Trump Says US Does Not Need an Iran Deal and Redirects Vance to Domestic Fraud Effort

The update

President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United States does not need a deal with Iran. “We don’t need a deal with Iran. Those days have long since passed. We’ve got their money, Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and we’ve got their Strait!” he wrote on Truth Social, referring to the Strait of Hormuz. Trump directed Vice-President JD Vance to focus his complete attention on alleged crime and corruption in Democratic-run cities and states, a day after The Wall Street Journal reported Vance was considering face-to-face talks with a senior Iranian security official.

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Why it matters

The comments mark a shift after Trump had suggested in recent weeks that Iran might be more willing to reach a deal after the US midterm elections, and after he said renewed strikes were highly unlikely. Oil prices rose on Thursday as traders reassessed whether an end to the eight-month war is in sight, with Brent crude up 1.9 percent at $94.48 a barrel and US crude up 2 percent at $88.19.

What to watch

Whether the possible Vance talks are now shelved, how Iran responds, and whether shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and oil prices come under further pressure. Vance’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sources

• abc.net.au — confirms Trump’s statement, the direction to Vance and the reported possible talks
• cnbc.com — confirms the Truth Social post, the Hormuz reference and the midterm context, with its oil report confirming the market reaction

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