TRUMP SAYS US DOES NOT ‘NEED A DEAL WITH IRAN

US President Donald Trump has said Washington does not need an agreement with Iran, directing Vice President JD Vance to focus on domestic anti-fraud efforts instead of negotiations with Tehran.

“We don’t need a deal with Iran. Those days have long since passed,” Trump wrote on Thursday.

He also claimed the United States held hundreds of billions of dollars in Iranian funds and controlled the Strait of Hormuz. The report did not establish those claims.

His comments followed reports that Vance was considering face-to-face talks with a senior Iranian security official and had received presidential backing to pursue negotiations.

Oil prices rose after Trump’s statement, while US stock market futures extended their decline.

The remarks come after Republicans suffered heavy midterm election losses, with Democrats winning control of Congress.

Public frustration over the Iran war and higher fuel prices has been identified as a factor in the Republican defeat. Vance was among those who linked the election outcome to the conflict.

The war began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February. Iran subsequently restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting a major global energy route and driving up costs.

Trump’s latest statement casts further uncertainty over efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict.