Jimmy Kimmel had a bleak diagnosis for how the Iran War is going after news the Gulf nation is insisting Vice President JD Vance lead U.S. negotiations.

“Iran sees JD Vance as a more acceptable diplomatic figure than Witkoff and Kushner in the same way a canker sore is more acceptable than herpes,” the late night host cracked during his Wednesday night monologue.

President Donald Trump had originally picked Steve Witkoff, his special envoy to the Middle East, and son-in-law Jared Kushner to handle peace talks, but Iranian officials reportedly refused to even meet with the pair, according to The Guardian.

Kimmel said that it was probably the “first time anyone’s ever wanted to talk to Vance,” joking how, “even his wife Usha was like, ‘Are you sure they said JD?’”

Diplomatic sources from Iran’s side told The Guardian that the regime had “zero trust” in Washington, D.C.’s original negotiating roster.

Witkoff, a New York real estate developer, had basically no foreign policy experience before he was appointed as envoy by Trump last year.

Kushner was one of the president’s senior advisors during his first term, where he played a role in normalizing Israel’s relations with other countries in the Middle East.

He’s also known to have close ties to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who just happens to be one of Iran’s most fierce rivals in the Gulf region.

As Operation Epic Fury creeps towards its one-month mark, the U.S. and Iran appear at loggerheads over the Strait of Hormuz, an essential maritime passage for the world’s oil trade.

During a Thursday cabinet meeting, Trump claimed that the regime had allowed 10 oil tankers to pass through the strait as what he called a “present.”

Just hours later, the White House announced it was extending an ultimatum for Iran to open the Strait or see bombs drop on Kharg Island from Friday to Monday, April 6.

Watch Kimmel’s full riff on the situation in Iran here.

By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.