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.
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Hungarians put an end to the sixteen years of Viktor Orbán’s premiership on the night of 12 April when Fidesz - Orbán’s party - witnessed its largest and most bitter defeat in all of its history. In a matter of hours, 155 of the Hungarian parliament’s seats went to Tisza, Magyar’s party.
European Union envoys are set to approve a 20th package of sanctions against Russia, with Slovakia and Hungary expected to drop their opposition following repairs to the Druzhba oil pipeline, EU diplomats said on Wednesday.
Hungary’s election winner Péter Magyar has said he does not support Ukraine’s fast-track entry to the European Union and will uphold an opt-out allowing Hungary to avoid contributing to a €90 billion EU loan for Kyiv.
Centre-right Peter Magyar's Tisza Party has won a landslide in Hungary after a night of counting in the Hungarian election. Viktor Orbán has conceded defeat after 16 years in power. "We have done it. Tisza and Hungary have won this election", Magyar said to cheering supporters in Budapest.
The U.S military said it carried out retaliatory strikes on Iran on Thursday (7 May). Meanwhile, Iran's Joint Military Command accused the U.S. of breaching the ceasefire, by striking an Iranian oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz and launching attacks on several Iranian cities.
The U.S. and Iran exchanged fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz, though both sides signalled they did not want escalation. The clashes come as Washington awaits Tehran’s response to a proposed deal to end the war while leaving key disputes, such as Iran’s nuclear programme, unresolved for now.
Singapore has isolated and is testing two of its residents who travelled aboard a cruise ship linked to a deadly hantavirus outbreak, the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) said on Thursday.
Efforts to end the U.S.-Iran war appeared to stall as the two sides exchanged fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz. A reported CIA assessment suggested Tehran could withstand a U.S. naval blockade for months despite mounting sanctions and renewed Gulf attacks.
Ukraine’s military said it struck a Russian Karakurt-class small missile carrier in the Caspian Sea near Russia’s Dagestan region on Thursday. The extent of the damage is still being assessed, according to Kyiv.
Somalia is facing a severe malnutrition crisis and urgently needs additional humanitarian funding to prevent conditions deteriorating further, the World Food Programme has warned.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed to carry on as leader on Friday (8 May) after his ruling Labour Party suffered heavy losses in local elections. Labour lost hundreds of councillors across the country, as some figures in the party said he should stand down.
Indonesian rescue teams have located two Singaporeans who went missing after Mount Dukono erupted on Friday (8 May) on the island of Halmahera, though authorities say it remains unclear whether they are alive.
Health authorities are monitoring a widening hantavirus alert after new suspected cases emerged in Spain and on a remote South Atlantic island, days after an outbreak on a cruise ship left three people dead and several others infected.
The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified files on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) on Friday (8 May), following an order from President Donald Trump. U.S. officials described as a push for “unprecedented transparency”.
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