The White House said on Monday that talks with Iran are continuing and progressing well, adding that what Tehran is saying publicly differs from what it is telling U.S. officials in private conversations, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
“Despite all the public bluster that you hear from the regime and the false reporting, the talks are continuing and progressing well. What is being said publicly is, of course, very different from what they are telling us in private conversations,“ said White House press secretary Caroline Levitt. According to her, in private conversations, Iran has agreed to some of the American conditions.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed optimism about the possibility of cooperation with some elements of the Iranian government and said that Washington had received positive private messages.
There are "cracks" in the Iranian hierarchy and the US believes that figures who "have the authority to act" will come to the fore, Rubio said in an interview with the ABC program "Good Morning America."
"We hope that is the case," the secretary of state said. "Obviously there are people who are talking to us in a way that those who were previously in charge in Iran did not talk to us about the things they were prepared to do."
In another interview with "Al Jazeera" Rubio said there have been "messages and some direct discussions between certain individuals in Iran and the United States." The communication has been "mainly through third parties, but there have been contacts," he added.
Levitt also said that President Donald Trump is interested in the idea of calling on Arab countries to pay for a war against Iran. She added that Trump himself will provide details on the issue.
She said the four-to-six-week timeframe for a war with Iran remains in place. She said Trump wants a deal before his April 6 deadline.
Levitt also said that the United States does not support Iran collecting fees from ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, and that 20 tankers are expected to pass through the strait in the coming days.