TEL AVIV, Israel — U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday he’s “not happy” with the latest talks over Iran’s nuclear program but indicated he would give negotiators more time to reach a deal to avert another war in the Middle East.
He spoke a day after U.S. envoys held another inconclusive round of indirect talks with Iran in Geneva. As American forces gather in the region, Trump has threatened military action if Iran does not agree to a far-reaching deal, while Iran insists it has the right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes and denies seeking a nuclear weapon.
“I’m not happy with the fact that they’re not willing to give us what we have to have. I’m not thrilled with that. We’ll see what happens. We’re talking later,” Trump told reporters as he left the White House. “We’re not exactly happy with the way they’re negotiating. They cannot have nuclear weapons.”
Despite Trump’s negative assessment, one of the talks’ mediators urged patience. Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who has been mediating the negotiations, told CBS’s Face the Nation he felt a deal was within reach if negotiators were given room to close remaining issues. “If I was President Trump, my only advice is just to give those negotiators enough room, enough space to really close these remaining areas that we need to discuss and agree upon,” he said.
Trump sounded more pessimistic during a Texas visit, saying Iranian negotiators “don’t want to quite go far enough. It’s too bad.” He reiterated that he did not want Iran allowed to enrich any amount of uranium and questioned the need for enrichment for an energy program. Asked how close he was to deciding on a military strike, he replied, “I’d rather not tell you.” He acknowledged risks of a drawn-out conflict: “I guess you could say there’s always a risk.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans a quick trip to Israel early next week, the State Department said. The U.S. Embassy in Israel had urged staff who want to leave to depart, joining other nations in encouraging people to leave the region and signaling that U.S. military action might be imminent. The department said Rubio would discuss regional priorities including Iran, Lebanon and implementation of President Trump’s 20-Point Peace Plan for Gaza.
Rubio also declared Iran a “state sponsor of wrongful detention” before his trip, and the State Department may invalidate U.S. passports for travel to Iran in response to ongoing detentions. The measure would not automatically carry penalties but could be tightened if Iran does not stop detaining foreign nationals.
A confidential U.N. nuclear watchdog report seen by The Associated Press confirmed Iran has not offered inspectors access to sensitive nuclear sites since they were heavily bombed during the 12-day war launched by Israel last June, leaving the agency unable to verify Iran’s claims it stopped uranium enrichment after U.S. and Israeli strikes.
The embassy implemented “authorized departure” status for nonessential personnel and families, allowing eligible staff to leave voluntarily at government expense. U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee urged staff to act quickly: “Those wishing to take AD should do so TODAY,” he wrote, warning that outbound flights may not be available.
Iran and the United States left another round of Geneva negotiations without a deal on Thursday; technical talks are scheduled in Vienna next week. Al-Busaidi met Friday with U.S. Vice President JD Vance to discuss the negotiations and later posted on X that he was “grateful for their engagement” and that “Peace is within our reach.” He later told CBS that Iran had expressed willingness to give up enriched uranium, not accumulate more and allow comprehensive outside inspections.
IAEA Director Rafael Grossi met with U.S. arms control official Christopher Yeaw to discuss nonproliferation issues including Iran. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres urged both sides “to focus on the diplomatic track” while warning of “very worrying military movements throughout the region.”
The U.S. has assembled a large fleet of aircraft and warships in the Middle East, with one carrier already in place and another en route. Iran has warned it would retaliate against any U.S. attack by targeting American forces in the region. Airlines including KLM announced plans to suspend flights from Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion Airport, and other countries have advised nationals to leave or avoid travel to Israel and Iran. Britain temporarily withdrew some staff from Iran and moved some personnel within Israel; Germany, Australia, China, India and several European nations have issued similar travel warnings or departures.