Trump Expects More Talks with Iran Following Proposal Rejection

<p>On September 27, 2026, President Trump stated in a phone interview with Axios that he anticipates U.S. negotiators will engage in further discussions with Iran this week, one day after rejecting an Iranian proposal aimed at ending the war.</p><p><strong>Context:</strong> Qatar and other regional mediators are attempting to revive negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, although both parties remain significantly divided on key issues.</p><hr /><ul><li>Iran seeks to focus discussions on the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. naval blockade, while the Trump administration is insisting on nuclear concessions from Iran.</li><li>Two regional sources confirmed Trump's expectation of additional talks this week, with indirect dialogue potentially occurring as soon as Monday, though it remains uncertain if the differences can be reconciled.</li></ul><p><strong>Trump's Statement:</strong> Trump remarked, "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." </p><ul><li>When asked about the possibility of resuming military strikes against Iran, Trump responded, "I am always thinking about it." </li></ul><p><strong>Current Situation:</strong> Trump noted that the U.S. military is facilitating significant oil transit through the Strait of Hormuz.</p><ul><li>He claimed that over the weekend, the largest volume of oil since the war began transited through the strait, stating, "More than 20 million barrels." </li><li>A U.S. defense official corroborated this, reporting that 22 million barrels of oil were exported through the strait on Friday night.</li></ul><p><strong>Recent Developments:</strong> U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner conducted indirect negotiations with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during the UN General Assembly in New York last Tuesday.</p><ul><li>Qatari officials facilitated communication between the two sides.</li><li>Araghchi presented Iran's conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and resuming nuclear talks.</li><li>Iran proposed to reopen the strait and restart nuclear discussions within a week, contingent on the U.S. lifting its naval blockade, removing sanctions on oil sales, and reinstating a ceasefire in the region.</li><li>Trump rejected this Iranian proposal on September 26.</li></ul><p><strong>Ongoing Efforts:</strong> Despite the rejection, a U.S. official and two regional sources indicated that Qatari mediators are continuing their diplomatic efforts to reach an agreement.</p><ul><li>On September 24, the prime minister of Qatar met with the Iranian president in New York to discuss a potential deal with the Trump administration.</li><li>Following this, senior Qatari officials briefed Witkoff on the discussions.</li><li>A regional source familiar with the negotiations stated that Qatari mediators presented a compromise proposal for both parties to consider.</li></ul><p><strong>Future Actions:</strong> Over the weekend, Qatari mediators have been communicating separately with Iranian and U.S. negotiators regarding modifications to the proposal.</p><ul><li>Meetings between Qatari mediators and both Araghchi and Witkoff are anticipated as early as Monday.</li></ul><p><strong>Iran's Position:</strong> Araghchi expressed to NBC on September 27 that despite Trump's rejection of the Iranian proposal, Iran remains open to a diplomatic resolution.</p><ul><li>He stated that the midterm elections do not influence Iran's stance, emphasizing, "We only care about our national interests. We are ready for negotiations." </li><li>He added, "Although we heard from President Trump that he's rejecting this deal ... we are still waiting for an official response through the mediators."</li></ul>