Trump Hints at Further Iran Talks Despite Rejected Proposal
US President Donald Trump expects more talks with Iran this week, despite rejecting an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume nuclear negotiations in exchange for lifting the US naval blockade.
The Qatari mediators have been trying to revive diplomacy between the two sides, but their positions remain far apart. Iran wants to focus on reopening the strait and ending the naval blockade, while the Trump administration demands nuclear concessions from Tehran.
Trump told Axios that he was 'always' considering the possibility of resuming military strikes against Iran, but added that the US military is facilitating significant oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Over the weekend, more than 20 million barrels of oil passed through the waterway, the largest volume since the war began.
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held indirect negotiations with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last Tuesday. Qatari officials have continued shuttle diplomacy in search of a compromise, meeting separately with Araghchi and Witkoff as early as Monday.
Araghchi acknowledged Trump's rejection in a Telegram post but said Iran would await a 'definitive' US response through mediators. He dismissed the idea that US midterm elections were affecting Tehran's calculations, saying 'We only care about our national interests.'