Rubio plans Israel trip as Trump says he’s ‘not happy’ with US-Iran talks
Al Jazeera
Trump tells reporters he would ‘love not to use’ military force against Iran but added, ‘Sometimes you have to.’
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to travel to Israel next week as President Donald Trump expresses displeasure with the ongoing negotiations with Iran.
On Friday, the US Department of State issued a notice that Rubio’s trip will run from March 2 to 3, and that its focus will be on relations with Iran and Lebanon, as well as implementing Trump’s 20-point plan for war-torn Gaza.
This will be Rubio’s fifth trip as secretary of state to Israel, a close US ally. He visited for the first time in February 2025, then in September and twice in October of last year.
No other details were provided about the latest diplomatic outing. But it comes at a delicate time for relations in the Middle East.
Just this week, the US and Iran held a third round of indirect talks, this time in Switzerland, as the two sides attempt to negotiate a deal to restrict Iran’s nuclear programme.
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