Donald Trump says the US does not need a deal with Iran. In a Truth Social post on Thursday 12 November, he says he has directed the Vice President, JD Vance, to focus on alleged corruption and crime in Democrat-run cities and states. Vance had been described as the lead US negotiator.
The post cuts across Wednesday's Wall Street Journal report that Trump had authorised Vance to negotiate with Iran. According to that report, Vance was considering a meeting with Mohsen Rezaei, possibly in Doha.
"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's claims that the US holds hundreds of billions of dollars of Iran's money and controls the Strait of Hormuz are unverified, CNBC and ABC News report.
Oil prices rose after the post. Brent traded 1.6% higher at $94.25 a barrel and WTI 1.3% higher at $87.62 at around 8:24am ET, CNBC reports.
CNBC notes that the post comes just over a week after Republican midterm losses, which Vance and others pinned on the Iran war.