U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington is ready to pursue diplomacy with Iran as nuclear talks resume in Geneva, using a visit to Budapest on Monday (16 January) to reaffirm both U.S. negotiating aims and strong ties with Hungary ahead of its April election.
Speaking alongside Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Rubio said Washington remains committed to securing a deal that curbs Iran’s nuclear programme, while also addressing Tehran’s ballistic missile activities and regional influence.
“The United States is prepared to negotiate, but we will not ignore Iran’s destabilising actions in the region,” Rubio said.
He stressed that under President Donald Trump, diplomacy is preferred over military options, while warning that a successful outcome will require Iran to meet U.S. demands on both nuclear enrichment and sanctions.
The resumption of talks follows a first round of indirect negotiations in Oman earlier this month.
Rubio’s visit also underscored longstanding U.S.–Hungary ties. He described bilateral relations as entering a “golden era” and praised Orbán’s leadership, saying: “President Trump is deeply committed to your success, because your success is our success.”
The endorsement highlights the strategic importance Washington places on Hungary as a regional partner in Central Europe, particularly as Orbán prepares for a parliamentary election on 12 April.
The Hungarian prime minister, a long-time ally of Trump, has frequently clashed with the European Union while maintaining cordial ties with Russia. His domestic policies, including strict immigration controls and support for Christian conservatism, have drawn admiration from elements of the American hard right.
Analysts say the April vote will have significant implications for Europe’s conservative and far-right movements, as well as U.S. engagement in the region.
Rubio is concluding a two-day Central European tour that included Slovakia, aiming to strengthen security and diplomatic links ahead of the Geneva nuclear negotiations.
U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran to expect further strikes on Saturday (7 March). In a post on social media, he said Iran would be '...
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened further attacks on Iran on Saturday (7 March), while the Uni...
Russian attacks on Ukraine’s second largest city in the early hours of Saturday (7 March) killed 10 people, inc...
Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport came under attack in heavy airstrikes on early Saturday morning (7 March), Iranian ne...
Baku has completed its evacuation of staff from the Azerbaijan Consulate General in Tabriz, while most employees from...
Ukraine has accused Hungary of taking seven employees of a state-owned bank hostage in Budapest.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Thursday (26 February) accused Ukraine of threatening Europe’s energy security by halting oil flows through the Druzhba oil pipeline to Hungary and Slovakia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suggested that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán should block financial support to Russia rather than Ukraine, as Budapest opposes the European Union’s 20th sanctions package against Moscow.
European Union Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas has said the bloc is unlikely to reach agreement on a new package of sanctions against Russia at Monday’s meeting of EU foreign ministers, as continued Hungarian opposition keeps consensus out of reach.
Officials in Azerbaijan have said they have stopped terror attacks in Azerbaijan including on an Israeli Embassy, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline and a Synagogue. Tensions between regional and global powers escalate. Military activity, security alerts and travel disruptions continue.
U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran to expect further strikes on Saturday (7 March). In a post on social media, he said Iran would be 'hit very hard'. His comments came a week into the conflict with Iran, which has spread across the Middle East.
Lebanon's Hezbollah warned Israeli residents to evacuate towns within 5 km (3.11 miles) of the border between the countries in a message posted on its Telegram channel in Hebrew early on Friday.
The Israeli military says it has destroyed an underground bunker beneath Iran’s leadership complex in Tehran that it claims was built for former supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
The Azerbaijani State Security Service has said it has stopped Iran committing terror attacks against four targets in the country: Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, the Israeli Embassy in Azerbaijan, a leader of the Mountain Jews religious community and the "Ashkenazi" synagogue.
Russian attacks on Ukraine’s second largest city in the early hours of Saturday (7 March) killed 10 people, including two children. Kharkiv mayor, Ihor Terekov, said 10 residents died after a Russian ballistic missile hit a five storey apartment block in the city.
A 35-year-old former rapper is on track to become Nepal’s next prime minister. Early counting in the elections on Friday (7 March) showed Balendra Shah’s Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) was leading in around 100 seats, far ahead of rivals.
Newly released FBI records summarising interviews with an unidentified woman contain allegations that U.S. President Donald Trump attempted to force her to perform a sexual act when she was a teenager, according to documents published by the U.S. Justice Department.
Australia’s move to ban social media access for children under 16 has intensified a global debate, as governments around the world weigh tougher rules amid growing concerns over mental health, safety and screen addiction.
Indonesia will restrict access to social media platforms for children under 16, its communications and digital ministry said on Friday (6 March), becoming the latest country to introduce online guardrails aimed at reducing the risks of addiction and cyberbullying.
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