{"id":5143,"date":"2026-02-27T20:36:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T20:36:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/02\/27\/rubio-plans-israel-trip-as-trump-says-hes-not-happy-with-us-iran-talks\/"},"modified":"2026-02-27T20:36:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T20:36:07","slug":"rubio-plans-israel-trip-as-trump-says-hes-not-happy-with-us-iran-talks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/02\/27\/rubio-plans-israel-trip-as-trump-says-hes-not-happy-with-us-iran-talks\/","title":{"rendered":"Rubio plans Israel trip as Trump says he\u2019s \u2018not happy\u2019 with US-Iran talks"},"content":{"rendered":"<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>On Friday, the US Department of State issued a notice that Rubio\u2019s 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\u2019s 20-point plan for war-torn Gaza.<\/p>\n<section>\n<h2>Recommended Stories <\/h2>\n<p><span>list of 3 items<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span>list 1 of 3<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/video\/newsfeed\/2026\/2\/26\/iranian-foreign-minister-says-us-iran-moving-closer-to-deal\">Iranian foreign minister says US, Iran moving closer to deal<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span>list 2 of 3<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/video\/the-take-2\/2026\/2\/27\/aje-onl-irn_genevatalks2026_av_v2-260226\">Is the US negotiating with Iran or preparing to strike?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span>list 3 of 3<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/2\/27\/iran-says-us-must-drop-excessive-demands-in-nuclear-negotiations\">Iran says US must drop \u2018excessive demands\u2019 in nuclear negotiations<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>This will be Rubio\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<p>No other details were provided about the latest diplomatic outing. But it comes at a delicate time for relations in the Middle East.<\/p>\n<p>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\u2019s nuclear programme.<\/p>\n<p>A new round of talks is slated to take place in Austria on Monday, the day Rubio arrives in Israel.<\/p>\n<p>Still, Trump used a public appearance on Friday on the White House lawn to voice frustration at the slow pace of negotiations.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not happy with the fact that they\u2019re not willing to give us what we have to have. I\u2019m not thrilled with that. We\u2019ll see what happens,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ll have some additional talks today. But no, I\u2019m not happy with the way they\u2019re going.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Trump added that he was not averse to using the military to accomplish his aims. \u201cI\u2019d love not to use it, but sometimes you have to. We\u2019ll see what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Trump\u2019s latest comments are likely to feed ongoing fears of a military escalation with Iran, a conflict that could spill into the broader region.<\/p>\n<p>His remarks coincided with an email from US Ambassador Mike Huckabee to embassy staff in Israel, giving them permission to leave the country, another signal that simmering tensions might boil over.<\/p>\n<p>Huckabee emphasised that those who leave \u201cshould do so TODAY\u201d, according to media reports. He added, however, that there is \u201cno need to panic\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/usembassyjlm\/status\/2027312031133499902\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">public notice<\/a> from the US Embassy in Jerusalem acknowledged the authorisation to leave and cited \u201csafety risks\u201d due to \u201cterrorism and civil unrest\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPersons may wish to consider leaving Israel while commercial flights are available,\u201d the notice said.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"threat-of-iran-attack\">Threat of Iran attack<\/h2>\n<p>Concerns have been mounting, though, that the US may seek to take military action against Iran, a longtime adversary of Israel and the US.<\/p>\n<p>Since <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/115972658725010644\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">January<\/a>, the administration of US President Donald Trump has <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/2\/20\/tracking-the-rapid-us-military-build-up-near-iran\">deployed a \u201cmassive armada\u201d<\/a> to the waters near Iran, including two aircraft carriers, the USS Gerald Ford and the USS Abraham Lincoln.<\/p>\n<p>Trump has also hinted on several occasions that he is prepared to launch an attack, either to force a deal to limit Iran\u2019s nuclear capabilities or intervene on behalf of Iranian protesters.<\/p>\n<p>On January 1, for instance, Trump responded to a deadly crackdown on antigovernment demonstrations in Iran by <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/115824439366264186\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">posting<\/a> a message on Truth Social.<\/p>\n<p>It said that the US military was \u201clocked and loaded and ready to go\u201d to \u201crescue\u201d any protesters who might be killed.<\/p>\n<p>More recently, during last Tuesday\u2019s State of the Union address, Trump described his military threats as a successful tactic in stopping the execution of protesters.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe stopped them from hanging a lot of them with the threat of serious violence,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n<p>He added that he would not be afraid to act. \u201cI will never hesitate to confront threats to America wherever we must,\u201d Trump said in the primetime speech, which accused Iran of having \u201cspread nothing but terrorism and death and hate\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>On Friday, however, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk signalled that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/en\/statements-and-speeches\/2026\/02\/our-choices-our-voices-our-votes-determine-our-future-says-turk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">eight protesters<\/a> have nevertheless been sentenced to death, and 30 more are at risk of receiving the same penalty.