Iran has responded to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s rejection of its proposal to fully open the Strait of Hormuz and start negotiations on a final deal, as a breakthrough between the two sides still appears unlikely.
Rubio said on Sunday that Iran’s conditions, which include the US ending its blockade of Iranian ports and providing sanctions relief, are “outrageous and ridiculous” and cast doubt on the chances of a deal.
“The president would always prefer to solve this and every problem diplomatically. Sometimes that’s not possible, unfortunately,” Rubio told reporters in Florida.
“If there’s a chance to do it, we’ll explore it. Right now, it hasn’t been very productive because the Iranian demands are simply not just unacceptable, but in some cases, outrageous and ridiculous, and really not realistic,” he added.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei was asked about Rubio’s remarks during a press conference in Tehran on Monday. “What is unreasonable about Iran’s demand that the United States lift its illegal sanctions before any negotiating process can begin?” he said.
“What is unreasonable about asking the United States to end its naval blockade and what it has called ‘economic exclusion operations’? What is unreasonable about the Iranian people’s demand that the war on all fronts be stopped before any negotiating process begins? What is unreasonable and absurd is the US attack on Iran in the middle of negotiations,” Baghaei added.
The Iranian spokesman also referenced Iran’s “two-day proposal” to open the strait, calling it the most reasonable offer on the table. “Could there be a more reasonable proposal than this: if the United States meets Iran’s demands, positive developments will follow across the region within two days, and security will return to the Strait of Hormuz?” he said.
The comments come after US Central Command announced it was expanding its blockade on Iran to include land routes, and the US continues launching strikes against Iran’s Qeshm Island. Trump also continues to escalate into a full-scale bombing campaign that targets civilian infrastructure, saying on Sunday that the US has picked out 38 bridges “that we can knock down in literally one hour.”
