The U.S. told Iran on Wednesday that it will not agree to Tehran's demands to change the location and format of talks planned for Friday, two U.S. officials told Axios.
The standoff could block the diplomatic path and convince President Trump to opt for military action.
The U.S. and Iran had agreed to meet on Friday in Istanbul, with other Middle Eastern countries participating as observers.
But the Iranians said on Tuesday that they wanted to move the talks to Oman and hold them in a bilateral format, in order to ensure that they focused only on nuclear issues and not other matters like missiles that are priorities for the U.S. and countries in the region.
U.S. officials considered the request to change the location, but decided on Wednesday to reject it.
"We told them it is this or nothing, and they said, 'Ok, then nothing,'" a senior U.S. official said.
The official said that if the Iranians are willing to go back to the original format, the U.S. is ready to meet this week or next week.
"We want to reach a real deal quickly or people will look at other options," the senior official said, alluding to Trump's repeated threats of military action.
The U.S. officials said that White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner are expected to travel to Qatar on Thursday for talks on Iran with the prime minister.
From there, they currently plan to return to Miami rather than traveling to meet the Iranians.
Posted by John3262005
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Originally, it seems like the Friday meeting was going to happen but now probably not
Also, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Meaningful talks between the United States and Iran will have to include Tehran’s missile arsenal, its support for groups around the Middle East and its treatment of its own people, besides the nuclear dispute.
Contrasting with
A senior Iranian official, however, said the talks would only be about Iran’s nuclear programme, and that its missile programme was “off the table.”
Finally, this new development is happening a day after the US shot down an Iranian drone that was approaching the aircraft carrier.
Turns out that the side that holds none of the cards trying to dictate all of the terms wasn’t tenable, after all.
Whats so great about Oman that they want the talks to be held there?
Iran can’t give up their missile program, it’s the one thing they have that might prevent Israel, the US and the Gulf states from toppling their regime.
They can agree to do so and then renege, but they can’t actually do it.