White House: Iran 'very much continues to talk' to US
01:22, 17/07/2026, FridayU: Update: 02:55, 17/07/2026, Friday
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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a press briefing in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., on July 16, 2026. Leavitt held her first press briefing since returning from maternity leave.White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday that Iran maintains active diplomatic contact with Washington and remains interested in reaching a nuclear agreement despite recent US military strikes, noting that Tehran is suffering "devastating blows" from American forces and wants to make a deal.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday that Iran continues to communicate with Washington and has expressed interest in reaching a nuclear agreement despite recent US military strikes. President Donald Trump told her that diplomatic contacts remain active.
Asked whether diplomacy had stalled, Leavitt cited her recent conversation with the president. "Well, I've spoken with the president about this as recently as an hour ago. Iran very much continues to talk to the United States of America and express that they want to make a deal with us because they are suffering devastating blows on behalf of our United States military," she said.
Agreement violations cited
Leavitt said the recent US strikes were launched "because Iran violated the memorandum of understanding that we struck with them," pointing to Iranian breaches of the prior accord. The operations have continued over several days as Washington maintains pressure on the Islamic Republic.
The comments come as the Trump administration maintains a dual-track approach of military escalation alongside diplomatic outreach regarding Tehran's nuclear program. Washington has carried out multiple strikes in recent days while insisting that channels for negotiation remain functional, according to the White House.