The luxury yacht was moored off the coast of Santorini. The champagne was flowing. But the real intoxicant in the air, according to Whitehall sources, was the scent of a diplomatic backchannel. JD Vance, the Republican vice-presidential nominee, reportedly held secret talks with Iranian intermediaries on board a superyacht owned by a Gulf state sovereign wealth fund. British intelligence is livid. They were not informed. They are now scrambling to assess what was discussed.
This is not the first time Vance’s foreign contacts have raised eyebrows. But the location, the opulence, and the total absence of any official British or American diplomatic presence have set alarm bells ringing in the intelligence community. “This is rogue diplomacy,” a senior MI6 source told me. “We have protocols for a reason. You don’t just sideline the entire Western intelligence apparatus for a jolly in the Aegean.”
The talks, which took place over three days last week, are said to have covered a potential “grand bargain” on Iran’s nuclear programme. But the lack of transparency is the real story. Who authorised these talks? Were they sanctioned by the Trump campaign, or was Vance freelancing? The White House, or rather the Biden administration, is refusing to comment. But behind the scenes, the National Security Council is said to be “apoplectic.”
Downing Street is more circumspect. A spokesperson said only that “the UK values its intelligence-sharing relationship with the United States.” But the language is carefully neutral. Why? Because Vance’s people have not denied the meeting. And if they confirm it, there will be questions about what was offered. The Iranians, for their part, have been uncharacteristically silent. Which suggests they got something they wanted.
The political fallout is already being felt in Westminster. Labour MPs are calling for a parliamentary inquiry. Tory backbenchers are nervous. They remember the Iraq War, the dodgy dossier. They know what happens when intelligence is politicised. And this, they whisper, smells exactly like that.
What is Vance’s game? The Ohio senator has cultivated a network of wealthy donors and foreign policy outliers. His connection to the Gulf state involved in the yacht charter is well known. But this is a leap. To hold direct talks with a state the US designates as a state sponsor of terrorism, without any oversight, is a breach of the Logan Act – though that statute is rarely enforced.
The real question is what this means for the general election. Vance is already seen as an unpredictable force. If he becomes vice-president, will he be running a parallel foreign policy? The establishment in both Washington and London is terrified of that prospect. This leak, I suspect, is designed to kill that possibility before it gains momentum.
Who leaked the information? It could be a British intelligence officer, a disgruntled State Department official, or even someone from the Iranian side. The details are too precise for it to be a random rumour. The yacht’s name, the dates, even the vintage of the champagne – someone wanted this story out.
And now it is out. The consequences will be profound. Trust is the currency of intelligence. And this transaction has just debased the coinage. Expect frosty exchanges at the next Five Eyes meeting. Expect Vance to face a barrage of questions on the campaign trail. And expect the British ambassador in Washington to be doing a lot of explaining.
The game, as they say, is up.
