Despite renewed military conflict between the United States and Iran, the White House stated Thursday that Washington remains willing to pursue a diplomatic resolution, saying Tehran has signaled it still wants to strike a deal.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed reporters on the matter, explaining that the administration is simultaneously maintaining diplomatic channels and responding to Iranian military provocations.
“The president will hold them accountable when they turn their back on the words that they state to the United States. But he is always open to diplomacy at the very same time,” Leavitt told reporters.
Leavitt further noted that Iran has directly communicated its interest in continuing negotiations with the Trump administration.
“They have expressed they still want to make a deal to the president. We’re talking to them, but again, the president is not going to allow them to fire on ships in the Strait without paying a consequence for that,” she said.
The White House comments come as armed conflict between the two nations has flared up again following the collapse of ceasefire talks. Those negotiations had centered on a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war, but ultimately reached a standstill.
Prior to ordering military strikes against Iran, President Trump announced on Truth Social that the ceasefire had ended. He has also issued warnings that the U.S. military campaign could be broadened to target Iranian power plants and bridges if Iran does not return to the negotiating table.
Leavitt’s briefing came the day after President Trump publicly thanked Iran for freeing a U.S. citizen who had been held in detention since December 2024. That release was widely seen as a potential diplomatic opening, even amid the escalating hostilities between the two countries.
