Pakistan, Feb. 6 -- The White House has said President Donald Trump prefers diplomacy in dealing with Iran and is willing to wait to see whether a deal can be achieved at high-stakes talks in Oman, while cautioning that military options remain on the table if negotiations fail.

Read More: Iran signals dialogue as Trump warns of consequences

Final prepara tions were under way on Thursday for the talks scheduled for Friday in Muscat, against the backdrop of rising regional tensions and a significant US military buildup in the Middle East. Trump has described the deployment as a massive "armada" and has warned that Washington could carry out strikes if no agreement is reached.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump's firs...