TEL AVIV — President Donald Trump said Friday he is unhappy with recent indirect negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program but will give negotiators additional time to try to reach a deal that could prevent a wider Middle East conflict.
Trump made the remarks a day after U.S. envoys and Iranian representatives completed another inconclusive round of indirect talks in Geneva. With U.S. forces reportedly converging in the region, the president has warned that military action remains an option if Iran does not accept a broad agreement. Iran, for its part, maintains it has a lawful right to enrich uranium for peaceful uses and denies any intention to develop a nuclear weapon.
At the White House, Trump told reporters he was “not happy” with Iran’s negotiating stance and said the U.S. would continue discussions. He declined to say how close he was to authorizing military strikes and acknowledged that prolonged tensions carry risks.
Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi urged patience and recommended that the U.S. give negotiators room to resolve outstanding issues. Speaking on CBS’s Face the Nation, he said a deal was within reach if mediators were allowed to work through remaining differences. Al-Busaidi later met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and posted on X that he was grateful for U.S. engagement and optimistic that decisive progress could be made. He reported significant breakthroughs, saying Iran had expressed willingness to refrain from accumulating additional enriched uranium and to accept comprehensive outside inspections.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to make a brief trip to Israel early next week to discuss regional priorities, including Iran, Lebanon and efforts to implement President Trump’s 20-Point Peace Plan for Gaza. The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem moved to an “authorized departure” status for nonessential staff and family members, permitting eligible personnel to leave voluntarily at government expense. Ambassador Mike Huckabee urged staff to depart promptly if they chose, advising those who wanted to take authorized departure to do so immediately.
Rubio labeled Iran a “state sponsor of wrongful detention” and indicated the State Department may restrict U.S. passport use for travel to Iran — a measure currently applied to North Korea — if Iran does not cease detaining foreign nationals.
A confidential report from the U.N. nuclear watchdog, circulated to member states and obtained by The Associated Press, said Iran has not granted inspectors access to sensitive nuclear sites damaged during Israeli strikes last June and that the agency could not verify Tehran’s claims of having stopped uranium enrichment after those strikes.
Technical discussions are due to continue in Vienna next week. IAEA Director Rafael Grossi met with a U.S. arms control official to discuss nonproliferation concerns, and U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres urged both sides to keep diplomatic channels open, noting both hopeful signs and worrisome military movements in the region.
Washington has concentrated aircraft and warships in the Middle East, including one carrier already deployed and another en route. Iran has warned it would retaliate against any U.S. attack by targeting American forces in the region, potentially including bases in allied Arab countries.
The rising tensions have prompted airlines and governments to alter travel plans. KLM announced plans to suspend flights from Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion Airport. Several embassies have authorized departures or relocated staff; Britain temporarily withdrew U.K. personnel from Iran and adjusted staffing and family locations in Israel. The U.K. updated travel advice to discourage all but essential travel to Israel. Germany, Australia and others have urged citizens to avoid travel to Israel, with Australia directing dependents of officials in Israel to leave. China and India recommended against travel to Iran, and China advised its nationals already in Iran to depart.
