White House claims Iran ‘backed down’ in ceasefire deal as talks with US set to begin

The White House has said Iran “backed down” to President Donald Trump in agreeing to a ceasefire, as attention shifts to upcoming negotiations between Washington and Tehran.

According to ABC News, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters the president’s approach forced Iran to change course.

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“The world should take his word very seriously,” she said, adding: “And it was the Iranians who backed down, not President Trump.”

Leavitt added that Trump’s “tough rhetoric” and negotiating style “led the Iranian regime to cave to their knees and ask for a ceasefire.”

The two-week truce was announced shortly before a deadline set by Trump for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face severe consequences.

Despite the agreement, questions remain over the terms and what comes next. The White House described earlier Iranian proposals as unacceptable.

“The Iranians originally put forward a 10-point plan that was fundamentally unserious, unacceptable and completely discarded. It was literally thrown in the garbage by President Trump and his negotiating team,” Leavitt said.

She said Iran later submitted a revised plan more aligned with US expectations, though details have not been made public.

“This is a fragile truce. Ceasefires are fragile by nature,” she said.

Talks are scheduled to take place in Pakistan’s capital of Islamabad, with US officials expected to push key demands including limits on Iran’s nuclear programme and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.