White House denies reports that it gave Iran a deadline to submit nuclear deal proposal

WASHINGTON — The White House denies reporting claiming that it has given Iran three to five days to submit a response to the latest proposal for a permanent ceasefire with the US.

“The president has not set a firm deadline to receive an Iranian proposal, unlike some of the reporting we’ve seen today,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt tells reporters outside the White House.

In extending the ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump offered “a bit of flexibility” to a regime suffering from “a lot of internal division” as a result of the US-Israeli war, Leavitt says.

“This is a battle between the pragmatists and the hardliners in Iran right now, and the president wants a unified response,” she adds.

In the meantime, “Operation Economic Fury” will continue, Leavitt says, offering a new term for the sanctions and blockade measures that Washington has taken against Iran.

The US blockade of Iranian ports is costing Tehran $500 million daily, and Kharg Island is “completely full” of oil as the country is unable to move fuel in or out of the country, Leavitt claims.

But the blockade has also led Iran to hold off on submitting its response in the stalled nuclear talks in addition to re-blocking the Strait of Hormuz, whose closure has impacted the entire global economy.