Iran War Day 258: Trump Says No Deal Necessary With Iran

President Donald Trump posted Thursday on Truth Social that he is redirecting Vice President J.D. Vance to domestic issues because “we don’t need a deal with Iran.”

“I have asked Vice President Vance to focus his complete and total attention on the Massive Corruption and Crime taking place in Democrat run Cities and States throughout the U.S.,” the president wrote, alleging widespread fiscal misconduct in blue states like Minnesota and Illinois. “CORRUPTION is in the Democrat Leadership’s blood! 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!”

The statement followed reports about Vance’s intensifying role in diplomacy with Iran, including a potential meeting with the Iranian Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei in Doha. Trump appeared to confirm reports from Axios and others that his inclination is to follow Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent’s preferred course by maintaining the economic war against Iran without returning to high-intensity combat operations.

The Iranians are still harassing traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, claiming to have stopped two tankers Wednesday night. Fighting of varying intensity also continues on other fronts in the regional crisis. Israel struck a hospital in Gaza Wednesday, killing six, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Yemen’s Houthis continued their siege of Taiz, prompting warnings Wednesday from the Arab League about impending humanitarian disaster.

Brent crude opened Thursday at $92.22 a barrel and began rising after Trump’s statement. AAA reported national average prices per gallon of $3.91 for gazoline and $6.10 for diesel.