White House Signals Talks with Iran While Maintaining Threats of Force

By Staff, Agencies

The White House said on Monday that President Donald Trump claims to be open to diplomacy with Iran, even as Washington continues to issue explicit military threats against the country.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that while Trump’s preferred option is engagement, he is prepared to resort to force, underscoring the administration’s reliance on pressure and intimidation.

Leavitt said the US president is keeping “all options on the table,” including airstrikes, and warned that Washington would not hesitate to act militarily if Iranian security forces confront unrest. She asserted that Iran is well aware of the seriousness of these threats, reinforcing the administration’s posture of coercion rather than mutual respect.

Referring to communications between Tehran and Washington, Leavitt claimed there was a contradiction between Iran’s public positions and private messages received by the US, adding that Trump is interested in “exploring” those messages.

At the same time, she made clear that the threat of military action remains central to US policy, revealing the conditional and pressure-driven nature of Washington’s so-called diplomatic outreach.

The comments come as Iran marks the 16th day of unrest linked to economic grievances. Alongside limited protests, large state-backed rallies have taken place in Tehran and other cities, with participants denouncing violence and rejecting foreign interference.

Iranian authorities have repeatedly accused the United States and “Israel” of supporting armed rioters and destabilization efforts, announcing the arrest of terrorist cells and the seizure of weapons intended to escalate chaos.

Iranian officials have emphasized that while peaceful protest is a legitimate right, foreign-backed violence will not be tolerated. They argue that Washington’s threats and interference are aimed at exploiting internal pressures and undermining Iran’s sovereignty rather than promoting stability.

Observers note that the US approach—combining talk of diplomacy with open military threats—reflects a confrontational strategy rooted in coercion. This stands in contrast to Iran’s stated position favoring dialogue based on equality, respect for sovereignty, and the rejection of intimidation and ultimatums as tools of international relations.