Washington D.C. | March 25–26, 2026
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a blunt ultimatum to Iran on Wednesday. Warning that President Donald Trump is prepared to “unleash hell” based on the US Iran conflict 2026. If Tehran refuses to strike a deal to end the ongoing war in the Middle East.
“President Trump does not bluff, and he is prepared to unleash hell,” Leavitt declared at the outset of Wednesday’s press briefing. “Iran should not miscalculate again. Their last miscalculation cost them their senior leadership, their navy, their air force, and their air defense system.”
The warning comes amid a tense and contradictory diplomatic landscape. Iran’s state-run Press TV quoted an anonymous official claiming Tehran had rejected Washington’s 15-point proposal for the US-Iran conflict 2026. Saying “the end of the war will occur when Iran decides it should end, not when Trump envisions its conclusion.” However, Leavitt maintained that talks were ongoing and that the US. was “very close to meeting the core objectives”. That prompted the launch of military operations over three weeks ago.
The joint US.-Israeli military campaign, known as Operation Epic Fury, was launched on February 28, 2026. US. officials claim more than 9,000 targets have been struck, Iranian missile and drone attacks have dropped by roughly 90 percent. And much of Iran’s naval forces and air defenses have been destroyed.
Trump had temporarily postponed major strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure to allow room for diplomacy, with both Pakistan and Egypt offering to host in-person talks potentially as early as Friday.
Meanwhile, Trump stated he was deliberately avoiding the word “war,” citing constitutional concerns around congressional authorization. Instead calling it a “military operation.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi flatly denied that any negotiations were underway. Stating that US. messages sent through mediators “do not mean negotiations.”
“Sources: CBS News, ABC News, Reuters via Al Arabiya, Fox News, Euronews”
