White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt holds her final informal briefing Thursday (local time) before stepping down. [AFP]
White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt holds her final informal briefing Thursday (local time) before stepping down. [AFP]

The White House said Thursday (local time) that no talks with Iran are currently underway. The United States has suspended all negotiations with Tehran while pushing its economic pressure campaign to a peak, and the freeze will continue until the president feels Iran has "come to the table in a meaningful way," it said.

White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt told Fox News that day that Washington is focused on the "economic ostracization operation" announced by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent this week, and that all dialogue with Iran has been fully suspended.

Leavitt said talks could resume only if Iran changes its stance. "That is at the discretion of the commander in chief, President Trump, and of course the president has all options on the table," she said.

She added that the naval blockade against Iran "is still in effect and achieving strong results," and said the United States "essentially controls the Strait of Hormuz, which remains open thanks to President Trump and the US military."

Leavitt also addressed AI data centers, which have emerged as a factor in the November midterm elections, saying Donald Trump has signed a "ratepayer protection pledge" with companies to ensure residents do not bear the electricity costs generated by data centers. "The president and Republicans want to leave decision-making power to the communities and their residents. If residents want it, the president believes that is a good thing," she said.

Meanwhile, Leavitt — the youngest White House press secretary in history — stepped down from the role Thursday. "I feel great but a little bittersweet," she said. "It has been the honor and blessing of a lifetime to serve President Trump."


kate01@heraldcorp.com