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IRAN has defended its proposal to resume peace talks with the United States within two days, insisting that Washington must first lift its naval blockade and sanctions and end hostilities on all fronts.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that Tehran's demands represented the most reasonable proposal currently on the table, following US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's criticism of the conditions.
"Is it unreasonable that Iran demands that US illegal sanctions and its naval blockade must be lifted before negotiations start and that the war should end on all fronts?" Reuters reported him saying at a weekly press conference.
Iran had shortened its proposed timeline for resuming negotiations from an earlier seven-day proposal, which called on Washington to meet several conditions before talks could begin, including halting hostilities, lifting the blockade and waiving sanctions.
Baghaei also said US pressure on Iraq to close most of its border crossings with Iran should not affect bilateral relations between Tehran and Baghdad.
His remarks followed comments by Iraq's Foreign Minister that Washington was pushing Baghdad to shut most of its border crossings with Iran.
Baghaei also dismissed a US military task force aimed at restricting Iran's land trade, describing it as a diversion following losses suffered by President Donald Trump's Republican Party in the US midterm elections. - November 9, 2026
