Talks between the U.S. and Iran are still planned despite incidents escalating tensions Tuesday.
The Iranians and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are tentatively expected to meet Friday, according to a U.S. official. The talks “as of right now are still scheduled,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
“President Trump is always wanting to pursue diplomacy first, but obviously it takes two to tango. You need a willing partner to achieve diplomacy, and that's something that Special Envoy Witkoff is intent on exploring and discussing. As always, though, of course, the president has a range of options on the table with respect to Iran,” Leavitt said.
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A U.S. Navy fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that aggressively approached an aircraft carrier, and IRGC forces threatened to seize a U.S.-flagged tanker, the Associated Press reported, citing U.S. Central Command. It followed a warning from Central Command last week over the IRGC’s planned naval exercises in the Strait of Hormuz.
“Centcom did make the decision to shoot down that Iranian drone. It was unmanned and acting aggressively towards our USS Lincoln,” Leavitt told Fox News in an interview Tuesday afternoon.
President Trump has repeatedly warned Iran to make a deal, while underscoring more military assets sent to the region as he’s called for no nuclear weapons and for Iran to not kill protesters in recent weeks.
“They are negotiating. They’d like to do something and we’ll see if something is going to be done. They had a chance to do something a while ago, and it didn't work out, and we did midnight hammer. I don't think they want that happening again, but they would like to negotiate. We are negotiating with them right now, yes,” Trump told reporters Tuesday evening.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he instructed the pursuit of “fair and equitable negotiations,” Monday, as Iran’s foreign minister held calls with officials from Oman, Qatar, and Turkey ahead of the talks. There has been a flurry of communication, as some in the region have sought to de-escalate.
Witkoff met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the same day in which Netanyahu “clarified his position that Iran has proven time and again that its promises cannot be relied upon,” according to the prime minister’s office.
