President Trump declared Thursday that the United States no longer needs a negotiated deal with Iran, writing on Truth Social that “those days have long since passed.” In the same breath, he directed Vice President JD Vance to turn his attention to what Trump called the “poorly run, corrupt disasters” of Minnesota, California, and Illinois.
“Billions of Dollars (are) being stolen each and every month,” Trump wrote, arguing that cleaning up corruption in those Democrat-run states could alone balance the federal budget.
On Iran, Trump was blunt: “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! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
The statement appears to be a direct response to a Wall Street Journal report that Vance, who has led diplomatic outreach to Tehran, was weighing face-to-face talks with Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. The Journal reported, citing officials, that Trump had told aides he was open to Vance restarting negotiations. No meeting was ever scheduled, and Rezaei has denied one was planned.
The pivot away from Iran diplomacy and toward domestic corruption comes after a midterm election that voters used to demand more focus on issues at home.
“We Won”
Trump made similar remarks Wednesday at a Veterans Day event at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, declaring the war with Iran already won even as he acknowledged the conflict’s endpoint remains uncertain.
“America did not start a war with Iran. Iran has been waging war on America since 1979. This should have been taken care of a long time ago. Under this administration, and it was about time, somebody fought back. All of us fought back. We fought back. And we seriously fought back. And we won.”
The White House backed up the tough posture, telling Fox News Digital it is confident the U.S. is “in a very strong position with control of the Strait of Hormuz and the Iranian economy collapsing.” Officials said the naval blockade operations — Operation Economic Outcast and Operation Iron Gate — “will continue with full effect,” adding: “President Trump holds all the cards and will do whatever is best for the United States.”
Iran has demanded Washington lift the blockade, release frozen assets, and ease oil sanctions before any talks proceed. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called those demands “totally unrealistic” this week, while saying the U.S. would be “prepared for diplomacy” if Tehran shifted its position.
Oil prices jumped following Trump’s post, with markets reading the remarks as a signal that no deal is imminent.
