Trump says US 'doesn't need' deal with Iran, claims control of Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump said Thursday that Washington no longer needs an agreement with Iran, claiming the US holds significant leverage over Tehran, including control of the Strait of Hormuz. “We don’t need a deal with Iran. Those days have long since passed,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. He claimed that Washington secured Iranian financial assets and control of the strategically important waterway. “We’ve got their money, Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and we’ve got their Strait!” he declared.
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy shipping route, has long been a flashpoint between Iran and the US, with tensions in the waterway carrying significant importance for international oil markets and regional security. In the same post, Trump said he had instructed Vice President JD Vance to turn his “complete and total attention” to what he described as “Massive Corruption and Crime” in Democratic-led states and cities. He singled out Minnesota, California and Illinois, alleging that billions of dollars were being stolen each month.
Left out here: Drops what it reported before
The article reports that Trump told Vance to turn his attention to corruption in Democratic-led states. It never says this pulled Vance away from talks with Iran. Anadolu reported the day before that Vance was weighing direct talks with a senior Iranian security official and that Trump had given him authority to pursue diplomacy. Without this, a reader does not see that the post reverses a diplomatic track Trump had just backed.
How we know
- Anadolu Agency (English) wrote earlier“giving the vice president authority to pursue diplomatic efforts”US' JD Vance weighs direct talks with Iranian security official to end war: Report (opens in a new tab)
- Times of Israel reported“and not negotiations toward a deal to end war with Tehran”Trump tells Vance to shift his focus as US doesn’t ‘need a deal with Iran’ (opens in a new tab)
Left out here: One side gets the space
Trump's claim that the US controls the strait and holds Iran's money stands with no Iranian account against it. Other outlets reported that Iranian officials had denied any talks were under way, set conditions for a deal, and that Iran continues to strike ships attempting to cross the strait.
How we know
- Antiwar.com reported“Iran also continues to strike commercial ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz.”Trump Says US Doesn’t Need Iran Deal, Directs Vance To Focus on Domestic Issues (opens in a new tab)
- Antiwar.com reported“Iranian officials had denied that talks were underway between the US and Iran”Trump Says US Doesn’t Need Iran Deal, Directs Vance To Focus on Domestic Issues (opens in a new tab)
“Our Budget could be quickly BALANCED with the correction of this large scale criminal activity,” Trump wrote, accusing Democratic leaders of corruption. In a follow-up post, Trump reiterated his accusations against Democratic-led states, saying Democrats who want to “root out corruption” should begin by investigating “Blue States,” which he described as “perhaps the most CORRUPT governmental structures and entities anywhere on Earth.”
“Big time money is being stolen each and every hour of the day!” he wrote, without providing details or evidence to support the allegations.
Read the original article on aa.com.tr (opens in a new tab)