White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s first option for Iran is “always diplomacy,” but that he is “willing to use the lethal force of the United States military if necessary.”
The remarks come after Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday that “it will be a very bad day” for Iran if the country can’t strike a deal over its nuclear program.
“President Trump’s first option is always diplomacy. But as he has shown, he is willing to use the lethal force of the United States military if necessary. So the president is always the final decision-maker around here,” Leavitt said Tuesday.
“And I’ve seen a lot of sensationalist reporting over the past day that is just completely untrue. And anyone speculating to the media hiding behind an anonymous source, pretending to know what President Trump is thinking, or a decision he will make with respect to action against Iran has no idea what they’re talking about,” she added.
IRAN’S NUCLEAR AMBITIONS SPARK LARGEST US MILITARY BUILDUP IN MIDDLE EAST SINCE IRAQ WAR
The president told reporters last week that he is “considering” a limited military strike on Iran to pressure its leaders into reaching a deal over its nuclear program.
US ASSETS IN MIDDLE EAST POSITIONED FOR ‘HIGHLY KINETIC’ WAR, FORMER PENTAGON OFFICIAL SAYS
The U.S. has recently been increasing its military assets in the Middle East, sending the USS Gerald R. Ford and its strike group toward the region.
The USS Abraham Lincoln and three guided-missile destroyers already are in the area.
“Everything that has been written about a potential War with Iran has been written incorrectly, and purposefully so. I am the one that makes the decision, I would rather have a Deal than not but, if we don’t make a Deal, it will be a very bad day for that Country and, very sadly, its people, because they are great and wonderful, and something like this should never have happened to them,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday.
Leavitt says Trump chooses diplomacy first for Iran, but remains ‘willing to use’ lethal force if necessary 2026 IUSTITIA.BG – Investigations 2009-2026 2026-02-24 16:41:43 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
