Iran says Vance letter signals 'positive' shift, Hormuz stays closed

US Vice-President JD Vance has sent a letter to Iran's security chief in a reported effort to revive talks and avert further strikes. Tehran calls the move a "positive" shift and is awaiting a US response, but insists the Strait of Hormuz will stay closed until its conditions are met. The exchange shows the US-Iran war hanging between renewed diplomacy and further escalation, a pattern that bears directly on Israel's security and the wider regional conflict.