Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to visit Israel to brief Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the U.S.-Iran nuclear talks. Despite some optimism, U.S. officials are preparing for potential military action by mid-March, while Iran has agreed to submit a written proposal to address American concerns. Netanyahu continues to press for a broader deal that includes Iran's ballistic missile program and its support for proxy groups.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to travel to Israel next week to update Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, two Trump administration officials said. The U.S. and Iran recently have held two rounds of indirect talks over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program. Iran has agreed to draw up a written proposal to address U.S. concerns that were raised during this week’s Geneva talks, according to another senior U.S. official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. That official said top national security officials gathered Wednesday in the White House Situation Room to discuss Iran, and were briefed that the “full forces” needed to carry out potential military action are expected to be in place by mid-March. The official did not provide a timeline for when Iran is expected to deliver its written response. Officials from both the U.S. and Iran had publicly offered some muted optimism about progress this week, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi even saying that “a new window has opened” for reaching an agreement. “In some ways, it went well,” U.S. Vice President JD Vance said about the talks in an interview Tuesday with Fox News Channel. “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.” U.S. Vice President JD Vance speaks to the media before he boards Air Force Two to depart for Washington, in Baku, Azerbaijan Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (Kevin Lamarque/Pool Photo via AP) Netanyahu visited the White House last week to urge President Donald Trump to ensure that any deal about Iran’s nuclear program also include steps to neutralize Iran’s ballistic missile program and end its funding for proxy groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah.
