Rubio ‘hopeful’ US-Iran talks can ‘lead to peace’

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced hope Thursday about US-Iran nuclear talks taking place in Oman this weekend, saying they could lead to “peace.”

“We hope that will lead to peace,” Rubio told a meeting of President Donald Trump’s cabinet. “We’re hopeful about that.”

The talks between US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are scheduled for Saturday in Oman. Washington says the talks will be direct, while Tehran insists they’ll be indirect with Oman’s foreign minister acting as mediator.

Trump said Wednesday military action against Iran was “absolutely” possible if talks failed to produce a deal, adding that there was “not much time” to reach an agreement on Tehran’s nuclear program.

“If necessary, absolutely,” Trump told reporters when asked if military action was an option. “If it requires military, we’re going to have military. Israel will obviously be very much involved in that, be the leader of that.”

Western powers accuse Iran of having a clandestine agenda to develop nuclear weapons capability by enriching uranium to a high level of fissile purity, above what they say is justifiable for a civilian atomic energy program. Tehran says its nuclear program is wholly for civilian energy purposes.