The United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, dismissed on Sunday any diplomatic progress with Iran and labeled Tehran's demands as "simply unacceptable" and in some cases "aberrant, ridiculous, and frankly unrealistic," according to CBS News in a video recorded while the official was departing for Paris for the G7 foreign ministers' meeting.
This Monday, Tehran responded harshly. The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Ismail Bagaei, rejected Rubio's criticisms and defended that his proposal —known as the "two-day plan"— is "the most reasonable plan possible," according to the agency EFE.
"The irrational and ridiculous thing is that the United States would attack Iran in the middle of negotiations," Bagaei stated at a press conference.
The Iranian diplomat rhetorically asked what is irrational about Tehran demanding the lifting of the naval blockade, the suspension of oil sanctions, the release of frozen assets, a reduction of US military presence in the Middle East, and a comprehensive ceasefire that includes Israeli operations in Lebanon, among other conditions.
"If the United States meets its seven demands within two days, the region will witness positive developments and security will return to the Strait of Hormuz," Bagaei stated.
Rubio, for his part, had been emphatic before boarding the flight to Paris: «I wouldn't say we are on the brink of a breakthrough. The president always prefers to resolve this and any issue diplomatically. Sometimes that's not possible, unfortunately, but if there is an opportunity to do so, we will explore it».
The conflict has been at a standstill for eight months. The war began on February 28, 2026, when the U.S. and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury against Iranian nuclear and military facilities.
A ceasefire mediated by Pakistan in April and the subsequent Islamabad Memorandum, signed in June, failed to hold: the agreement collapsed in July following new Iranian attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
On November 2, the U.S. launched limited attacks against the Iranian island of Qeshm following an incident with the Revolutionary Guard, escalating tensions.
Days later, Trump gathered his national security team to assess three options: resuming large-scale attacks, intensifying sanctions and naval blockade, or continuing negotiations.
The U.S. military deployment in the region is of unprecedented magnitude. Three aircraft carrier groups —the USS George Washington, the USS George H.W. Bush, and the USS Theodore Roosevelt— are operating in the Central Command (CENTCOM) area, along with a total of about 17 warships.
According to officials quoted by CNN, the forces deployed can carry out large-scale operations against Iran within 96 hours of a presidential order.
Despite that military muscle, Trump dismissed new attacks as an immediate scenario as long as negotiations progress, although he confirmed that the three aircraft carriers are "fully ready."
The G7 meeting in Paris, scheduled for this Monday and Tuesday, places the conflict with Iran as one of the main agenda items, with few signs that either party is willing to compromise.
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