Iran Says No Talks Are Under Way and Hormuz Stays Shut Until Seven Conditions Are Met, as Rubio Backs the Blockade

Trump told reporters the war was effectively over militarily but that the United States is ready to resume strikes if circumstances change, and he called the naval blockade the status quo. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had earlier described Iran's conditions as outrageous and not realistic. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, called the plan the most reasonable offer on the table.

Why does Washington say the blockade is working?

Speaking in Paris after two days of G7 foreign ministers' meetings, Rubio rejected the idea that the situation is a stalemate. He said the economic pain inflicted on Iran is "extraordinary, and it compounds," and that Iran has never before been unable to sell its energy on world markets as it is now. His argument is that sanctions and the blockade make major combat operations unnecessary.

An anonymous source told Reuters that Stephen Miller and Scott Bessent favour economic pressure over strikes, that Vance prefers a deal, and that Trump is currently convinced a workable deal is not possible. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Trump has acknowledged the Iran war contributed to Republicans' defeat in last week's midterms, and Vance put it more bluntly, saying the war is why the party lost.

What does Tehran say it wants?

Rezaei dismissed reports of talks and of a planned meeting with Vance as lies and fabrications, according to Haaretz's report of the Reuters story. President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday, per Al Jazeera, that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei wants an end to a situation that is neither war nor peace, and that Iran is open to negotiation but will not be coerced. Iranian officials have listed lifting sanctions, releasing frozen funds and ending the war on all fronts among their demands, though reports do not confirm those are the seven conditions.

The two sides now disagree about whether anything is being negotiated at all. A written American reply to Tehran's conditions, if one comes, would be the first sign that the Qatari channel has produced more than a meeting.