President Donald Trump said Thursday that Washington no longer needs an agreement with Iran, a sharp change in tone just three days after he voiced hope for negotiations. He also redirected Vice President JD Vance toward domestic matters.
“We don’t need a deal with Iran. Those days have long since passed,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that the United States had “Hundreds of Billions of Dollars” and control of the Strait.
The statement came a day after Trump declared victory over Iran during a Veterans Day event at Arlington National Cemetery, though he acknowledged the conflict was not formally over.
“We won,” he said Wednesday. “It’s just a question of when we end it. I want to make sure we have a total victory, not a 93 percent victory.”
Trump also praised veterans working to prevent Iran, which he called the world’s leading sponsor of state terrorism, from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
An administration official said the U.S. had significant leverage through a naval blockade and continued military pressure. The official said the blockade, known as Operation Economic Outcast, and Operation Iron Gate would remain in force, and argued that the president would ensure Iran could not develop nuclear weapons.
Trump’s latest remarks follow months of predictions that an agreement might be close. Earlier this week, he said Tehran “would love to make a deal.” His new position leaves open whether negotiations will continue through other administration officials while Washington sustains pressure on Iran.
Since February, Trump has said on at least a dozen occasions that Iran wanted to negotiate or that an agreement could be reached soon, according to a preliminary review of his public comments.
Ludovic Hood, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, said the administration’s use of economic pressure, military force and regional partnerships made sense, but argued that its diplomatic effort needed more focus.
“What’s lacking is disciplined diplomacy to complement the economic squeeze and possible airstrikes,” Hood said. He added that Gulf partners were not fully aligned and that European countries should be more involved.
Trump’s upbeat comments about a possible agreement began before U.S. military operations against Iran. On Feb. 13, he suggested Tehran could avoid an attack by accepting Washington’s terms. After the operations began, he increasingly stressed Iran’s weakened military capabilities and the possibility of bringing the conflict to an end.
On March 20, Trump said the United States was “getting very close” to meeting its military objectives.
The administration agreed to a ceasefire in April and continued seeking a diplomatic settlement. But further military action and disputes over Iran’s nuclear program and regional shipping have kept the wider conflict unresolved.
Trump continued to say Iran wanted an agreement, including in May, when he suggested the damage to its military had made Tehran eager to negotiate.
During an unscheduled appearance in the White House briefing room Monday, Trump said Iran was “militarily, effectively over.” He also warned that U.S. forces remained “locked and loaded” if circumstances changed.
Hood said Trump’s apparently conflicting statements could be part of a deliberate negotiating approach. He described the administration’s strategy as a mix of economic pressure, limited military force and support from regional allies.
“Trump’s messaging seems designed to both signal his preference for a diplomatic solution while preserving the option of force,” Hood said.
He also defended the administration’s decision to keep up military pressure, saying that bluster and brinkmanship are common in negotiations of this kind. “Strategic patience is essential in this standoff, which has essentially been 40 years in the making,” he said.
Hood added that securing meaningful nuclear concessions, or a more cooperative government in Tehran, would require coordination with regional partners.
