As the U.S. weighs a new peace proposal from Iran, Iranian officials say America can no longer “dictate” what other countries do.
“The United States is no longer in a position to dictate its policy to independent nations,” Iranian defense ministry spokesman Reza Talaei-Nik said, according to state-run TV.
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Rubio dismisses peace proposal
It comes as Secretary of State Marco Rubio is dismissing Tehran’s latest peace proposal, saying it falls short of the U.S.’ ultimate goal of denying Iran any nuclear capabilities.
Iran is offering to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but only if the U.S. lifts its blockade on Iranian ships and ports, but does not include any concessions on nuclear capabilities at all. On top of that, Rubio contends that Iran does not have the right to control the Strait of Hormuz as it has been.
“If what they mean by opening the straits is, ‘Yes, the straits are open as long as you coordinate with Iran and get our permission or we’ll blow you up, and you pay us,’ that’s not opening the straits,” Rubio told Fox News on Monday. “Those are international waterways. They cannot normalize, nor can we tolerate them trying to normalize a system in which the Iranians decide who gets to use an international waterway and how much you have to pay them to use it.”
Oil markets react
As the Trump administration weighs that offer oil markets are reacting.
Brent crude, the global benchmark, is back above $100 dollars a barrel, hitting around $111 early Tuesday morning. U.S. crude is also pushing higher, sitting at just under $100 a barrel as of Tuesday morning.
German chancellor accuses U.S. of having ‘no strategy’
Other world leaders are starting to weigh in on the lack of a peace deal. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz accused the U.S. of having “no strategy” with Iran on Monday.
“An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian state leadership, particularly through these so-called Revolutionary Guards,” Merz said during an address to students.
He said European nations offered to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but only if the fighting stops first. He added, “And at the moment I do not see how this can be realized in the near future because the Iranians are clearly stronger than one thought and the Americans clearly don’t seem to have a convincing negotiating strategy.”
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