WASHINGTON: 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.&nbsp;&quot;I just spoke with special envoy (Steve) Witkoff, and these talks as of right now are still scheduled,&quot; Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters, adding that they were due to happen &quot;later this week.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;President Trump is always wanting to pursue diplomacy first, but obviously it takes two to tango,&quot; Leavitt said outside the West Wing.&nbsp;The meeting between Witkoff, a businessman whom Trump has appointed as his roving <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-joins-iranus-talks-as-tensions-rise-foreign-office" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">global conflict</a> negotiator, and Iranian officials will &quot;probably&quot; take place in Turkey, a source close to the issue told AFP.&nbsp;The US military said earlier that an F-35C stealth fighter jet shot down the Iranian drone that &quot;aggressively&quot; drew near to the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier on Tuesday.&nbsp;Trump&#39;s spokeswoman added that the <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/usiran-meetings-likely-to-take-place-in-turkey-on-feb-6-report" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">US president</a> was keeping open the possibility of military action against Iran, with a large number of US warships now in the region.&nbsp;&quot;Of course, the president has always a range of options on the table, and that includes the use of military force,&quot; Leavitt told Fox News in a separate interview.&nbsp;She added that &quot;the Iranians know that better than anyone,&quot; referring to US military strikes that hit Iran&#39;s nuclear program last year.

Americas

White House said US-Iran talks remain planned this week, likely in Turkey, despite a US jet downing an Iranian drone near a carrier, as Trump keeps diplomacy first while leaving military action on the table.

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US-Iran talks 'still scheduled' after drone shot down: White House

US-Iran talks 'still scheduled' after drone shot down: White House