Only US President Donald Trump knows the state of negotiations with Iran, the White House said Tuesday as his self-imposed deadline for a deal rapidly approaches.
"The Iranian regime has until 8PM Eastern Time to meet the moment and make a deal with the United States. Only the President knows where things stand and what he will do," spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement when asked about whether Iran remains engaged in negotiations ahead of Trump's deadline.
Conflicting reports have emerged as to whether Tehran is continuing to participate in the talks ahead of Trump's 8pm Eastern Time (0000GMT) deadline for an agreement nears.
Trump has threatened to bomb power stations and bridges across Iran if Tehran failed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and reach an agreement by Tuesday evening.
Regional escalations have continued to rage since Israel and the US launched an offensive against Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian authorities have not updated the toll in recent days.
Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure, while disrupting global markets and aviation.
All three major US stock indices were sharply lower Tuesday as investors weigh the impact of further escalation on global markets. The price of a barrel of US crude oil, meanwhile, continued to spike.
