- White House accused past Iranian leaders of lying during talks, leading to their deaths
- "Some of previous leaders are now no longer on planet Earth because they lied to US," Karoline Leavitt said
- She also said "they strung us along in negotiations"
The White House has said that some of the previous Iranian leaders were killed because they "lied" to the United States during negotiations. Speaking to reporters on Monday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the latest negotiations between Tehran and Washington were "another historic opportunity" for Iran to do the "right thing".
Her remarks came hours after Iran said it had received US peace proposals but called them "unrealistic, illogical and excessive".
"Our position is clear. We are under military aggression. Therefore, all our efforts and strength are focused on defending ourselves," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told a press conference.
Leavitt said that what Tehran says publicly differs from what it tells US officials in private and that Iran had privately agreed to some of Washington's points.
"Some of the previous leaders are now no longer on planet Earth because they lied to the United States and they strung us along in negotiations, and that was unacceptable to the president, which is why many of the previous leaders were killed," she said.
.@PressSec on negotiations with Iran: "Anything that they say to us privately will be tested, and we will ensure that they are being held accountable to their word. And if they are not, @POTUS has laid out the military consequences that the Iranian regime will see if they don't… pic.twitter.com/niVUY3sYWu
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 30, 2026
Leavitt, asked how the US will ensure it is making a deal with people who can implement it, warned that anything Iran says to Washington privately will be tested and that the US would ensure that Tehran is held accountable.
"If they are not, the President has laid out the military consequences that the Iranian regime will see if they don't hold true to the words that we are hearing privately behind the scenes," she said.
"Despite all of the public posturing you hear from the regime and false reporting, talks are continuing and going well. What is said publicly is, of course, much different than what's being communicated to us privately," Leavitt said.
Despite Iran consistently saying peace talks aren't progressing, Leavitt said Tehran was "increasingly eager" to negotiate and agreed to "some of the points" that the US put forward to end the conflict.
"These folks are appearing more reasonable behind the scenes," she added.
She also said the US is "conducting more intense, targeted strikes with devastating combat power with each passing day" and the American operations are proceeding "according to plan".
Trump Threatens Iran Oil Hub
US President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to "blow up and completely obliterate" Iran's electric generating plants and Kharg Island if a deal between Tehran and Washington is not reached soon.
"The United States of America is in serious discussions with A NEW, AND MORE REASONABLE, REGIME to end our Military Operations in Iran. Great progress has been made but, if for any reason a deal is not shortly reached, which it probably will be, and if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately "Open for Business," we will conclude our lovely "stay" in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!), which we have purposefully not yet touched," he wrote on Truth Social.
Trump has repeatedly warned Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key sea lane for Gulf oil and gas exports which has been effectively blocked by Tehran since the war in the Middle East began last month.
There has also been speculation about US troops potentially seizing Kharg Island, which accounts for around 90 percent of Iran's crude exports. It was targeted by US airstrikes earlier this month, with Trump describing it as a "crown jewel" for Tehran.
Iran-Israel-US War
The Middle East was plunged into chaos after the US and Israel carried out joint strikes on Iran last month, killing 86-year-old supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior leaders and sparking a war.
In response, Iran has been attacking Israel and US military bases in Gulf countries. Israel and the US have also been striking Iranian sites.
The war in the Middle East has killed more than 3,000 people, mostly in Iran, according to reports.
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