US-Iran talks 'still scheduled' after drone shot down: White HouseListen to this articleWhite House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump was keeping military options open against IranWASHINGTON (UNITED STATES) - The United States is still planning talks with Iranian officials this week, the White House said Tuesday, even after a US warplane shot down an Iranian drone that approached an American aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea. "I just spoke with special envoy (Steve) Witkoff, and these talks as of right now are still scheduled," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters, adding that they were due to happen "later this week." "President Trump is always wanting to pursue diplomacy first, but obviously it takes two to tango," Leavitt said outside the West Wing. The US military said earlier that an F-35C stealth fighter jet shot down the Iranian drone that "aggressively" drew near to the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier on Tuesday. "Of course, the president has always a range of options on the table, and that includes the use of military force," Leavitt told Fox News in a separate interview.

Source: Bangkok Post February 03, 2026 22:06 UTC