Washington, March 26 : The White House has said that US military operations against Iran are â??ahead of scheduleâ?? and nearing core objectives, even as Washington continues â??productiveâ?? talks with Tehran aimed at ending the conflict.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday (local time) that the United States was close to achieving the main goals of â??Operation Epic Fury,â?? describing the campaign as a â??resounding military triumphâ?? after nearly four weeks of combat operations.

â??Just over three weeks in, it's abundantly clear that Operation Epic Fury has been a resounding military triumph,â?? she said, adding that more than 9,000 enemy targets had been struck so far.

Leavitt said Iranâ??s missile and drone attacks had dropped â??by roughly 90 per centâ?? since the start of the operation. She also claimed the US had destroyed more than 140 Iranian naval vessels, calling it â??the largest elimination of a navy over a three-week period since World War II.â??

â??Our military efforts grow more successful with each passing day, steadily degrading Iran's ability to terrorise merchant ships,â?? she said.

The White House said the campaign had significantly weakened Iranâ??s ability to threaten shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy chokepoint. Over the weekend, US forces dropped â??several 5,000-pound bombsâ?? on an underground facility used to store anti-ship missiles and launchers near the strait.

Leavitt said the US was â??very close to meeting the core objectivesâ?? of the operation, which officials had earlier estimated would take four to six weeks. At 25 days into the campaign, she said the military was â??ahead of schedule and performing exceptionally.â??

Despite the ongoing strikes, Washington signalled openness to diplomacy. Leavitt said Iran had indicated it wanted to engage after recent US pressure.

â??Following President Trumpâ??s powerful threat on Saturday evening, it was made clear to the United States that Iran wanted to talk,â?? she said.

She confirmed that talks over the past three days had been â??productive,â?? leading President Donald Trump to temporarily postpone planned strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure.

However, she warned that military action could intensify if negotiations fail.

â??If Iran fails to accept the reality of the current momentâ?¦ President Trump will ensure they are hit harder than they have ever been hit before,â?? Leavitt said, adding that the president â??does not bluff.â??

She also dismissed media reports about a proposed US â??15-point planâ?? to end the war, calling them partly inaccurate and based on â??speculative plans from anonymous sources.â??

The administration is working to stabilise global energy markets amid the conflict. Measures include coordinating with international partners to release oil supplies and issuing waivers to ease fuel constraints.

Leavitt said there was no immediate timeline for fully reopening tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz but described it as a key objective.

On diplomacy, she reiterated that negotiations remain sensitive and ongoing. â??Weâ??re not going to get into the nitty-gritty detailsâ?¦ these talks are ongoing,â?? she said.

The White House also announced that President Trumpâ??s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping will take place in Beijing on May 14â??15, after being postponed due to the conflict.

/IANS