White House: Trump awaiting “unified proposal” from Iran

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on April 23 that U.S. President Donald Trump is allowing Iran time to respond to Washington’s demands, while expecting Tehran to present a “unified proposal.”

Speaking to reporters, Leavitt emphasised that Trump has not imposed a specific deadline for Iran’s response and is offering a degree of flexibility, Caliber.Az reports per US media. 

“So, again, the president's offering them a little bit of flexibility because we want to see a unified proposal to the president's very strong proposal. And he's made his red lines very clear,” Leavitt said.

She added, “The president has not set a deadline himself. Ultimately, he will dictate the timetable.”

Addressing the naval blockade on Iranian ports introduced on April 13, Leavitt said the administration believes it holds a strategic advantage.

“And again, he is satisfied with the naval blockade. And he understands that Iran is in a very weak position and the cards are in President Trump's hands right now,” she said.

Leavitt also pointed to Trump’s decision to extend the ceasefire indefinitely as a sign of continued pressure on Tehran. She said that Trump chose to extend the ceasefire because it's Iran that needs to "get their act together.”

“The White House and our intelligence community certainly have a good understanding. However, we want to see a unified response and a unified proposal to the previous question’s point,” she clarified.

In a separate interview, Leavitt added that Iran would be expected to hand over its enriched uranium to the United States as part of any potential agreement.

By Sabina Mammadli