World
Vehicles drive along a highway under a pedestrian bridge with a huge banner showing people waving the Iranian flag, in Tehran on February 18, 2026. Photo: AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The White House on Wednesday reiterated that diplomacy remains the United States’ preferred path in dealing with Iran, adding that military options remain on the table if negotiations fail.
Speaking to reporters, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump is weighing a range of considerations as indirect talks between Washington and Tehran continue.
“There's many reasons and arguments that one could make for a strike against Iran," Leavitt said, adding that Trump "had a very successful operation as Commander-in-Chief with Operation Midnight Hammer…[which] totally obliterated Iran's nuclear facilities,” referring to Washington’s targeting of Iran’s key nuclear facilities in last June during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel.
She noted that Trump has always been "very clear" and that "diplomacy is always his first option and Iran would be very wise to make a deal with President Trump and with this administration.”
Leavitt said Trump remains in close consultation with his national security team and stressed that any decision would be guided by US interests. “He's always thinking about what's in the best interest of the United States of America, of our military, of the American people, and that's how he makes decisions with respect to military action of any kind,” she said.
Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign ministry said a phone call late Wednesday between the head of the UN nuclear watchdog and Iran’s top diplomat focused on maintaining momentum in the ongoing negotiations.
In a statement posted on X, the ministry said International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi about “the latest developments related to the ongoing indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States.”
According to the statement, Araghchi outlined Tehran’s positions on nuclear-related issues and emphasized Iran’s focus on developing “a coherent and preliminary framework to advance the talks.”
It added that Grossi, for his part, "positively assessed the outcome" of the Geneva meeting on Tuesday and expressed the agency’s readiness to assist in facilitating the development of a negotiation framework.
The call followed a second round of Oman-mediated indirect talks held Tuesday in Geneva, which the state-run IRNA news agency said showed signs of progress despite heightened regional tensions. Grossi attended the talks, which took place amid strained relations between Tehran and the IAEA over inspection access and reporting on Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpiles.
The talks come against a backdrop of deep mistrust. Tehran has accused the IAEA of bias toward Western countries and Israel, while Washington insists Iran must curb uranium enrichment. Iran maintains its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes and is seeking relief from sweeping sanctions.
Speaking to reporters, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump is weighing a range of considerations as indirect talks between Washington and Tehran continue.
“There's many reasons and arguments that one could make for a strike against Iran," Leavitt said, adding that Trump "had a very successful operation as Commander-in-Chief with Operation Midnight Hammer…[which] totally obliterated Iran's nuclear facilities,” referring to Washington’s targeting of Iran’s key nuclear facilities in last June during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel.
She noted that Trump has always been "very clear" and that "diplomacy is always his first option and Iran would be very wise to make a deal with President Trump and with this administration.”
Leavitt said Trump remains in close consultation with his national security team and stressed that any decision would be guided by US interests. “He's always thinking about what's in the best interest of the United States of America, of our military, of the American people, and that's how he makes decisions with respect to military action of any kind,” she said.
Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign ministry said a phone call late Wednesday between the head of the UN nuclear watchdog and Iran’s top diplomat focused on maintaining momentum in the ongoing negotiations.
In a statement posted on X, the ministry said International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi about “the latest developments related to the ongoing indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States.”
According to the statement, Araghchi outlined Tehran’s positions on nuclear-related issues and emphasized Iran’s focus on developing “a coherent and preliminary framework to advance the talks.”
It added that Grossi, for his part, "positively assessed the outcome" of the Geneva meeting on Tuesday and expressed the agency’s readiness to assist in facilitating the development of a negotiation framework.
The call followed a second round of Oman-mediated indirect talks held Tuesday in Geneva, which the state-run IRNA news agency said showed signs of progress despite heightened regional tensions. Grossi attended the talks, which took place amid strained relations between Tehran and the IAEA over inspection access and reporting on Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpiles.
The talks come against a backdrop of deep mistrust. Tehran has accused the IAEA of bias toward Western countries and Israel, while Washington insists Iran must curb uranium enrichment. Iran maintains its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes and is seeking relief from sweeping sanctions.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment