US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United States does not need a deal with Iran, writing on social media, "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 was referring to the Strait of Hormuz, the critical shipping route near Iran where the US military has been working to secure safe passage for international shipping.

Trump also directed Vice President JD Vance, who has played a role in efforts to resolve the war, to focus "his complete and total attention" on alleged crime and corruption in Democratic-run cities and states. Trump said the budget "could be quickly BALANCED" by correcting this large-scale criminal activity. Vance's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.S1S2

The directive came a day after the Wall Street Journal reported that Vance was considering face-to-face peace talks with a hard-line Iranian security official, a move that would have placed him at the center of negotiations. Reuters has not confirmed the potential talks. The shift follows Vance's comments last week, after Republicans suffered a midterm election rout by Democrats, in which he blamed the costs of the Iran war in part for the losses and called an earlier recommendation to end the war "sound advice." Trump responded by defending the war as necessary to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.S1

Trump's tone marked a change from recent weeks, when he had suggested Iran would be more willing to strike a deal in the eight-month conflict after the US elections. Vance, viewed as a leading contender for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination, has now been pointed toward domestic fraud investigations in place of the Iran negotiations.S1