White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday insisted that US President Donald Trump wanted his country's war on Iran to end within the next two weeks, with both Washington and Tehran agreeing on a deal.
Trump "has always stated four to six weeks, estimated timeline," Leavitt told reporters. "We're on day 30 today. So again, you do the math."
"He wants to see a deal over the next 10 days," she said.
The White House press secretary also stated that Trump would be interested in calling on Arab states to pay for the cost of the Iran war.
"I think it’s something the president would be quite interested in calling them to do. It’s an idea that I know he has and something that I think you’ll hear more from him on," Leavitt said.
Trump earlier today threatened to destroy Iran's oil export hub of Kharg Island, oil wells, power plants and other civilian infrastructure if it does not soon agree to a deal to end the war.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the US was engaged in what he termed as "serious discussions" with a "new, and more reasonable" leadership in Iran aimed at ending US military operations there.
Trump added that the discussions have made "great progress", but if for any reason a "deal is not shortly reached" and if the Strait of Hormuz is not immediately "Open for Business,” the US would conclude their "lovely stay" in Iran by "blowing up and completely obliterating" all of Iran's electric generating plants and oil wells.
Leavitt also repeated Trump's claim regarding talks with Iranian leaders progressing and dismissed Iran's deniel as "public posturing."
"Despite all of the public posturing you hear from the regime and false reporting, talks are continuing and going well. What is said publicly is, of course, much different than what’s being communicated to us privately,” she said.
Asked whether Trump's threat to devastate Iranian civilian infrastructure would not risk committing war crimes, Leavitt said the US armed forces would always act within the law.
However, she warned Iran that the US military "has capabilities beyond their wildest imagination and the president is not afraid to use them."
Iran has continuously dismissed US claims of official talks to end the war, but has passed a response to Trump's 15-point plan for a ceasefire via Pakistan, according to Tehran's Tasnim news agency.
Iran has also warned the US against ground attacks, stating they are ready and waiting to "set American soldiers on fire." Iran has also vowed more intense retaliation affecting the Arab countries hosting US military bases.
(With inputs from AFP)