Baba UmarWashington DC — The White House has reported limited progress in recent US-Iran indirect talks but warned Iran "would be very wise to make a deal" with the US President Donald Trump.
Speaking with reporters at the White House on Wednesday, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "there was a little bit of progress" in talks held at Geneva on Tuesday, following the first round of meeting in Oman earlier this month, adding "we’re still very far apart on some issues."
She said that the Iranian officials are expected to provide more details in the coming weeks, and President Trump "will continue to watch how this plays out."
Emphasising that diplomacy is always Trump first option, Leavitt warned that "Iran would be very wise to make a deal with President Trump and with this administration."
When asked why a potential US strike might still be considered if Trump has already claimed that strikes in June "totally obliterated" Iran’s nuclear facilities, Leavitt replied, "There are many reasons and arguments that one could make for a strike against Iran," without providing specifics.
Leavitt noted that Trump is consulting his national security team and others about next steps.
She called a question about a possible deadline for Iran "fair" but declined to set one, and said she had "no specifics" on recent Trump conversations with Israel regarding potential strikes against Iran.
US military buildup near Iran
US has deployed the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group to the region, with the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier also on its way, alongside additional fighter jets and warships.
US Vice President JD Vance described Tuesday's Geneva talks as productive "in some ways," but said Iran was "not yet willing" to engage on Trump's "red lines."
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the atmosphere "more constructive."
However, the US news site Axios, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that a potential US-Israeli military attack on Iran could be a massive, weeks-long campaign.
On Wednesday, Trump again hinted at a potential US strike on Iran amidst a military build-up in the Middle East.
He warned Britain against relinquishing sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, citing Diego Garcia airbase there as vital for countering potential threats should Iran fail to negotiate.
Iran has sought to display its own military might, with Tehran beginning a series of war games on Monday in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran and Russia will be holding a joint naval exercise on Thursday in the Gulf of Oman and the northern Indian Ocean, an Iranian naval commander said on Wednesday.
Regarding Cuba, Leavitt described the government there as "failing" and stated that the country is "collapsing", adding that it would be in Cuba’s "best interest to make very dramatic changes very soon."
The US wants "flourishing and prosperous democracies all over the world, especially in the Western Hemisphere," but she declined to discuss potential US actions or call explicitly for leadership change in Cuba.
