More Stories
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the Trump administration is hopeful about the "direct talks" between the US president's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian officials slated for Saturday in Oman.
"We hope that will lead to peace," he said.
"We've been very clear: what Iran is never going to have is a nuclear weapon. And I think that's what led to this meeting and we'll wait for him to come back from it and we're hopeful about that."
The Trump administration's goal in negotiations with Iran is to eliminate its nuclear program, Sky News Arabia reported Thursday citing US Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
"Iran's possession of a nuclear weapon would be bad for the Middle East and the world," he was quoted as saying.
Iran’s top commanders sharpened their rhetoric against the United States and Israel ahead of expected diplomatic contacts in Oman, boasting of technical superiority and strategic endurance in the face of Western pressure.
“Despite all their claims, the United States and the Zionist regime are ineffective in practice,” said Revolutionary Guard Quds Force Commander Esmail Qaani at an event in Tehran on Thursday.
“They cannot even understand how our missiles strike their targets with such precision. This is our power.”
Qaani said Western-backed forces, though well-equipped, remained “helpless before the will of determined nations.”
At the same time, Navy Commander Shahram Irani said Iran’s maritime strength had reached unprecedented levels, saying international actors now viewed his forces as a superpower.
"Today, the enemies view the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Strategic Naval Force of the Army as a superpower, and the devil is seeking direct confrontation at sea. By the grace and power of God, we will defeat and drown the devil in the sea, just like Pharaoh’s people."
The comments follow recent threats by US officials, including president Donald Trump over Iran’s nuclear activities and regional support for proxies.
After Trump’s threats of a military strike, Tehran has agreed to indirect talks, despite a previous refusal by Khamenei.
Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref on Thursday said Mideast stability depends on maintaining good relations with the Islamic Republic.
“Today, all the countries in the region have come to the conclusion that the security and stability of the region depend on good relations with Iran,” Aref was quoted by Iranian media as saying in a meeting.
“The countries of the Persian Gulf have always emphasized the importance of maintaining good, friendly, and mutual relations with Iran," he added.
On US talks set for Saturday, Aref said Iran’s "indirect negotiations with the US are taking place in a logical process."
"Threatening language from the Iranian regime or its mouthpiece against the President, or any American, is unwise," Fox News Digital reported citing a State Department spokesperson, referring to threats by the Khamenei-linked newspaper Kayhan to kill Trump.
On Sunday, Iran’s ultra-hardline Kayhan newspaper, managed by a representative of the Supreme Leader, repeated weekend calls to assassinate Trump to avenge the 2020 killing of IRGC commander Qassem Soleimani.
Later in the day, Iran's Press Supervisory Board officially warned Kayhan over the threatening language, calling it an act against national interests.
"The board has issued an official warning to the editor-in-chief of a newspaper for violating the Article 6 of the Press Law, which explicitly prohibits the publication of content against the security, dignity, and interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran, whether domestically or abroad," a statement by the Board said without naming Kayhan.
