Trump says US does not need an Iran deal and redirects Vance
The president told JD Vance to focus on domestic anti-fraud efforts after reports that the vice-president was considering talks with an Iranian security official.
US President Donald Trump said on November 12 that the United States did not need a deal with Iran and directed Vice-President JD Vance to focus on domestic anti-fraud efforts. Reuters reported the statement a day after the Wall Street Journal reported that Vance was considering face-to-face talks with a senior Iranian security official.
- Trump wrote that the United States did not need a deal with Iran and claimed it had Iran’s money and the Strait of Hormuz.
- He said Vance should turn his “complete and total attention” to alleged crime and corruption in Democratic-run cities and states.
- The possible meeting with an Iranian official was under consideration; Reuters said it had not confirmed the talks.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “We don't need a deal with Iran. Those days have long since passed.” He also claimed the United States had Iran’s money and the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said the domestic anti-fraud effort could quickly balance the US budget and accused Democratic leaders of corruption. Those statements were his claims; the reports did not establish them as findings.
The Wall Street Journal report, as described by Reuters and AFP, said Trump had told aides and counterparts he was open to Vance reopening talks and had empowered him to negotiate. Reuters described the November 12 remarks as a shift in tone after Trump had suggested in recent weeks that Iran might be more willing to make a deal after the US elections. AFP said a face-to-face meeting would be unusual. Vance’s office did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
Vance has played a role in efforts to resolve the war, Reuters reported. He had blamed the conflict’s costs in part for Republican losses in the midterm elections and called his earlier recommendation to end the war “sound advice.” AFP reported that Democrats gained control of Congress in the elections. Trump, Reuters said, has defended the war as necessary to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
What it means
The dispute concerns a conflict that began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, according to AFP. AFP reported that Iran’s actions blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a critical energy transit route, disrupting the world economy and pushing energy costs higher. That context gives added weight to the question of whether Washington will pursue negotiations, but the reported Vance meeting had not been confirmed as scheduled or held.
AFP reported that oil prices rose after Trump’s social-media remarks and Wall Street futures fell further; its report did not establish that the remarks alone caused those moves.
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What this story rests on
2 sources from 2 organisations: 2 news agencys.
- 1Trump says US does not 'need' Iran dealABC News (Reuters report) · abc.net.auNews agency
- 2Trump says US does not 'need a deal with Iran'Channel NewsAsia (AFP report) · channelnewsasia.comNews agency
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