US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he was instructing Vice President JD Vance to concentrate entirely on domestic anti-fraud efforts rather than on negotiations aimed at reaching a deal to end the war with Tehran.
“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!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
His remarks were made shortly after the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that Vance was considering direct talks with a senior Iranian security official.
The Journal’s report also said Trump had told aides and counterparts he was open to Vance restarting negotiations with Tehran and that the president had given Vance the authority to negotiate.
A meeting in person of this kind would represent an unusual step.
Oil prices climbed following Trump’s comments on social media, while Wall Street futures fell further.
Trump’s remarks also follow sweeping losses for his Republican Party in this month’s midterm elections, with Democrats taking control of Congress.
Outrage over the war with Iran, which has driven fuel prices sharply higher in the United States, is seen as a major factor turning voters away from Republicans.
Vance was among the Republicans who blamed the Iran war for the party’s defeats at the ballot box.
The conflict has continued since US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, which led Tehran to shut off the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for energy transit. The blockade has disrupted the global economy, sending energy costs soaring.
