After nixing Iran proposal, Trump tells Axios he expects talks this week
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President Trump speaks to the media on the South Lawn of the White House on before flying to Knoxville, Tennessee for the University of Tennessee vs. University of Texas football game. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images)
One day after he rejected an Iranian proposal to end the war, President Trump told Axios in a phone interview on Sunday that he expects U.S. negotiators to engage in more talks with the country this week.
Why it matters: Qatar and other regional mediators are trying to revive negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, but the two sides are far apart on the key issues.
- While Iran wants to focus any talks on the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. naval blockade, the Trump administration is demanding that Iran agree to nuclear concessions.
- Two regional sources confirmed Trump's comment about more talks this week. They said they expect another round of indirect dialogue between the U.S. and Iran as early as Monday. But it isn't clear if the gaps can be bridged.
What he's saying: "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 if he is considering resuming strikes against Iran, Trump said: "I am always thinking about it."
State of play: In the meantime, Trump said, the U.S. military is facilitating a lot of oil out of the Strait of Hormuz.
- He said that over the weekend the largest amount of oil transited through the strait since the war began. "More than 20 million barrels," Trump said.
- A U.S. defense official confirmed Trump's assertion, saying that on Friday night 22 million barrels of oil were exported through the strait.
Driving the news: U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held a new round of indirect negotiations with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York last Tuesday.
- Qatari officials participated, passing messages between the two sides.
- Araghchi delivered to Witkoff and Kushner Iran's conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and resuming nuclear talks.
- Iran proposed reopening the strait and restarting nuclear talks in a week, if the U.S. lifts its naval blockade, removes sanctions on oil sales and reinstates a ceasefire across the region.
- Trump rejected the Iranian proposal on Saturday.
Behind the scenes: But a U.S. official and two regional sources told Axios that Qatari mediators are continuing shuttle diplomacy to try to reach a deal.
- On Thursday, the prime minister of Qatar met in New York with the Iranian president and discussed the potential deal with the Trump administration.
- Shortly after, senior Qatari officials met Witkoff and briefed him.
- A regional source with knowledge of the indirect negotiations said the Qatari mediators discussed the original Iranian proposal with both parties and provided a compromise proposal to both sides to review.
What to watch: Over the weekend, the Qatari mediators have been going back and forth separately with Iranian and U.S. negotiators on changes to the text.
- Qatari mediators are expected to meet separately with Araghchi and Witkoff as early as Monday.
The other side: Araghchi told NBC on Sunday that despite Trump's rejection of the Iranian proposal, Iran still wants a diplomatic solution.
- He said that the midterm elections aren't part of Iran's calculations. "We only care about our national interests. We are ready for negotiations," he said.
- "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.
