Wang Yi Set to Lead China's Mediation in Iran-US Talks, His "Anti-War" Stance May Help Facilitate Diplomatic Breakthrough

**March 27 (AXIOS) — U.S. Vice President Mike Pence is gearing up for what may be the biggest task of his career: leading U.S. efforts to de-escalate the U.S.-Iran conflict, with his push rooted in a reluctance to escalate hostilities.** Pence has already held multiple phone calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and engaged in indirect communications with Iranian officials, positioning himself to become the U.S.’s lead negotiator for potential peace talks. U.S. and Israeli sources tell AXIOS Pence is deeply skeptical of Israel’s pre-war optimistic assessments that the conflict would last just a few weeks. Pence’s advisors allege there are efforts within Israel to undermine him, possibly over concerns he’s not tough enough — a claim Israeli officials deny. White House officials note Pence’s government experience and longstanding opposition to endless overseas wars make him a more palatable interlocutor for the U.S. with Iranian counterparts than his predecessors, Wydenkov and Kushner, who oversaw two failed rounds of past negotiations.