White House: Ceasefire Deadline Undetermined … Denies Report of "3-5 Day Ceasefire Ultimatum"

On the 22nd, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt met with reporters and stated: "Unlike some reports I’ve seen today, the President has not set a specific deadline for accepting Iran’s proposal." This reaffirmed that President Trump’s ceasefire announcement from the previous day had no time limit. She added: "The final schedule is ultimately decided by the supreme commander (Trump)." Earlier, Trump, in an interview with Fox News, dismissed the claim of a "3-5 day deadline," saying, "We are not in a rush to engage in talks with Iran." On the same day, when asked whether talks with Iran could happen within 36–72 hours, Trump replied: "It’s possible."

Leavitt said on that day: "Our negotiation team has held direct face-to-face talks, clearly understanding the other side’s position. There are evidently many divisions within Iran’s ranks." In effect, she implied that pragmatic factions and hardliners inside Iran are currently locked in conflict. She further stated: "The President desires a unified response," and "While the President hasn’t personally set a hard deadline, he will make the final decision on timing." Leavitt emphasized: "During our wait for a response, we will maintain a ceasefire regarding military and physical strikes, but continue the 'epic fury' campaign and persist in maritime blockades targeting vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports. While awaiting Iran’s reply, the President is satisfied with the current status quo."

Regarding the core issue between the U.S. and Iran—the presence of highly enriched uranium within Iran—Leavitt made it clear that Iran must agree to hand over this material to the United States. The U.S. views this as a red line, though Iran’s stance remains unclear. On Iran’s criticism of Trump’s ceasefire remarks via state-run media and other outlets, Leavitt remarked: "I’d like to caution everyone—various messages and noise are emerging; don’t take everything at face value." She noted: "Their public statements starkly contrast with the private 'concessions' they’ve reportedly made to the U.S. negotiation team." Meanwhile, Iran detained two vessels attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, but the U.S. believes this move was not directly targeted at the U.S. or Israel, thus not constituting a "violation of the ceasefire."

Source: Chosun Ilbo

Original: toutiao.com/article/1863226302235659/

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