WASHINGTON — President Trump has told VP JD Vance to concentrate on the fraud and corruption allegations in the Democratic states rather than on negotiating an end to the war with Iran. He said Thursday that Washington no longer needs an agreement with Tehran.The announcement comes as the Trump administration faces increasing pressure over the conflict, with energy prices rising as a result and the conflict playing a part in Republican losses in last week's midterms.Trump said Vance should be solely and completely focused on looking into the alleged fraud and criminal activity in the Democratic run-off jurisdictions such as Minnesota, California and Illinois.The president claimed billions of dollars were being siphoned off through government programmes and that if you could get that money back, it would go a long way to balancing the federal budget.Those allegations have not been independently established to the extent that Trump claims."We don't need a deal with Iran," Trump said, via Reuters..The president also asserted that the US already had control of Iran's money and the Strait of Hormuz (the vital shipping lane through which a large proportion of the world's oil supply passes).His comments represent a shift in direction after Vance's involvement in efforts to negotiate a settlement to the conflict, which began in February.As reported by The Wall Street Journal, Vance had established a diplomatic channel with Iranian security official Mohsen Rezaei, and US officials were looking at the prospect of direct talks to end the fighting.Trump had previously given his VP the go-ahead to pursue those discussions as the administration considered further military strikes and continued restrictions on Iranian shipping.The White House has now passed the onus of the negotiations to the special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, according to the NY Post.The decision comes after a public rift between Trump and Vance over the political fallout from the Iran war..Last week Vance blamed the party's losses in the November 3rd midterms (when the Democrats picked up both houses of Congress) squarely on the conflict."The reason we lost is the war' wrote Vance in a lengthy social media statement.The VP also referred to inflation (the cost of living), and the general dissatisfaction with Washington's relationship with Israel as issues of concern to voters.Trump admitted the war had helped to cause the Republican defeat, but insisted that the military campaign had been necessary."The Iran thing we had to do' Trump said last week, according to The New York Times."And we continue to do it.".Vance, who had been privately sceptical about going to war with Iran at all, had been increasingly questioning whether the cost of the war was worth it.The rift comes as the Republicans start to think about their political future beyond Trump, who of course, can't run for president again under the Constitution.Vance is very much in the running as a potential 2028 Republican presidential nominee.The Iran war has also become an increasing financial burden on Washington. The Pentagon had already pegged the cost of the conflict at $47bn by early November, according to The New York Times.The administration has maintained a naval blockade of Iranian ports, with the option of further military action remaining on the table.Trump has on numerous occasions maintained that the campaign was essential to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons, even as criticism of the war's economic and political ramifications has grown.The president's latest statement raises the question of whether Washington is in fact going to get back to the negotiating table with Tehran and what role Vance is going to play in any future talks.
