Asked if the ceasefire is still in effect between the US and Iran after today’s strikes, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent notes that Washington prefers peacefully resolving the conflict.

“With the Iranian government, we did not have regime change, but we changed the regime,” he tells reporters during a White House briefing.

“As President Trump said at the cabinet meeting, as we’ve said other times, the first layer of leadership was eliminated, the second layer, and we’re now at the third layer,” he adds.

Bessent notes that the Iranian government comprises three “pillars”: the elected government, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the clergy. He further adds that “they are having trouble communicating”.

“So we are being patient. We do not have unlimited patience. President Trump always prefers a peace deal, so everything we have done thus far has been defensive and at present, that is what we’ll continue doing,” he says.