Rubio: If the Iranians want to meet on Friday, we are ready

Rubio added that special envoy Steve Wittkoff is ready to attend Friday’s meeting as scheduled.

If the Iranians want to meet on Friday, we are ready, said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Iranian media report that the talks between Iran and the US will take place in Oman on Friday. The ISNA news agency noted that the Iranian delegation will be headed by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, which will also include high-ranking diplomats.

It was reported earlier that the negotiations will take place in Turkey. The match has now moved to Oman. According to a Reuters source, Iran has explained that previous talks have already been held in Oman, and they want the talks between US President’s Special Envoy Steve Wittkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to be a continuation of the previous one. According to Reuters sources, Iran has also demanded that there be bilateral talks only on nuclear issues, while the US wants to include other topics such as ballistic missiles and the activities of Iranian proxies in the region.

Tehran’s decision to change the meeting place and agenda of the US President’s Special Envoy Steve Wittkoff and Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi takes place against the background of US threats that Iran should sit down for negotiations on the nuclear program. The countries of the region, fearing that the tension could turn into a wider war, are calling for a diplomatic solution to the problem and are making efforts for the parties to negotiate.

This weekend’s meeting will be the first between the two sides since protests began in Iran late last year and the Islamic Republic’s crackdown on them has left thousands dead. In response, the President of the United States warned that Washington may resort to military intervention by sending additional forces and warships to the region.