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President Donald Trump told reporters Friday that he was “not happy” with the latest talks over Iran’s nuclear program, while also saying negotiators would receive more time to reach an agreement aimed at averting another Middle East war. Trump’s remarks came after U.S. envoys held another inconclusive round of indirect talks with Iran in Geneva the previous day, as U.S. forces gathered in the region and the administration kept up warnings about military action.
Leaving the White House Friday, Trump said he was “not happy with the fact that they’re not willing to give us what we have to have,” and that “We’re not exactly happy with the way they’re negotiating. They cannot have nuclear weapons.” He also told reporters he was “talking later” with the negotiations continuing, even as he sounded more pessimistic during a separate stop in Texas, saying Iranian negotiators “don’t want to quite go far enough. It’s too bad.” When asked how close he was to deciding whether to launch a military strike, Trump said, “I’d rather not tell you.”
One mediator of the talks offered a more optimistic view of the diplomatic window. Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who has been mediating, told CBS’s “Face the Nation” that he felt a deal was within reach if negotiators were allowed “enough room, enough space to really close these remaining areas that we need to discuss and agree upon.”
Alongside Trump’s remarks, the State Department said Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans a quick trip to Israel early next week. The department said Rubio will visit Israel on Monday and Tuesday to “discuss a range of regional priorities, including Iran, Lebanon, and ongoing efforts to implement President Trump’s 20-Point Peace Plan for Gaza,” and it provided no additional details. The news followed a declaration by Rubio that Iran is a “state sponsor of wrongful detention,” along with a move the department may take involving U.S. passports for travel to Iran.
The diplomatic developments unfolded while the U.S. Embassy in Israel moved to reduce staff exposure to perceived risks. Hours before Rubio’s trip announcement, the embassy implemented “authorized departure” status for nonessential personnel and family members, allowing eligible staffers to leave voluntarily at government expense. In an email, U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee urged staff considering departure to do so quickly, writing, “Those wishing to take AD should do so TODAY,” and adding that “While there may be outbound flights over the coming days, there may not be.” A person involved with the U.S. mission told AP about the email; Huckabee later told staff during a town-hall meeting that he was encouraging airlines to keep flying.
Elsewhere, U.S. and Iranian officials continued engagement through mediated channels as negotiations stalled in Geneva. Iran and the United States walked away from another round of indirect talks in Geneva on Thursday without a deal, with technical discussions scheduled for Vienna next week. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told CBS News earlier that “what needs to happen has been clearly spelled out from our side,” without providing specifics.
Oman’s mediation included direct coordination with U.S. officials as well. Before appearing on CBS News, al-Busaidi met Friday with U.S. Vice President JD Vance to discuss the negotiations. After briefing Vance, al-Busaidi said there had been significant breakthroughs in the talks and that Iran expressed willingness to give up its enriched uranium, not accumulate more, and allow comprehensive outside inspections.
The Associated Press also reported that a confidential U.N. nuclear watchdog document circulated to member countries indicated Iran has not provided inspectors access to sensitive nuclear sites since those locations were heavily bombed during Israel’s 12-day war launched last June. The report said that, as a result, it could not confirm Iran’s claims that it stopped uranium enrichment after the U.S. and Israeli strikes. Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, met with Christopher Yeaw, a U.S. arms control official, and posted that the two had a “timely exchange” on non-proliferation issues including Iran.
The renewed push for diplomacy came as multiple governments stepped up security precautions for staff in the region. The Associated Press reported that airlines including KLM planned to suspend flights out of Ben-Gurion International Airport, and Britain said its Foreign Office had temporarily withdrawn U.K. staff from Iran due to the security situation while operating its embassy remotely. Germany’s foreign ministry advised against travel to Israel, and Australia directed the departure of dependents of Australian officials posted to Israel. China, India and several European countries advised citizens to avoid travel to Iran or urged those already there to leave, while Britain said some diplomatic staff and their families moved from Tel Aviv as a precautionary measure.