No Deadline Set for U.S.-Iran Talks

(MENAFN) The White House on Wednesday refused to impose a deadline on ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran, even as a senior Trump adviser privately estimated a "90 percent chance" of U.S. military strikes within weeks should diplomacy collapse, according to a report by media.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, speaking at her daily briefing, struck a cautious but pointed tone, insisting that President Donald Trump remains committed to a negotiated resolution — while leaving the door firmly open to force.

"Diplomacy is always his first option," Leavitt said, though she was equally candid that "there are many reasons and arguments that one could make for a strike against Iran."

When pressed on whether Washington would set a firm timeline for Tehran to respond, Leavitt pushed back sharply, saying she is not going to "set deadlines on behalf of the President of the United States." Iran, she noted, is expected to offer a more detailed negotiating position within the coming weeks.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, speaking Tuesday, acknowledged that the talks had yielded some encouraging early signals but cautioned that critical American red lines had yet to be met.

The stakes could not be higher. media reported Tuesday that a Trump adviser described the administration as edging closer to potential military action, putting the probability of strikes at nine-in-ten if current negotiations break down. Any such operation, sources familiar with the planning told media, could take the form of a sweeping, weeks-long campaign — potentially executed alongside Israel — targeting Iran's nuclear infrastructure and missile capabilities while posing a direct threat to the country's leadership.

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