White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre answers reporters' questions (EPA=Yonhap News) White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre answers reporters' questions at the White House on the 12th (local time). [Yonhap News]  Regarding the situation in Iran, where anti-government protests are ongoing, the U.S. White House stated on the 12th (local time) that it prioritizes diplomatic solutions while also considering military action as one of the options.

During an impromptu Q&A session with reporters at the White House on the same day, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, "President Donald Trump is always adept at keeping all options open," adding, "An airstrike is one of the many options that the commander-in-chief can choose from, and diplomacy is always the president's first choice."

Jean-Pierre further stated, "President Trump does not hesitate to use military options if he deems it necessary, and Iran knows this better than anyone."

Jean-Pierre also conveyed that President Trump spoke with Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, which operates the Starlink satellite internet network, regarding internet access in Iran.

"President Trump told you all last night (reporters) that 'the Iranian regime's public statements are quite different from the messages they send privately to the Trump administration'," Jean-Pierre said, "The President is willing to review those messages."

This suggests that even if the Iranian government makes strong critical remarks against the United States publicly, it has been maintaining behind-the-scenes communication channels with the Trump administration.

Previously, President Trump stated on his way back to the White House on the presidential plane from Florida the previous day, "Iranian leaders called yesterday," and "They want to negotiate."

While the White House is considering whether to respond to Iran's proposal to resume nuclear negotiations, President Trump is leaning towards approving military action against Iran, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the same day.

According to government officials, President Trump has not yet made a final decision on this matter and is scheduled to meet with senior staff on the 13th to decide on a course of action.

The options under review reportedly include military strikes on key facilities of the Iranian regime, cyberattacks, approval of new sanctions, and increased support for anti-government online accounts.

Some senior staff, including Vice President J.D. Vance, are trying to persuade President Trump to first attempt diplomacy with Iran, officials said.

Some officials are raising concerns that a U.S. military attack could have the unintended consequence of bolstering the Iranian regime's claim that "the United States and Israel are behind the anti-government protests."

Meanwhile, when asked if President Trump had instructed the U.S. Department of Justice to pursue criminal charges against Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, Jean-Pierre replied, "No."

She added, "The President has the right to criticize the Fed chair. Freedom of speech belongs to the President just as it belongs to you. The President has made it clear that Powell is not doing his job. Whether he is a criminal is a matter for the Department of Justice to answer."

Jean-Pierre also stated that there is "no deadline" for the U.S. to acquire Greenland, a territory of Denmark.

President Trump had previously expressed his intention to acquire Greenland, stating, "I will not let Russia or China take over Greenland."