The U.S. on Wednesday rejected Iran’s demand to move and reshape 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 canceled after Iran reneged on the terms.
“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. “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.”
The White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
Just hours earlier, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. remains willing to pursue talks with Tehran, even after U.S. forces shot down an Iranian drone on Tuesday as it “aggressively approached” the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. Iranian gunboats also attempted to seize a U.S.-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz that same day.
“As far as the talks are concerned, you know, I think the Iranians had agreed to a certain format — for whatever reason, it’s changed in their system,” Rubio told reporters. “We’ll see if we can get back to the right place. But the United States is prepared to meet with them.”
“I’m not sure you can reach a deal with these guys, but we’re going to try to find out,” the secretary added.
The U.S. began deploying additional aircraft and naval assets to the region in late January to promote “regional security and stability,” following the killing of thousands of Iranian civilians protesting the Islamic regime. President Donald Trump has previously said that the “massive Armada” of U.S. warships is “ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary.”
This is a developing story and may be updated.
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