White House: Downing of drone did not disrupt plans for US-Iran talks

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt answered questions from reporters in front of the White House.

When asked how the rising tensions with Iran following the downing of an Iranian unmanned aerial vehicle that approached the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea would affect the planned talks between the US and Iran, Leavitt said, "I just spoke with Special Envoy (Steve) Witkoff, and the talks are still on the schedule. President Trump is always in favor of giving diplomacy a chance first.

However, as is known, it takes two to tango. For diplomacy to be successful, the other side must also be willing. That will be the goal of the contacts Special Envoy Witkoff will make for exploration and consultation. As always, the President has many options on the table regarding Iran in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief. I think they saw that quite well with last year's 'Operation Midnight Hammer.' It was a very successful operation and destroyed their nuclear capabilities. However, from our perspective, the talks will continue this week," she said.

Stated that Trump was not surprised by Russia's attack

Regarding a question about Russian President Vladimir Putin violating the agreement to halt attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure for seven days due to cold weather conditions with one of the most violent attacks carried out on Ukraine to date, Leavitt said, "I discussed this issue with the President this morning. Unfortunately, he was not surprised by what happened.

These are two countries that have been locked in a brutal war with each other for years. This is a war that would never have started if President Trump had remained in office. This is a war that began due to the weakness and incompetence of former President Joe Biden. For this reason, the President continues to aggressively utilize diplomacy to end this war.

That is why Special Envoy Witkoff and Jared Kushner will be in Abu Dhabi tomorrow to hold a new round of trilateral talks," she said.

News Source: 12punto