<\/p>\n<p>Turk also warned against the possibility of military action, highlighting the risk of civilian harm.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am extremely alarmed about the potential for regional military escalation and its impact on civilians, and I hope the voice of reason prevails,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"pushing-for-a-deal\">Pushing for a deal<\/h2>\n<p>But the protesters have not been the only motive Trump has cited for his sabre-rattling.<\/p>\n<p>Trump has also indicated that military intervention may be necessary should Iran fail to agree to a nuclear deal.<\/p>\n<p>On February 19, the president told reporters aboard his jet, Air Force One, that Iran had \u201c10, 15 days, pretty much maximum\u201d to strike a deal with US negotiators.<\/p>\n<p>Should it fail to, Trump indicated he would take his \u201cmaximum pressure\u201d campaign a \u201cstep further\u201d, appearing to imply military action.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have to make a meaningful deal. Otherwise, bad things happen,\u201d Trump had said earlier in the day at the inaugural meeting of his Board of Peace panel.<\/p>\n<p>Iran, meanwhile, has said its position is \u201cclose\u201d to that of the US on many issues, but it has called for the Trump administration to drop what it considers \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/2\/27\/iran-says-us-must-drop-excessive-demands-in-nuclear-negotiations\">excessive demands<\/a>\u201c.<\/p>\n<p>Recent reports have indicated that the US government not only wants Iran to dismantle its nuclear programme, but it also seeks to curtail its ballistic missile arsenal and sever its relations with regional allies and proxy groups, like Hezbollah in Lebanon.<\/p>\n<p>Iran, however, has largely dismissed those demands as unrealistic, and it has argued that its nuclear enrichment programme is designed to produce civilian energy, not weaponry.<\/p>\n<p>It has also warned of retaliation if the US proceeds with another military strike.<\/p>\n<p>Last June, the US bombed three Iranian nuclear sites, including the Fordow facility, as part of a 12-day war initiated by an Israeli attack. The Trump administration dubbed the campaign \u201cOperation Midnight Hammer\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The latest negotiations seek to mint a new nuclear deal following the collapse of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a multilateral agreement that saw Iran scale down its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.<\/p>\n<p>But Trump\u2019s decision, during his first term, to withdraw the US caused the deal to fall apart. As part of his withdrawal, Trump renewed US sanctions against Iran.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"there-s-always-a-risk\">\u2018There\u2019s always a risk\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>But the pressure on Iran has increased in recent days, particularly as media reports emerged that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN\u2019s nuclear watchdog, has been blocked from accessing the three sites targeted in Operation Midnight Hammer.<\/p>\n<p>The agency has indicated that it cannot confirm whether Iran has suspended nuclear enrichment at the sites, nor can it estimate the size of Iran\u2019s nuclear stockpile.<\/p>\n<p>That news is likely to fuel the Trump administration\u2019s efforts: It has long warned that Iran seeks a nuclear weapon, a claim Tehran denies.<\/p>\n<p>Still, the government of Oman, which is mediating the talks, issued a statement striking a positive note, following a meeting between its top diplomat and US Vice President JD Vance.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHis excellency, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, clarified that the negotiations have thus far achieved significant, important and unprecedented progress, which could form the cornerstone of the desired agreement,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n<p>It added that Oman would continue \u201cits efforts in supporting dialogue and facilitating rapprochement between the concerned parties\u201d and that diplomatic efforts could resolve the impasse.<\/p>\n<p>Still, as Trump prepared to travel to Texas on Friday, he was asked about the prospect of a military strike sparking a wider, drawn-out regional war with Iran.<\/p>\n<p>He largely shrugged off the possibility, citing successes with Operation Midnight Hammer as well as his decision to order the assassination of Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani in 2020.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI guess you could say there\u2019s always a risk. When there\u2019s war, there\u2019s a risk in anything, both good and bad. We\u2019ve had tremendous luck,\u201d Trump replied.<\/p>\n<p>Later, he added, \u201cEverything\u2019s worked out, and we want to keep it that way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He called on Iran to negotiate in \u201cgood faith and conscience\u201d. Still, he ended with a note of scepticism: \u201cThey are not getting there.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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\u2019s trip will run from March 2 to 3, and that its focus will be on relations &#8230; <a title=\"Rubio plans Israel trip as Trump says he\u2019s \u2018not happy\u2019 with US-Iran talks\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/02\/27\/rubio-plans-israel-trip-as-trump-says-hes-not-happy-with-us-iran-talks\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Rubio plans Israel trip as Trump says he\u2019s \u2018not happy\u2019 with US-Iran talks\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5144,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5143","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5143","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5143"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5143\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5144"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5143"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5143"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5143"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}