Washington DC [US], April 23 : White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday (local time) said the United States has a clear understanding of decision-making structures within Iran, but is awaiting a "unified response" from Tehran.
Speaking to the reporters, Leavitt said, "The White House and our intelligence community certainly have a good understanding. However, we want to see a unified response and a unified proposal. You see a lot of different messaging on social media from many people within the regime, and a lot of that public nonsense is not what we hear from them privately. But again, we want a unified response, and that's what the President is awaiting."
She further said US President Donald Trump decided to extend the ceasefire, asserting that Iran must "get its act together" as Washington maintains its demands amid the conflict.
Responding to a question on whether Trump's posts on Truth Social impacted the talks negatively, Leavitt dismissed the suggestion, saying the United States has been clear about its demands from the outset.
"Look at where we are right now. The President chose to extend the ceasefire because it's Iran that needs to get its act together. The United States and President Trump have been very clear in our demands and our red lines in what we need to see in the best interest of the American people, our country and our allies from the very beginning. So the short answer to your question is no," she said.
Leavitt said the United States is maintaining leverage over Iran, asserting that Washington is awaiting a unified response from Tehran despite "internal friction and division" within its leadership.
She said the US negotiating team has engaged directly with Iranian counterparts, while emphasising that President Donald Trump has offered "a little bit of flexibility" to allow for a consolidated proposal in response to Washington's demands.
"We obviously know who we are negotiating with because our negotiating team has sat down with those individuals in person. But obviously, there is a lot of internal friction and internal division... Their regime and many of its leaders for nearly five decades have been wiped off the face of planet Earth. So again, the President is offering them a little bit of flexibility because we want to see a unified proposal to the President's very strong proposal. He has made his red lines very clear. Again, the United States maintains control over this situation and leverage over the Iranian regime. Not only have they been significantly weakened and obliterated militarily, but they are losing economically and financially every single moment that passes with this blockade. The President is going to continue to lead the free world, to run the United States of America as we await the Iranian response," she said.
She cautioned against taking statements from Iran at face value, saying public messaging from Tehran differs significantly from its private stance in negotiations with the United States.
"The response is, you guys all see a lot of different messaging coming out of Iran.... I would caution you to take anything that they say at face value. What we have seen is that what they say publicly is much different from what they concede to the United States and our negotiating team privately," she said.
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