US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said today that the United States will hold direct talks with Iran this weekend to discuss its nuclear program, Reuters reported.
Talks between US special envoy Steve Witkoff and a senior Iranian leader are scheduled for Saturday in Oman.
"We hope it will lead to peace. We have been very clear about what Iran will never have - a nuclear weapon, and I think that is what led to this meeting," Rubio said during a cabinet meeting chaired by US President Donald Trump.
Trump made a surprise announcement on Monday that the United States and Iran were ready to begin direct talks on Tehran's nuclear program on Saturday, warning that Iran would be in "great danger" if the talks failed.
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The announcement caused some confusion because Iran said the talks would be indirect with the Omanis acting as mediators.
A U.S. official familiar with the planning said the two delegations would be in the same room for the talks.
Trump on Wednesday repeated his threat to use military force if Iran does not agree to end its nuclear program, saying Israel would play a key role in any military action.
Trump has said that Iran cannot be allowed to have nuclear weapons and if it refuses to halt development efforts, military action could follow.
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