Talks between Iran and the US on brink of collapse

2026-02-04 - 19:29

A source familiar with the matter told Israel Hayom that at this stage, no talks will take place on Friday between the US and Iran. The postponement stems from Iran's categorical refusal to engage on all four topics raised by the US. President Donald Trump said in an interview with NBC News that Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, "should be very worried." It was stressed, however, that the talks have not been formally canceled. If Iran shows flexibility, the meeting could still go ahead. At the heart of the dispute is whether negotiations will be limited solely to Iran's nuclear program, as Tehran insists, or whether they will also include additional issues, as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated about a year ago. Earlier, Rubio emphasized that one of the US conditions is holding discussions on Iran's ballistic missile program. That demand, first reported by Hayom, was rejected outright by Tehran.