Rubio confirms direct US-Iran nuclear talks on Saturday, expresses hope for peaceful resolution

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday the United States will hold direct talks with Iran on Saturday to discuss Iran’s nuclear programme.

During a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Donald Trump, Rubio voiced hope that the talks will lead to “peace.”

“We hope that’ll lead to peace. We’ve been very clear what Iran is never going to have as a nuclear weapon, and I think that’s what led to this meeting,” Reuters quoted Rubio as saying.

The talks between US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are scheduled for Saturday in Oman.

Washington has indicated that the discussions will be direct, while Tehran maintains that they will be indirect, with Oman’s foreign minister facilitating the dialogue.

On Wednesday, Trump said that military action against Iran was “absolutely” an option if the talks did not lead to a deal, emphasising that time is running out to reach an agreement on Tehran’s nuclear programme.

“If necessary, absolutely,” Trump told reporters when asked if military action was an option.

“If it requires military, we’re going to have military. Israel will obviously be very much involved in that, be the leader of that,” he added.

On Tuesday, Iran had responded to President Trump’s announcement of “direct talks”, saying that the discussions will actually be conducted in an indirect format.

According to The Guardian report, Iranian officials, however, emphasised that the intentions of the negotiators hold greater significance than the format of the talks.

On Monday, Trump’s revelation took Tehran by surprise, as he indicated that the failure of these talks would place Iran in “great danger.”

Iran had publicly been hesitant about the talks, saying it was ready for indirect discussions with the US but had not yet received a formal response regarding their status.

In a post on X, shortly after Trump announced the weekend talks during an Oval Office press conference, Araghchi referred to the discussions as both an opportunity and a test. He emphasised that the next move rests with the US.

Speaking during a visit to Algiers, Araghchi said that format of the talks is not important but what is important is whether the parties are serious or not in the negotiations.

“The form of negotiations is not important, whether they are direct or indirect. In my opinion, what is important is whether the negotiations are effective or ineffective, whether the parties are serious or not in the negotiations, the intentions of the parties in the negotiations, and the will to reach a solution. These are the criteria for action in any dialogue,” The Guardian quoted Araghchi as saying.

Iran has not agreed to a formula that would transition indirect talks into direct negotiations, despite US expectations for such an evolution. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has vetoed direct talks, citing US sanctions and concerns from hardliners who view negotiations as a political trap.

Western powers accuse Iran of secretly pursuing a nuclear weapons programme by enriching uranium to levels of fissile purity they deem excessive for a civilian atomic energy initiative.

In contrast, Tehran maintains that its nuclear programme is solely intended for civilian energy purposes.

With inputs from agencies