US President Donald Trump said Sunday that he anticipates another round of negotiations with Iran in the coming days, despite rejecting Tehran's latest proposal for ending the conflict.
Speaking to Axios in a telephone interview, Trump indicated that diplomatic efforts would continue, although significant differences remain between Washington and Tehran over the terms of an agreement.
"I expect more talks with Iran [this week]. They want to make a deal, but it is not the deal that I want to make. It is what we would have maybe agreed to a year ago. They overplayed their hand," Trump said.
Asked whether he was considering launching additional military strikes against Iran, the President responded: "I am always thinking about it."
According to Axios, regional mediators, led by Qatar, are working to arrange further indirect negotiations between American and Iranian representatives, potentially beginning as early as Monday.
The two countries remain divided over the scope of a possible agreement. Tehran is seeking to address restrictions on maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and the US naval blockade, while Washington insists that any arrangement include Iranian concessions concerning its nuclear program.
The latest diplomatic efforts follow negotiations held last Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, where US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner exchanged messages with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi through Qatari intermediaries.
During those discussions, Iran presented a proposal under which it would restore passage through the Strait of Hormuz and resume nuclear negotiations within a week, provided Washington ended its naval blockade, lifted restrictions on Iranian oil exports, and restored a regional ceasefire.
Trump rejected those terms on Saturday.
Nevertheless, Qatari officials have continued working with both governments on a revised framework. According to sources cited by Axios, the mediators have submitted alternative language for consideration and are expected to hold separate meetings with Araghchi and Witkoff as early as Monday.
The diplomatic activity included meetings in New York on Thursday between Qatar's prime minister and Iran's president, followed by discussions between senior Qatari representatives and Witkoff.
Meanwhile, Trump said US military operations were allowing substantial quantities of oil to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. He stated that more than 20 million barrels had passed through the strategic waterway over the weekend, describing it as the largest volume since the outbreak of the war.
A US defense official separately told Axios that 22 million barrels of oil had been exported through the strait on Friday night.
Araghchi, speaking to NBC on Sunday, reiterated that Tehran remains interested in reaching a diplomatic agreement despite Trump's rejection of its proposal.
"We only care about our national interests. We are ready for negotiations," he said, dismissing suggestions that Iran's diplomatic calculations were influenced by the upcoming US midterm elections.
"Although we heard from President Trump that he's rejecting this deal ... we are still waiting for an official response through the mediators," Araghchi added.