United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio will pay an official visit to Israel on March 2-3.
This was announced in X by the Deputy Chief Spokesperson of the US State Department, Thomas Pigott, and is stated in a State Department press release.
As explained, Rubio will discuss a number of US policy priorities in the Middle East region, including Iran and Lebanon, in Israel. The agenda will also include the current status of US President Donald Trump's 20-point peace plan for the Gaza Strip.
On February 27, the US Embassy in Jerusalem urged its staff to leave Israel due to rising security risks amid a possible escalation around Iran. It noted that Israel is a likely target for retaliation by Iran or its allies if the United States attacks it.
The previous day, Iranian and US negotiators had been meeting in Geneva to discuss Tehran's nuclear program. The parties failed to reach any agreement, although Oman, acting as a mediator, announced “significant progress.”
What is known about tensions between Iran and the US?
Indirect talks between the two countries last year failed to yield results, primarily due to the US demand that Iran completely abandon uranium enrichment on its territory. Tehran has always denied that it seeks to create nuclear weapons.
Earlier, CBS News, citing its own sources, reported that US President Donald Trump held a meeting with national security officials regarding a potential military operation against Iran.
The White House chief of staff later said that “very bad things could happen” if Iran does not reach an agreement with the United States regarding its nuclear program and completely abandons uranium enrichment.
On February 3, the US military shot down an Iranian drone that “aggressively approached” the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea. The same day, in the Strait of Hormuz, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps boats approached an American tanker and threatened to seize it.
On February 6, the US authorities urged US citizens to immediately leave Iran due to the deteriorating security situation in that country.
Tehran has told the UN that it will attack American bases if the US strikes Iran.