Donald Trump said on Thursday 12 November that the United States no longer needed an agreement with Iran. In a message on social networks, the US President asked his vice-president JD Vance to devote his attention to the fight against corruption and crime that he denounces in the cities and states led by the Democrats. This reorientation comes as Vance participated in diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict with Tehran.
« We don’t need an agreement with Iran, » Trump wrote, according to consistent comments from two news agencies. The President also claimed control of Iranian financial resources and the Strait. These statements express his political position: they alone do not constitute an verified balance sheet of the assets held or of the military situation in Ormuz.
Vance referred to an existing internal mission
Donald Trump describes the fight against embezzlement as a way to restore the U.S. fiscal balance. It includes Minnesota, California and Illinois. His general accusations against democratic officials are not accompanied, in the message reported, by an audit to verify the extent or effect announced on federal finances.
The inner mission entrusted to Vance is not new. Presidential Decree 14395 of 16 March 2026 established a task force to combat fraud in federal social benefits programmes. The text designates the Vice-President as the President of this structure, under the direct supervision of the Head of State, and the President of the Federal Trade Commission as Vice-President.
Its mandate includes verification of eligibility of beneficiaries, prepayment checks, information sharing between administrations and audits. The Decree includes programmes administered with States and local authorities. It provides for the implementation of measures in accordance with the law and the appropriations available. The announcement of 12 November therefore concerns the political priority given to this function, not the creation of a new institution.
A restrictive signal for diplomacy with Tehran
When questioned by a news agency, the White House press department referred to the presidential message to point out that Donald Trump saw no need to negotiate with Iran. The Vice-President’s office had not responded to the request for comment at the time of the dispatch. The reported text does not appoint any replacement for Vance to drive any contacts.
This position contrasts with the diplomatic signals of the beginning of the week. On 9 November, after a meeting with the Qatari Prime Minister, Donald Trump had presented the war as almost over at the military level and referred to Doha’s mediation efforts. However, a presidential statement on the absence of a need for agreement is not worth announcing a negotiated settlement or confirming the end of the conflict.
Iranian version remains separate
For his part, the President of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, states in an interview that Washington asked Vladimir Putin to facilitate direct discussions with Tehran. According to him, Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of the Iranian Supreme Security Council, presented the Iranian positions in Moscow. The White House did not reply directly to the question about this Russian mediation, according to a news agency. This is therefore an Iranian claim, not an American approach confirmed by both parties.
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