UPDATE - White House warns Iran of 'options’ besides diplomacy ahead of nuclear talks

UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS, REVIZES HEADLINE

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA)—The White House said Thursday that upcoming talks between the US and Iran will center on diplomacy aimed at eliminating Iran’s nuclear capabilities, while emphasizing that President Donald Trump retains other options if negotiations fail.

"Diplomacy moving forward," spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said at a news conference when asked about the agenda for Friday's talks, which are set to take place in Oman's capital, Muscat.

Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and US special envoy Steve Witkoff will represent the US side.

"The president has obviously been quite clear in his demands of the Iranian regime. Zero nuclear capability is something he's been very explicit about, and he wants to see if a deal can be struck," Leavitt said.

She cautioned that the administration views diplomacy as only one path forward and warned Tehran against misreading US intentions during the negotiations.

"And while these negotiations are taking place, I would remind the Iranian regime that the president has many options at his disposal aside from diplomacy as the commander in chief of the most powerful military in the history of the world," she said.

Before Muscat, Istanbul had been proposed as the venue following Türkiye’s successful intervention to help ease tensions between the two countries.

Leavitt was asked about the reason why the location of the talks was moved from Türkiye to Oman.

"Look ... diplomacy is always his first option when it comes to dealing with countries all around the world, whether they're our allies or our adversaries. And so special envoy Witkoff and Jared Kushner will be traveling to Oman for those talks tomorrow, and we will see what comes of those.

"The president is standing by for an update from them," she said.

The planned talks come amid rising tensions between Washington and Tehran, fueled by an American military buildup in the Persian Gulf and repeated threats of military action by Trump.

The US and its ally Israel accuse Iran of seeking to produce nuclear weapons, while Tehran says its nuclear program is designed for peaceful purposes, including electricity generation.