Trump pulls Iran talks from Vance, points him at domestic corruption
The president claims the US holds hundreds of billions in Iranian funds and control of the Strait of Hormuz, ending a recent push for peace negotiations.
By Naomi Tesfaye ·
Donald Trump declared on Thursday that the United States no longer requires a diplomatic agreement with Iran. He instructed Vice President JD Vance to shift his full attention away from Middle East diplomacy and toward alleged financial misconduct in Democratic-led jurisdictions.
The president claimed the US already possesses hundreds of billions of dollars in Iranian money. He added that American forces have secured the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping lane near the Iranian coast. Trump stated on social media that the era of seeking a deal has passed because of these advantages.
This directive follows a report by the Wall Street Journal published the previous day. The paper said Vance was weighing face-to-face talks with a hard-line Iranian security official. Reuters has not yet confirmed whether those negotiations are in motion.
Vance had recently linked the high cost of the Iran war to Republican losses in the midterm elections. He described his earlier advice to end the conflict as sound judgment. Trump countered by defending the war as a necessary step to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Trump previously suggested that Iran would be more open to a deal after the US elections concluded. The eight-month conflict has shaped the political landscape in Washington. The president now views the financial and strategic position as sufficient to bypass a formal treaty.
Vance's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the shift in strategy. The vice president is viewed as a leading candidate for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination. His current portfolio includes a push to target fraud in Democratic-run cities and states.
Trump argued that correcting this large-scale criminal activity would allow for a quick balancing of the federal budget. He wrote that corruption is central to the leadership of the opposing party. The administration is now prioritizing these domestic audits over international negotiations.
