Trump says US no longer needs a deal with Iran

President Donald Trump said November 12 that the United States no longer needs an agreement with Iran, declaring that the time for negotiations has passed and asserting that Washington controls Iranian money and the Strait of Hormuz. His statements came as reports described Qatar-mediated discussions between Tehran and Washington as continuing, leaving the status of diplomacy uncertain.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “We don’t need a deal with Iran. Those days have long since passed.” He added that the United States had “their money” and “their Strait,” claiming it had secured hundreds of billions of dollars in Iranian assets and control of the strategic waterway. The claims were not independently verified in the reports.

Trump also said he had directed Vice President JD Vance to focus on alleged crime and corruption in Democratic-led cities and states, naming Minnesota, California and Illinois. Trump alleged that billions of dollars were being stolen each month and said addressing the activity could quickly balance the federal budget. He provided no supporting details for those allegations in the posts described in the reports.

The declaration about Iran did not come...