WASHINGTON (Realist English). The White House on Wednesday warned that Iran would be “wise” to reach an agreement with the United States, as President Donald Trump once again hinted at the possibility of military action.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Tehran should seize the opportunity for diplomacy. “Iran would be very wise to make a deal with President Trump and with his administration,” she said.
Indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran recently resumed with mediation from Oman, following weeks of heightened tensions. A previous attempt at talks collapsed last June after Israeli strikes on Iran triggered a 12-day conflict that briefly drew in the United States, which targeted Iranian nuclear facilities.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump again suggested U.S. military options remain on the table. He also warned against any change to sovereignty arrangements over the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean, arguing that the Diego Garcia airbase could be strategically important should Iran refuse a deal.
Earlier Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran was drafting a framework to guide future discussions. Iran and the United States held a second round of Oman-mediated talks on Tuesday in Geneva. Araghchi said the sides had agreed on “guiding principles,” though U.S. Vice President J. D. Vance indicated that Iran had yet to acknowledge all U.S. red lines.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran does not seek war but would not accept demands it considers humiliating. “We do not want war,” he said, while questioning whether Iran should yield under pressure.
Araghchi also held a phone call with Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, emphasizing Iran’s focus on establishing a coherent framework for continued talks. Tehran has recently curtailed some cooperation with the agency and restricted inspector access to sites struck last year, accusing it of bias.
Meanwhile, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Washington would prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons “one way or the other.”
As diplomacy proceeds, the United States has expanded its military footprint in the region. A second aircraft carrier has been ordered to the Middle East, joining the USS Abraham Lincoln, positioned several hundred kilometers from Iran’s coast.
Iran has responded with military exercises by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials have repeatedly warned they could restrict traffic through the strategic waterway, a key artery for global oil and gas supplies.