- US President Trump is prepared to take strong action against Iran if no deal is reached
- Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated Trump does not bluff in his threats against Iran
- Leavitt warned Iran not to miscalculate the current situation with the US
US President Donald Trump is ready to "unleash hell" on Iran if it does not accept a deal to end the war in the Middle East, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a briefing. She said that Trump does not "bluff" and Iran should not miscalculate the current situation.
"If Iran fails to accept the reality of the current moment, if they fail to understand that they have been defeated militarily and will continue to be, President Trump will ensure they are hit harder than they have ever been hit before," Leavitt said.
"President Trump does not bluff and he is prepared to unleash hell. Iran should not miscalculate again", she added.
She reiterated that the US continues to "decimate" Iran's military capabilities, claiming that this is the largest elimination of a navy in three weeks since World War Two. Leavitt also said that Operation Epic Fury has been a "resounding military triumph".
Speaking about US troops being deployed in Iran, she said that Trump would not seek authorisation from the Congress because the country is currently in "major combat operations in Iran".
However, she declined to provide details on negotiations with Iran, saying it's a sensitive issue that remains in flux.
She said there are “elements of truth” in a 15-point plan said to have been put forward by the United States, but also said some reports have been “not entirely factual.”
“I am not going to negotiate on behalf of the president here at the podium,” Leavitt said. “What I will tell you is these talks are ongoing.”
Saying that US forces are “very close to meeting the core objectives” of the military action against Iran, Leavitt said that “productive conversations” with Iran were ongoing but stressed that more strikes could come if they're unsuccessful.
As the joint US-Israeli war on Iran entered its fourth week, there have been efforts by multiple countries such as Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt to mediate a possible negotiation to try and end the war, but uncertainty persisted on where and when any talks would materialise.
Iran is still reviewing a US proposal to end the war, despite an initial response that was negative, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday, indicating that Tehran had so far stopped short of rejecting it outright.
(With inputs from agencies)
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