Washington, 19 February 2026 (dpa/MIA) - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu late next week, a State Department official said on Wednesday.

The official told dpa that Rubio will travel to Israel on February 28. No further details were initially provided regarding the agenda for the talks.

The visit comes as the United States continues negotiations with Iran, including over Tehran's nuclear programme, though without tangible results so far.

Iran has dampened expectations of a swift breakthrough. A US official said progress was made, but many details remain unresolved. The Iranian side is expected to return within two weeks with detailed proposals aimed at narrowing the differences between the two sides, the senior administration official said.

Last week, Netanyahu met with US President Donald Trump. After the meeting, Trump said he insisted that talks with Iran should continue in order to find out whether an agreement can be reached.

Israel has long warned against an agreement with Iran, its arch-enemy, that focuses solely on the Islamic Republic's nuclear programme. The Israeli government has called for any deal to also address Iran's arsenal of ballistic missiles and its support for allied groups in the region.

Photo: EPA