Rubio Says Iran Talks Venue Remains Undecided

(MENAFN) U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that the location for prospective negotiations with Iran remains unresolved, stressing that any dialogue must confront Tehran’s ballistic missile capabilities, nuclear activities, regional “sponsorship of terrorist organizations,” and its domestic human rights record.

Addressing reporters in Washington prior to a meeting on critical minerals, Rubio explained that Washington had first assumed a mutually accepted setting had been finalized in Türkiye. He noted that this understanding was based on coordination with several international partners who hoped to participate in the discussions.

“We thought we had an established forum that had been agreed to in Türkiye. It was put together by a number of partners who wanted to attend and be a part of it. I saw conflicting reports yesterday from the Iranian side saying that they had not agreed to that, so that’s still being worked through,” he said.

Rubio underscored that engagement with Tehran would not be interpreted as “legitimization,” adding that meaningful progress would require comprehensive discussions.

“In order for talks to actually lead to something meaningful, they will have to include certain things, and that includes the range of their ballistic missiles, that includes their sponsorship of terrorist organizations across the region, that includes a nuclear program, and that includes the treatment of their own people,” he said.

Meanwhile, negotiations between the United States and Iran on nuclear issues—initially expected to take place in Türkiye—are now likely to be hosted in Oman, according to multiple media accounts.

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