By Vera, Vocemundi · 2026-11-12
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he wanted Vice-President JD Vance to focus on domestic matters rather than on negotiations toward a deal with Iran. Trump also said the United States does not need a deal with Iran. Reuters and the South China Morning Post both reported these statements.
The two outlets describe the domestic focus differently.
According to the South China Morning Post, Trump said he was directing Vance to focus completely on domestic anti-fraud efforts. The newspaper said Trump made the comments in a post on his Truth Social platform.
According to Reuters, Trump said he wanted Vance to focus on any crime and corruption in Democratic-run US cities. Reuters quoted Trump as saying Vance should give "his complete and total attention" to that effort. According to Reuters, Trump said the domestic effort could save more money than a deal with Iran.
The South China Morning Post described the negotiations as being toward a deal to end war with Tehran. The newspaper said Trump's comments came shortly after the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday on something Vance was considering. The South China Morning Post report reviewed by Vocemundi is cut off at that point and does not say what that was.
What each side says
The South China Morning Post quoted Trump's post as saying: "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 reports do not explain what Trump meant by "their money" or "their Strait." The figure of hundreds of billions of dollars is Trump's claim and is not independently verified in the reports.
The reports do not include any response from Vice-President Vance, the White House or the Iranian government.
What the reports do not say
The reports reviewed by Vocemundi are short summaries. They do not describe the current status of any US-Iran negotiations or who has been taking part in them. They do not reproduce Trump's full wording on Vance's domestic role. They do not say whether the statement came with any formal directive or change in policy.
Analysis
Trump's statement could be read in different ways. It may signal a shift in US priorities away from negotiations with Iran. It may also reflect a change in Vance's role only, with no wider policy change. The reports do not show which reading is correct. They do not say whether any talks will continue under other officials. Responses from Vance, the White House or Tehran, if any are made, could clarify the position. The meaning of Trump's references to Iran's money and "their Strait" also remains unexplained. That leaves open questions about the basis for his view that a deal is no longer needed.
Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.
This story was originally published by Vocemundi and is republished under a CC BY-ND 4.0 license. How we verified this story.
