White House manages expectations for Iran breakthrough - Semafor

As the US and Iran continue to speak via mediators in a bid to end the war, the White House is tempering any expectations that a breakthrough might be near.

Speaking to reporters in front of the White House yesterday afternoon, Trump reiterated that he believes Iran is “doing very poorly,” though he said he wasn’t sure whether they’d “give up yet.”

Some US officials have long conceded that there’s no clear — or clean — way out of the conflict, and that reality has emerged as a major issue for Republicans ahead of the midterms as voters focus on prices.

“The bar is being raised very high,” said one person close to the White House regarding expectations of this week’s talks. “And by high, I mean we’re playing the limbo and just hoping we can walk under it without any major disasters.”