US-Iran Nuke Talks Back On After Last-Minute Battle Over Venue: ‘We Are Very Skeptical’

The U.S. on Wednesday initially rejected a last-minute demand from Iran to move and reshape scheduled diplomatic talks slated for Friday, two American officials told Axios.

Washington and Tehran had originally agreed to meet in Istanbul, Turkey, on Friday to de-escalate tensions and avert a military confrontation. On Tuesday, however, Iran demanded to shift the venue to Oman and focus talks solely on nuclear issues, leaving aside missile development and other security concerns that are top priorities for the U.S., according to Axios.

“We told them it is this or nothing, and they said, ‘Ok, then nothing,’” a senior U.S. official told the outlet.

Israeli outlet N12 also reported that talks scheduled for Friday had been all but canceled after Iran reneged on the terms, though no official statement was issued by the U.S. (RELATED: Heavily-Armed Iranian Gunboats Attempt To Seize US Tanker)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks at the State Department’s Harry S. Truman Building on February 04, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

“We tried to reach an accommodation but the Iranians refused. There is a good chance the talks won’t happen now at all this week,” a second U.S. official told Axios on Wednesday morning. “We are not naive about the Iranians. If there is a real conversation to have we will have it but we are not going to waste our time.”