Iran defends two-day proposal for peace talks after US rejects conditions

Dubai - Iran defended its proposal on Monday to resume peace talks within a two-day window, claiming it to be the most reasonable offer available, following US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's rejection of some of Iran's conditions. Speaking at a weekly press conference, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei responded to Rubio's remarks, questioning the rationale behind Iran's demands for the lifting of illegal US sanctions, the cessation of naval blockades, and the end of hostilities on all fronts before negotiations could commence.

Baghaei emphasized that Iran's revised offer, reducing the time from seven days to two, comes after the earlier proposal, which demanded that the United States first meet several conditions before engaging in peace talks. He also rejected US pressure on Iraq to close most of its borders with Iran, stating that such pressure should not impact bilateral relations between Baghdad and Tehran.

Baghaei dismissed a US military task force aimed at restricting Iran's land trade as a distraction, following President Donald Trump's Republican Party's losses in the recent midterm elections.