Secretary of State Rubio to Brief Netanyahu on Iran Nuclear Talks Next Week

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Israel next week to brief Prime Minister Netanyahu on ongoing U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations. The meeting comes as the Trump administration continues military buildup in the Middle East while weighing potential military action against Tehran.

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Marco Rubio will journey to Israel next week for discussions with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding ongoing U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations, according to two Trump administration officials.

The meeting between Rubio and Netanyahu is scheduled for Feb. 28, the officials revealed Wednesday while requesting anonymity since the travel arrangements haven’t been formally announced.

The United States and Iran have conducted two rounds of indirect negotiations concerning the Islamic Republic’s nuclear activities. Representatives from both nations have expressed cautious hope about potential progress this week, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stating that “a new window has opened” for achieving an agreement.

“In some ways, it went well,” U.S. Vice President JD Vance commented about the discussions during a Tuesday Fox News Channel interview. “But in other ways, it was very clear that the president has set some red lines that the Iranians are not yet willing to actually acknowledge and work through.”

Netanyahu traveled to the White House last week to press President Donald Trump to guarantee that any nuclear agreement with Iran would also address Tehran’s ballistic missile capabilities and halt its support for proxy organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah.

Trump is considering military strikes against Tehran while the administration increases military presence in the region, sparking worries that any assault could escalate into broader Middle Eastern warfare.

During a Friday press briefing, Trump told journalists that regime change in Iran “seems like that would be the best thing that could happen.” He continued, “For 47 years, they’ve been talking and talking and talking.”

The Trump administration has sent the USS Gerald R. Ford, the globe’s largest aircraft carrier, from Caribbean waters to the Middle East to accompany a second carrier along with additional warships and military equipment already positioned in the area.

Numerous U.S. fighter aircraft, including F-35s, F-22s and F-16s, have departed American and European installations in recent days bound for the Middle East, the Military Air Tracking Alliance reports. This organization consists of approximately 30 open-source intelligence specialists who regularly monitor military and government aviation movements.

The group indicates it has also documented more than 85 refueling tankers and over 170 transport aircraft moving toward the region.

Steffan Watkins, a Canada-based researcher and MATA member, reported observing support aircraft including six military early-warning E-3 planes heading to a Saudi Arabian installation.

These aircraft serve crucial roles in coordinating large-scale aviation operations. According to Watkins, they were relocated from installations in Japan, Germany and Hawaii.