WASHINGTON, March 25 (Reuters) - The United States on Wednesday issued a stern warning to Iran saying President Donald Trump would hit them harder if Tehran fails to accept that they have been “defeated militarily”, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
“President Trump does not bluff and he is prepared to unleash hell. Iran should not miscalculate again,” Leavitt told reporters in a press briefing.
“If Iran fails to accept the reality of the current moment, if they fail to understand that they have been defeated militarily, and will continue to be, President Trump will ensure they are hit harder than they have ever been hit before,” she said.
As the joint U.S.-Israeli war on Iran entered its fourth week, there have been efforts by multiple countries such as Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt to mediate a possible negotiation to try and end the war but uncertainty persisted on where and when any talks would materialize.
Iran is still reviewing a U.S. proposal to end the war, despite an initial response that was negative, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday, indicating that Tehran had so far stopped short of rejecting it outright.
Talks with Iran were still underway, Leavitt said. “Talks continue. They are productive, as the President said on Monday, and they continue to be,” she added.
(Reporting by Nandita Bose and Humeyra Pamuk, editing by Michelle Nichols)
