White House: Trump prefers peace but ready to 'unleash hell' on Iran

The White House signaled Wednesday that while President Donald Trump favors a diplomatic resolution with Iran, he is prepared to escalate sharply if Tehran refuses to accept military defeat and come to a deal. Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt described the current moment as a critical juncture for the Islamic Republic.

Warnings and achievements

Washington postponed planned strikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure after "productive conversations" over the past three days, Leavitt told reporters. However, she warned that if Iran fails to accept it has "been defeated militarily," Trump will ensure the country is "hit harder than they have ever been hit before." The president "does not bluff and he is prepared to unleash hell," she added, cautioning Tehran against further "miscalculation." Leavitt claimed the US has destroyed more than 140 Iranian naval vessels—including nearly 50 mine layers—in what she called "the largest elimination of a Navy on the face of the planet in a three-week period since World War II."

Talks continue

Despite Iranian state television reports that Tehran rejected a US 15-point plan to end the war, Leavitt said negotiations have not broken down. "They have not. Talks continue. They are productive, as the president said on Monday, and they continue to be," she said. On the reported plan—which outlines steps on Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs and maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz—Leavitt urged caution, saying the White House never confirmed it. She added that "there are elements of truth to it, but some of the stories I read were not entirely factual."

Vision for Iran

Leavitt said Trump wants to see an Iranian leadership "much more favorable" to Washington, willing to cooperate with the US and no longer chanting "Death to America!" She noted the US had dropped several 5,000-pound bombs on an underground facility storing anti-ship cruise missiles and mobile launchers along the Strait of Hormuz coastline over the weekend. The US and Israel have struck Iran since Feb. 28, killing more than 1,300 people including former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, prompting Iranian retaliatory strikes across the region and a severe disruption to global oil flows.