White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has reiterated that the timeline for the war with Iran is still four to six weeks when asked if the conflict will end before President Donald Trump’s planned trip to China in mid May.
“Again, as I’ve said, we’ve always estimated approximately four to six weeks.
So, you could do the math on that,” Leavitt said during today’s White House press briefing.
Donald Trump has suggested he wants to wrap up the war soon, although he has been noncommittal on a timeline.
Leavitt announced Wednesday that Trump’s trip to China, which was delayed after the start of the war, will now take place May 14 and 15.
Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that it’s “too soon to say,” if the Trump administration — which has been touting peace talks with Tehran — is satisfied with new Iranian leadership.
Pressed on comments President Donald Trump made Tuesday that the administration has “achieved regime change” in Iran, Leavitt defended the president’s remarks during today’s press briefing.
“Their entire leadership has been killed, and nobody has really seen or legitimately heard from this alleged new leader,” she told reporters. “There has been a change in leadership — I mean, regime leadership, which is what the president said.”
But when asked if the administration was satisfied with Iran’s new leaders, she replied that it was “too soon to say.”
The White House also denied that there’d been any change that is making JD Vance more of an active participant in negotiations with Iran as the vice president now appears to be taking a leading role in those talks.
“I don’t think anything has changed. The vice president has always been a key member — the president’s right-hand man and a key member of the president’s national security team. He’s been part of these discussions throughout this entire course of the administration,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday when pressed by CNN’s Kristen Holmes.
Trump, Leavitt said, seeks Vance’s counsel “on all matters, both foreign and domestic.”
Pressed by CNN on whom in Iran the US is negotiating with, Leavitt declined to say.
“We’re not gonna get into the details of these negotiations and conversations that continue to take place. As, of course, you can imagine, they are very sensitive diplomatic discussions,” she said.
Administration officials are working to arrange a meeting with officials, including Vance, in Pakistan this weekend to discuss an off ramp to the war, two senior administration officials told CNN. But they cautioned that the timing of the expected trip is fluid, as is the location and who may attend.
Iranian representatives have told the administration they do not want to re-enter talks with envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, CNN has reported. Trump told reporters Tuesday that Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are also participating in talks.
Source: CNN
- Agencies
