Trump Says U.S. No Longer Needs an Iran Deal and Redirects Vance
President Donald Trump said the United States no longer needs an agreement with Iran and told Vice President JD Vance to shift his attention from diplomacy to alleged domestic fraud and corruption.
President Donald Trump said Thursday, November 12, that the United States no longer needs an agreement with Iran and directed Vice President JD Vance to turn his attention away from Iran diplomacy toward alleged fraud and corruption in Democratic-led cities and states.
The statement, posted on Truth Social, marked a sharp change in tone after Trump had repeatedly suggested before the November 3 midterm elections that a deal could end the eight-month conflict. Reuters, the Associated Press and NBC News separately reported the post and the administration’s shift.
Trump tells Vance to change focus
“We don’t need a deal with Iran. Those days have long since passed,” Trump wrote. He claimed the United States had Iran’s money and “their Strait,” a reference to the Strait of Hormuz. Control of the waterway remains contested, and commercial shipping there continues to face security risks. Trump did not announce a ceasefire, a withdrawal of U.S. forces or a new legal or military policy in the post.
Trump said he had asked Vance to devote his “complete and total attention” to what the president described as large-scale crime and corruption in Democratic-run jurisdictions. He asserted that recovering money lost to fraud could quickly balance the federal budget. The post offered no evidence or accounting to support that budget claim, and it did not identify a new investigation or enforcement action.
A reversal after reported peace contacts
The message came one day after The Wall Street Journal reported that Vance was considering face-to-face talks with a senior Iranian security official. Reuters said it had not independently confirmed the proposed meeting. Vance’s office did not immediately comment to Reuters or the Associated Press.
Vance previously led negotiations with Iranian officials in Pakistan that produced a June memorandum pausing the war before it broke down within weeks, according to Reuters. Iranian state media reported in late October that Tehran had received a letter from Vance seeking renewed talks. Trump said at the time that he had not directed the outreach.
The vice president also blamed the cost and economic consequences of the Iran war for part of the Republican Party’s sweeping midterm losses. In a post after the election, Vance argued that advice to end the war had been sound. Trump defended the military campaign as necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
What the statement does — and does not — settle
Trump’s declaration leaves the administration’s strategy unresolved. The U.S. military is blockading Iranian ports and working to protect international shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that Iran’s demands for a potential agreement were “absurd” and that Trump would not accept a bad deal, Reuters reported.
The Associated Press reported that Trump had said earlier in the week that the war was “militarily … effectively over” and that Qatari mediation was making progress. NBC News noted that only days earlier he had described “positive momentum” toward ending the conflict and said renewed attacks appeared unlikely. Thursday’s post departed from that diplomatic language but did not explain what triggered the change.
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, described by the Associated Press as Iran’s chief negotiator, said Washington had asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to help facilitate direct talks. The White House did not directly answer the AP’s question about that assertion. Qalibaf said Iran remained willing to negotiate on what it considers its legitimate demands but was also prepared for continued war.
The immediate verified development is therefore a presidential instruction to Vance and a public rejection of the need for a deal—not a negotiated end to the conflict. Further White House guidance, any response from Vance and Iran’s next diplomatic or military steps will show whether talks have been suspended entirely or whether other officials and intermediaries remain engaged.
Sources and image credit
- Reuters — Trump says Vance should focus on domestic corruption and that the U.S. does not need an Iran deal
- Reuters report syndicated by Yahoo
- Associated Press — Trump directs Vance to shift focus from Iran
- Associated Press report syndicated by ABC News
- NBC News — Trump says the U.S. does not need a deal with Iran