US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he expects negotiations with Iran to resume this week. His comments came one day after he rejected an Iranian proposal tied to reopening the Strait of Hormuz and restarting nuclear talks. Trump told Axios that Iran wants a deal but not one he is willing to accept.
Trump said he expects new talks with Iran within days as Qatar works to bridge major gaps over the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear program.
Two regional sources told Axios that another round of indirect US-Iran talks could begin as early as Monday. Qatari mediators have continued shuttle diplomacy between the two sides.
Iran’s proposal called for the strait to reopen and nuclear talks to resume within a week if the United States lifted its naval blockade on Iran and sanctions on oil sales while restoring a ceasefire across the region.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran still wants a diplomatic solution after Trump rejected the proposal. He said Iran is waiting for an official response through mediators. Araghchi has said reopening the strait depends on terms acceptable to Iran.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz described the Iranian offer as a cynical attempt built around demands Washington would not accept. The two sides remain divided over Iran’s nuclear program and the terms for reopening the strait.
The Strait of Hormuz remains central to the conflict because it is one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes. Before the war roughly one-fifth of global oil supply moved through the waterway. Traffic has fallen sharply during the conflict although some tankers are now moving under US protection.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards also claimed on Sunday that they seized a US Remus 600 underwater drone in the strait while the US military denied losing control of any such vehicle.
The conflict between the US and Iran began nearly seven months ago with a series of strikes launched by Washington and Israel against Iranian targets. A deal signed in June aimed to end the war, reopen the strait, and begin talks on Iran’s nuclear program. That agreement later collapsed after Iranian attacks on commercial vessels were followed by renewed US strikes.
Fighting in Yemen has also intensified during the wider regional conflict. Diplomatic efforts now focus on whether mediators can narrow the gap before another round of military escalation.
The situation remains tense as both sides continue to hold firm on their positions.
IMAGE: President Donald J. Trump Monitors U.S. Military Operations The White House Public domain