Iran has defended its latest offer to resume peace negotiations within two days, insisting that its conditions are reasonable after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed some of Tehran’s demands as “outrageous and ridiculous”.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that Iran was justified in demanding an end to US sanctions and the naval blockade before negotiations could begin.
He also questioned why Tehran’s call for the war to end across all fronts should be considered unreasonable, making the remarks during his weekly press briefing in response to Rubio’s criticism.
The latest proposal reduces the waiting period for restarting negotiations from seven days to two. Under its earlier offer, Iran had called on Washington to halt hostilities, lift its naval blockade and waive sanctions before talks could resume.
Baghaei also addressed reports that the United States was pressuring Iraq to shut most of its border crossings with Iran. Iraq’s foreign minister had said Washington was pushing Baghdad to restrict movement across the shared border.
The Iranian spokesman maintained that the issue should not undermine relations between Tehran and Baghdad, arguing that US pressure should not interfere with their bilateral ties.
He also criticised a US military task force established to restrict Iran’s overland trade, dismissing the initiative as a diversion following the losses suffered by President Donald Trump’s Republican Party in the US midterm elections.
The latest exchange highlights the continuing gap between Washington and Tehran over the conditions for restarting peace negotiations, with disagreements over sanctions, the naval blockade and the scope of any ceasefire still unresolved.
