Trump tells J.D. Vance to focus on crime, says "We don't need a deal with Iran"
Trump directed Vice President J.D. Vance to prioritise domestic crime and corruption efforts and said the U.S. does not need a deal with Iran.
President Donald Trump told Vice President J.D. Vance to turn his attention away from talks with Iran and concentrate on crime and corruption in cities and states governed by Democrats.
The instruction came one day after reports emerged that Vance had been considering direct peace talks with a hardline Iranian official. Trump's message underlines a decision to keep diplomacy with Tehran off the administration's immediate agenda.
Vance has previously acknowledged that an expensive war with Iran was a principal factor in the Republicans' heavy losses in the U.S. midterm elections, a recognition that had prompted debate inside the party about strategy and messaging.
Trump's message and the strategic picture
Posting on social media, Trump framed the issue bluntly: "We don't need a deal with Iran. Those times are long gone. We have their money, hundreds of billions of dollars, and we have their strait." He added a reference to the Strait of Hormuz, which has been closed to most ships since the start of the war in February.
The public rebuke signals that the president prefers a posture of leverage rather than negotiation with Tehran for now. It also shifts the vice president's public agenda toward domestic law-and-order themes that Republican officials have emphasized as a contrast with Democratic governors and mayors.
How Vance responds could shape intra-party dynamics: as vice president he can pursue a visible domestic campaign on crime and corruption, but any renewed outreach to Iran would have to align with the president's priorities if it is to go forward.
Photo: AP)
