EASTORA REPORT | Washington says it wants a diplomatic end to the war with Iran. But its top diplomat calls some of Tehran’s demands “outrageous and ridiculous”—without saying which ones he means.
Speaking at Homestead Air Reserve Base in Florida on Sunday, November 8, before flying to a G7 meeting in Paris, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said several countries were exploring ways forward. “I don’t have any progress to report to you,” he said, adding that a breakthrough was not near.
Rubio said President Donald Trump preferred diplomacy, but negotiations had not been productive because Iran’s demands were “not just unacceptable but, in some cases, outrageous and ridiculous and really not realistic.”
The demands, as described by officials to the Associated Press, include lifting the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports, easing sanctions, releasing frozen assets, compensation for war damage and an end to regional fighting, including Israeli operations in Lebanon. Rubio did not identify which of these terms he objected to. Tehran says its conditions must be met before talks on its nuclear program can resume.
The diplomatic impasse is unfolding alongside a fragile lull in the broader war. Qatar has helped mediate proposals, while Washington has continued limited military strikes. Trump told CNN on Sunday that further strikes would be highly unlikely if talks progressed and Iran signed a strong agreement. He also warned that Iranian infrastructure could be targeted if fighting resumed.
Asked about further American action, Rubio described U.S. operations as defensive. “If there’s a clear and present threat to shipping or to our forces in the region, we have a right to defend ourselves,” he said.
Rubio also defended Trump’s decision to wage war despite Republicans’ losses in the November 3 midterms. He declined to assess the election itself, saying leaders sometimes make necessary security decisions even when they are unpopular. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful.
For now, mediators are still working and Washington has not closed the door to negotiations. But Rubio offered no indication that either side is close to