President says talks with Iran are ongoing but warns U.S. remains "locked and loaded"

Reporters asked the president whether the administration had an exit strategy and whether large strikes were planned against Iran. The president described two options: continued military pressure or negotiating a deal. He said he preferred negotiations but emphasized readiness for force, stating, "We're locked and loaded and ready to go," and added that "we're talking to them right now."

When asked who was leading the talks, the president named aides as interlocutors ("JD and Marco and a lot of people are talking to [them]"). He repeatedly told reporters that the administration was engaged in diplomacy while retaining a military option. In response to a separate question referencing an Axios report that he had considered a "massive attack," the president declined to specify a tipping point for such action, saying, "I can't tell you that. Right now, we're talking to them."

The briefing left open key operational and legal questions: no targets, timeframes, or statutory authorities were described on the record, and the president framed choices as contingent on Iran's actions. Reporters pressed on what would constitute a tipping point; the president reiterated preference for negotiation but did not identify policy thresholds on the record.