WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump on Thursday instructed Vice President JD Vance to step back from efforts related to the Iran war and concentrate instead on combating what Trump describes as corruption and crime in Democratic-led cities and states.
Vance had served as the administration’s chief negotiator in an effort to secure a truce in the eight-month conflict. He has also spoken candidly about the war and its economic consequences, attributing much of the Republican Party’s sweeping defeat in last week’s U.S. midterm elections to the fallout from the fighting.
Trump’s Thursday social media post appeared to redirect Vance toward an issue the president considers both more urgent and potentially more politically powerful following the Republican losses at the polls.
“We don’t need a deal with Iran,” Trump wrote. “Those days have long since passed. We’ve got their money, Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and we’ve got their Strait!”
Earlier in the week, Trump said the conflict was “militarily … effectively over.” His latest message reinforced that position as he directed Vance to give his “complete and total attention” to an anti-fraud campaign.
Democrats have vowed to conduct extensive investigations into Trump’s business activities and other matters once they assume control of Congress in January. Voters ranked corruption among their leading concerns, and Trump’s remarks about Vance and Iran came partly in response to reports detailing the Democrats’ planned oversight efforts.
The president’s post also followed a Wall Street Journal report published Wednesday night saying Vance was considering another round of direct discussions with a senior Iranian official.
Vance’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
The White House press office, responding by email, pointed to Trump’s statement that he believes negotiations with Iran are unnecessary.
Vance linked Iran conflict to Republican midterm losses
Vance had spent years urging caution about U.S. military involvement abroad. After Trump launched the Iran operation, however, the vice president offered only measured support and became the administration’s public face in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to halt the fighting during summer negotiations.
After the Nov. 3 defeats, Vance published an extended post on X that openly addressed the political consequences of the war.
“If you’d like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so,” Vance wrote. “Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay. Agree or disagree, that’s at least honest.”
Vance is weighing a possible 2028 presidential campaign, and public frustration over Trump’s handling of the war could affect his political prospects.
Trump has not endorsed a successor for the 2028 race. During an interview broadcast Sunday on CBS’ “60 Minutes,” he said he “may or may not get involved” in making an endorsement.
Trump also said this week that mediation efforts led by Qatar appeared to be advancing. He suggested those developments made it less likely he would follow through on earlier threats to resume a full-scale bombardment of Iran after the midterm elections.
Shipping routes near Iran remain dangerous
Oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has returned close to prewar levels after Iran effectively restricted passage through the strategic waterway for months, disrupting crude and energy shipments from neighboring Persian Gulf states.
International tankers are now using U.S. Navy escorts to move through the strait. The U.S. military has also conducted limited strikes against Iran, including attacks on air-defense systems.
Although crude oil and liquefied natural gas exports from the Gulf have increased, attacks on vessels attempting to cross the waterway have also risen.
The British military said Thursday that at least two tankers had been hit by projectiles in recent days while traveling through disputed waters near Iran.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center, which tracks maritime security incidents, reported that one tanker was struck Wednesday in the Strait of Hormuz, northwest of Ras al-Khaimah. Its crew evacuated safely, and no injuries were reported.
In a separate incident Tuesday, the UKMTO said a tanker was hit by a projectile in the Persian Gulf. Several people were brought ashore for medical treatment, while the rest of the crew was confirmed safe, according to the agency.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he urged fellow Group of Seven officials during meetings in Paris to “step up” efforts to safeguard shipping from Iranian attacks. He acknowledged, however, that the discussions had not produced progress.
Meanwhile, a Saudi-led coalition remains engaged in combat with Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The conflict has added to concerns about shipping oil and other goods through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the passage linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
Qalibaf says Washington sought Putin’s help
Iranian chief negotiator and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said in an interview that the United States had asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to help establish direct negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
“It was the Americans who, during a visit to Moscow, spoke with Mr. Putin and asked him to speak with Iran so that, in any case, Iran would agree to speak directly with them,” Qalibaf told Al Jazeera. “Look, Russia and Mr. Putin, the Russian president, are friends of ours. We have strategic relations with Russia. We are very close, and we hold Mr. Putin in particularly high regard.”
The White House did not directly answer a question about whether the United States had asked Putin to facilitate talks with Iran.
Qalibaf said Maj. Gen. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, traveled to Russia and briefed Putin on the negotiations. Rezaei, Qalibaf said, explained that Iran had presented the Americans with its positions, which Tehran considers the legitimate rights and demands of the Iranian people. The next move, he added, rests with Washington.
“It is up to them to decide. If they are truly telling the truth and are sincere about negotiations, then they should respond and begin the process,” Qalibaf said. “But if they want to pursue the path of war, then naturally, we are fully prepared for that as well.”
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AP writers Michelle L. Price in Washington and Elena Becatoros in Athens contributed reporting.
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