Trump expects more Iran talks despite rejecting proposal
Washington says further negotiations may take place this week as Qatar continues efforts to bridge major US-Iran differences
WASHINGTON (MNTV) — President Donald Trump said Sunday he expects additional talks with Iran this week, despite rejecting Tehran’s latest proposal aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and restarting negotiations over its nuclear program.
Trump told Axios in a phone interview that Iran wanted an agreement but not one acceptable to his administration.
He also said he was “always” considering the possibility of renewed US military strikes against Iran, underscoring the tension between Washington’s diplomatic messaging and its continued reliance on military pressure.
Qatar and other regional mediators are continuing shuttle diplomacy between the two sides, with another round of indirect discussions potentially taking place as early as Monday.
The negotiations remain difficult because Tehran has focused on lifting the US naval blockade and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, while the Trump administration is demanding concessions concerning Iran’s nuclear program.
Iran had proposed reopening the strategic waterway and resuming nuclear negotiations within seven days if Washington lifted its naval restrictions, eased sanctions on Iranian oil exports and restored a regional ceasefire.
Trump rejected the proposal Saturday, saying it was unacceptable and arguing that Iran was seeking an agreement because it was suffering severe losses.
The continuing diplomatic effort comes as the United States maintains a heavy military presence around a waterway critical to international energy markets.
Trump claimed that more than 20 million barrels of oil moved through the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend.
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held indirect negotiations with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during the UN General Assembly in New York last week.
Qatari officials acted as intermediaries, carrying messages between the delegations and subsequently working on possible revisions to the Iranian proposal.
Qatari mediators have since circulated a compromise text to Washington and Tehran, according to sources cited by Axios.
The mediators have continued separate discussions with both sides and are expected to meet individually with Araghchi and Witkoff as early as Monday in another attempt to narrow the differences.
Araghchi said Iran remains committed to a diplomatic outcome despite Trump’s rejection.
In an NBC interview, he said Tehran was still waiting for an official US response through the mediators and insisted that Iran’s calculations were based on its national interests rather than Washington’s upcoming midterm elections.
The renewed diplomacy nevertheless leaves the United States facing a contradiction of its own making: Washington is signaling interest in negotiations while keeping military escalation on the table and rejecting an Iranian framework for de-escalation.
The unresolved dispute over the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions, naval restrictions and Iran’s nuclear program continues to threaten a broader regional confrontation.
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