White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday said diplomacy remains US President Donald Trump’s first option before considering military action against Iran over the nuclear deal.
Leavitt warned that it would be wise for Iran to reach an agreement with Washington.
“There are arguments one can make for a strike against Iran. The President had a successful operation as commander-in-chief with Operation Midnight Hammer, completely obliterated Iran’s nuclear facilities. The President has always been clear that with Iran or any other country, diplomacy is the first option, and Iran would be wise to make a deal with President Trump”, Leavitt said.
“He (Donald Trump) is talking to many people, firstly, his national security team. This is something the President takes seriously, thinking about what is in the best interest of America and its people. That is how he will decide on a military action,” she added.
Leavitt also hinted that “US forces are in conversation with Israel,” while stopping short of confirming any military move.
She further noted that some progress had been made during the Geneva talks with Iranian officials, though significant differences remain.
“There was a little bit of progress made, but we are still far apart on some issues. We expect the Iranians to come back with the details in the next couple of weeks. The president will continue to watch how this plays out,” the press secretary said.
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‘Still a lot to discuss’: US official
Earlier on Tuesday, US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held discussions with Iranian authorities in Geneva.
A United States official said Iran would return within two weeks with detailed proposals following the high-stakes nuclear negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
“Progress was made, but there are still a lot of details to discuss. The Iranians said they would come back in the next two weeks with detailed proposals to address some of the open gaps in our positions,” the official said.
Talk of potential US military action circulated globally as Washington and Tehran engaged in posturing ahead of the negotiations.
US President Donald Trump issued a stern warning about the “consequences of not making a deal” before the Geneva talks, urging Iran to be “reasonable” in the next round and recalling the June 2025 B-2 bomber attack.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded with a sharp warning, challenging Trump’s repeated claims of US military dominance.
In a series of posts on X, Khamenei stated, “The US President keeps saying that they have the strongest military force in the world. The strongest military force in the world may at times be struck so hard that it cannot get up again.”