Trump: US-Iran talks may resume this week
Shafaq News- Washington/ Tehran
US President Donald Trump on Sunday said he expects further US-Iran talks this week after rejecting Tehran’s latest proposal, as Qatari mediators work to narrow differences over the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear program.
Trump told Axios that Iran wants an agreement but that its proposal was not one he was prepared to accept. Two regional sources also told the outlet that another round of indirect talks could take place as early as Monday.
He added that the US military was facilitating oil shipments through the strait and claimed more than 20 million barrels had transited over the weekend. Axios cited a US defense official as saying 22 million barrels passed through the strait on Friday night.
Washington is seeking concessions on Iran’s nuclear program, while Tehran wants the immediate talks to focus on the Strait of Hormuz and the US naval blockade, according to Axios. Asked whether he was considering renewed strikes on Iran, Trump replied, “I am always thinking about it.”
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held indirect negotiations with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in New York on September 22, with Qatari officials carrying messages between the sides. Iran proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz and restarting nuclear talks within a week if Washington lifted its naval blockade, removed sanctions on Iranian oil sales, and reinstated a regional ceasefire. Trump rejected the proposal on Saturday.
Qatar has continued shuttle diplomacy since the rejection, Axios reported, citing a US official and two regional sources. Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in New York on September 24, while Qatari officials later briefed Witkoff and presented both sides with a compromise proposal. Separate contacts with Araghchi and Witkoff were expected as early as Monday.
Araghchi told NBC that Iran remained ready for negotiations and was still awaiting a formal US response through mediators despite Trump’s public rejection.
Separately, Fars News Agency reported that Iranian forces intercepted 19 ships in the Strait of Hormuz over the past two days after they attempted to transit outside a route designated by Tehran. The agency did not identify the vessels or say whether any were detained.
