Karoline Leavitt Deflects Questions on Iran, Issues 5-Word Remark on US Position
Karoline Leavitt Had a Five-Word Response to Iran's Ceasefire Mockery
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reportedly urged the media to “take (the White House’s) word for it” while being questioned about different narratives about the Iran war coming from Iran itself. The remarks follow President Donald Trump's announcement earlier this week of a ceasefire extension.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said that Iran must “get its act together” as Washington maintains its demands amid ongoing conflict.
According to the Irish Star, Leavitt addressed the reporters at the White House on Wednesday afternoon. During the briefing, a reporter referenced Trump's earlier assertion that he did not want to extend the ceasefire and that the bombing would continue after the ceasefire ends. The reporter then pointed out that Trump had simultaneously announced the ceasefire extension.
The reporter asked, “Iranian state media are openly mocking the president of the United States and saying, ‘We didn’t request an extension to the ceasefire.’ What's the response from the president of the United States?”
Karoline Leavitt asks media houses to take White House's word for it.
Leavitt responded, “The response is you guys all see a lot of different messaging coming out of Iran — a lot of different rhetoric and language from them. I would caution you to take anything they say at face value.”
She added, “What we’ve seen is that what they say publicly is much different than what they concede to the United States and our negotiating team privately. I’ve said that repeatedly to all of you in the news media, and you should take our word for it.”
According to the Irish Star report, Leavitt was also asked who specifically the U.S. is negotiating with in Tehran. The question appeared to give her pause before she responded. The reporter asked, “Does the White House have an understanding at this point of who inside of Iran will have the final sign-off on (a peace deal)?”
Leavitt said the White House and intelligence community have a thorough understanding of Iran's internal power structure. Nonetheless, she insisted on having a “unified response and proposal.”
Karoline Leavitt replies about US' negotiations with Tehran.
She added, “To the previous question’s point, you see a lot of different messaging on social media from many different 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.”
It was earlier this week, on Tuesday, that Trump announced the ceasefire extension, a decision Trump said he made at Pakistan's request to pause military action and allow time for diplomacy.
Donald Trump announces ceasefire extension.
A part of his Truth Social post read, “Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and, upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our attack on the country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal.”
The extension came as the U.S. maintained a blockade and kept military options in place, according to reports.