Trump says US does not "need" Iran deal, directs Vance to focus on domestic corruption
By Bo Erickson WASHINGTON, Nov 12 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump saidon Thursdaythe US does not need a deal with Iran and directedVice President JD Vance, who has played a role in efforts to resolve the war, to focus "his complete and total attention" on alleged crime and corruption in Democratic-run cities and states. Trump's directive came a day after the Wall Street Journal reported that Vance was considering face-to-face peace talks with a hard-line Iranian security official and a week after the vice president blamed the costly war with Iran for Republicans' midterm elections drubbing.
Trump's comments marked a shift in tone after he had suggested in recent weeks that Iran would be more willing to strike a deal in the eight-month conflict after the US elections. "We don’t need a deal with Iran. Those days have long since passed. We’ve got their money, Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and we’ve got their Strait!" Trump wrote on social media, referring to the Strait of Hormuz, the critical shipping route near Iran where the US military has been working to secure safe passage for international shipping.
Left out here: Drops what it reported before
The article calls the war an 'eight-month conflict' and 'the costly war with Iran' but never says that the US and Israel launched it with strikes in late February. The same reporter's earlier article stated this. Without it, a reader of a story about the US no longer needing a deal cannot tell which side started the war it is weighing whether to end.
How we know
- Al-Monitor wrote earlier“The United States and Israel launched a war against Iran at the end of February.”Vance outreach to Iran related to medical supplies, says Trump (opens in a new tab)
- The Guardian reported“which began in February when the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran”Trump says no deal needed on Iran war and orders Vance to focus on domestic issues (opens in a new tab)
Trump said he asked Vance to focus instead on a domestic issue the president previously put in his portfolio:leading an effort targeting alleged fraud in Democratic-run cities and states throughout the US. "Our Budget could be quickly BALANCED with the correction of this large-scale criminal activity. CORRUPTION is in the Democrat Leadership’s blood!" Trump wrote on Thursday. Vance's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that Vance was considering meeting with a senior Iranian security official, a move thatwould have put Vance at the center of peace negotiations. Reuters has not confirmed the potential talks. Vance, who is viewed as a leading contender for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination,distanced himself from the war last week after Republicans' midterm election rout by Democrats. The vice president blamed the costs of the Iran war in part for the party's losses.
Left out here: One side gets the space
The article reports the Wall Street Journal's account of possible Vance talks and Trump's 'we've got their money' boast, but gives no Iranian response. Iranian officials had denied that talks were underway and had set conditions for a deal, including the release of frozen funds. Without this, a reader sees only Washington deciding whether to talk.
How we know
- 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)
- Antiwar.com reported“providing sanctions relief, releasing frozen Iranian funds, and ending the naval blockade”Trump Says US Doesn’t Need Iran Deal, Directs Vance To Focus on Domestic Issues (opens in a new tab)
He also said an earlier recommendation to end the war was "sound advice." Trump responded to Vance's position by defending the war as necessary to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. (Reporting by Doina Chiacu, Susan Heavey, and Bo Erickson in Washington; Editing by Tomasz Janowski, Colleen Jenkins and Andrea Ricci )
Read the original article on al-monitor.com (opens in a new tab)