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.”
However, the U.S. and Iran both indicated a few hours later that the meetings would go forward on Friday in Oman despite American misgivings, after appeals from Arab partners in the region.
“They asked us to keep the meeting and listen to what the Iranians have to say. We have told the Arabs that we will do the meeting if they insist. But we are very skeptical,” one U.S. official told Axios.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi confirmed on X Wednesday afternoon that talks with the U.S. are scheduled for 10 am on Friday in Oman.
Nuclear talks with the United States are scheduled to be held in Muscat on about 10 am Friday.
I’m grateful to our Omani brothers for making all necessary arrangements.
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) February 4, 2026
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier on Wednesday that 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.”
The White House did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
This is a developing story and has been updated.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].
