A senior U.S. diplomat stated that “there is a lot of misinformation and a lot of disinformation churning around in the media ecosystem [about U.S.-Iran talks]… We have been very clear that we’ll use diplomacy, indirect or direct, to get after the various threats that Iran poses internationally. The best way to constrain the [nuclear] program is to get it back into a diplomatic box with rigorous oversight and inspection regime and so on. JCPOA, for a variety of reasons, is really not actively on the table as it were. But we are trying to get to a place where we can get Iran to deescalate on a variety of fronts”. She further commented on Washington’s “absolutely unvarnished message” to Iran, noting: “The president has been clear that he’s committed to ensuring that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon. While diplomacy is the best means to address this issue, it must be coupled with deterring Iran’s adventurism. That effort is bolstered by building a deep coalition of partners with integrated defense capabilities and the willingness to hold Iran to account”.