Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said talks with Iran have not been productive because Tehran's demands are unacceptable. He made the remarks to reporters in Paris on Sunday 8 November, the first on-record US reaction to Iran's proposal and conditions.
According to CNN, Rubio said he "wouldn't say we're on the verge of a breakthrough". Mezha quotes him describing some of Iran's demands as "outrageous and ridiculous and really not realistic".
His tone was more downbeat than Donald Trump's. On the same day, Trump said strikes were highly unlikely if talks progress.
Iran's seven preconditions have not been published in full. CNN reports that Iran says it will not negotiate on its nuclear programme or reopen Hormuz unless they are met, and that they include an end to the war on "all fronts" and the lifting of the blockade.
Oil prices fell at the open after Trump's comments to CNN, then recovered to around unchanged after Rubio spoke, Investinglive reports.