The United States and Iran are being driven onto a path of a new and extremely dangerous escalation, as American diplomats abruptly rejected the Iranian request to change the venue of the talks, which had initially been scheduled to take place on Friday 6/2 in Turkey, according to Axios.
As a result, the talks are currently up in the air, and the prospect of US military intervention against Tehran is more visible and more frightening than ever before.
Indeed, an American leak revealed to Reuters that at this stage, Trump is now leaning toward taking military action against Iran.
BREAKING: ???? With negotiations collapsed, U.S. sources tell Reuters that President Trump is now leaning toward military action against Iran amid rising regional tensions. pic.twitter.com/dmpJviMPcX
— War Radar (@War_Radar2) February 4, 2026
Moreover, the American president issued a new warning to Tehran, stating that the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, should be very worried, as the critical US Iran talks appear to be collapsing definitively.
According to Tehran, the main cause of the derailment of the negotiations was Washington’s insistence on placing Iran’s ballistic missile program on the negotiating table.
Iran was initially unwilling to discuss anything beyond its nuclear program, but the United States attempted to broaden the scope of the negotiations, according to a source from Mehr.
By contrast, the United States cited the venue and the format of the talks as the primary reasons for the breakdown.
More specifically, the government of the United States clarified on Wednesday 4/2 to Iran that it would not accept Tehran’s demands to change the location and the format of the talks scheduled for the upcoming Friday 6/2, according to what two American officials revealed to Axios.
This specific impasse is considered critical, as the deadlock in the negotiations could definitively close the diplomatic path and push President Donald Trump to choose the path of military action.
Iran: The ballistic missile program is a red line and is not up for negotiation
Tehran initially informed Washington that it was unwilling to discuss anything beyond the nuclear issue, but the United States tried by every possible means to expand the scope of the negotiations, the Iranian news agency Mehr revealed.
According to the source, Iran entered the negotiations with a clear and specific position from the outset, limiting the talks exclusively to nuclear matters, but the American side is trying to broaden the scope of the negotiations and include issues beyond previous agreements.
“Iran is ready to negotiate its nuclear status within a clear framework, but the persistent and excessive demands of the United States and issues beyond the agreement could become the main factor in the deadlock of the negotiations, and responsibility for this lies with the American side,” the agency’s source added.
From Istanbul to Oman and from there to shipwreck
According to the report by the American outlet, the United States and Iran had initially agreed to meet on Friday 6/2 in Istanbul, with the participation of other Middle Eastern countries in an observer role.
However, the Iranian side stated on Tuesday 3/2 that it wished to move the talks to Oman and conduct them on a bilateral basis, in order to ensure that the agenda would focus exclusively on nuclear issues and not on other matters such as missiles, which are a priority for Washington and the states of the region.
American officials examined the request for a change of location but decided on Wednesday 4/2 to categorically reject it.
A senior US official described the point of friction, stating characteristically that the American side conveyed that the proposal was take it or leave it, with the Iranians responding that in that case they choose leave it.
“Iran can return to the table if it adheres to what we agreed at the first stage”
The same official added that if the Iranians are willing to return to the original format of the agreement, then the United States is ready for this meeting either this week or next week.
Washington’s warning was clear, as the American side wants to achieve a real agreement as soon as possible, otherwise other options will be examined, which directly refers to the repeated threats by Donald Trump of military intervention.
Nevertheless, as Axios notes, the Iranian mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request from the American outlet for comment on the developments.
At the same time, American officials stated that the White House envoy Steve Witkoff and the son in law and adviser of Donald Trump, Jared Kushner, are expected to travel on Thursday 5/2 to Qatar for talks regarding Iran with the country’s Prime Minister.
Rubio and Israel insist on negotiating the ballistic program and torpedo the peaceful solution
A decisive role in undermining the talks with Iran is reportedly played by both the Israeli side and the US deep state, which is said to be represented in the Trump administration by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
More specifically, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated earlier on Wednesday 4/2/2026 that the potential talks with Iran are still being shaped in terms of their location, noting that Tehran appears to be backing away from a previous agreement for a meeting on Friday 6/2 in Turkey.
As he noted, the Iranian authorities had initially accepted this framework, but later changed their stance.
Despite the uncertainty, US special envoy Steve Witkoff remains ready to participate in a meeting on Friday, provided it takes place.
However, Rubio made it clear that for the talks to have substantive results, they cannot be limited solely to the nuclear issue.
“To lead to something truly meaningful, the talks must include the range of Iran’s ballistic missiles, its support for terrorist organizations throughout the region, its nuclear program, and the way it treats its own people,” he stated characteristically.
Minutes after the press conference, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that the talks with the United States in Oman will concern exclusively the nuclear program, making clear that the ballistic missile program is not up for discussion.
Rubio reiterated that the United States remains willing to engage in dialogue with Iran, while simultaneously accusing Tehran of spending resources on terrorist and paramilitary organizations. According to him, this policy has contributed to the country’s serious economic problems, which in turn triggered the mass protests of January against the regime.
Trump was ready to abandon the military solution, Israel pushes for an attack at any cost
The explosive scene in the Gulf is being further intensified by the divergence in approaches between Washington and Tel Aviv, with Israel exerting suffocating pressure on the United States to launch a military strike against Iran.
NEW — ?????? Netanyahu reportedly told U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff that if the U.S. doesn’t take action on the ballistic missile issue — whether through military strikes or diplomatic talks — then Israel will deal with the threat itself - I24 / Yair Goldblat
— UK Report (@UK_REPT) February 4, 2026
However, according to American officials cited by Axios, Donald Trump until recently appeared categorically unwilling to lead his country into a new war.
Despite the climate of escalation in the Middle East, sources from the White House environment even stated that no one has so far managed to persuade Donald Trump to give the green light for an air strike.
JUST IN: Trump is reportedly not prepared for an attack on Iran, and senior officials confirm his reluctance to engage militarily.
— Toseef Haider (@SZTH264) February 3, 2026
A U.S. source said the push for strikes comes from Israel, while Trump “really does not want to do it.”#Trump #Iran #Netanyahu #usa pic.twitter.com/chjqkGhZmE
The American president is said to have changed his mind in recent days. While he initially supported the idea of strikes during the mass protests in Iran, he concluded that any military intervention would be a catastrophic strategic mistake.
The Axios revelation includes an even more explosive dimension, linking international geopolitics with the dark scandal of Jeffrey Epstein.
According to the same sources, Donald Trump is said to view the release of the notorious Epstein files as a strategic tool to counterbalance Israeli pressure.
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