Trump teases ‘more talks’ but mulls strikes on Iran
US President Donald Trump said he expects more talks with Iran as soon as this week, reiterating his claim that Tehran desperately wants to “make a deal.” An Iranian security official called Trump’s rhetoric an attempt to manipulate the oil market.
Trump made the remarks in a phone interview with Axios on Sunday, a day after dismissing the latest Iranian peace proposal as unacceptable. Tehran has proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for lifting the US naval blockade and resuming nuclear negotiations.
“I expect more talks with Iran. 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 told Axios.
He also confirmed that resuming full-scale hostilities with Iran remains an option, telling the outlet he has been considering renewed strikes. Trump also claimed that over the weekend, the US facilitated the transfer of “more than 20 million barrels” of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, which would be the largest amount in months but still below pre-war levels.
Tehran has challenged Trump’s narrative that the US has full control over the strait, and reportedly blocked nearly two dozen vessels from passing through it over the weekend.
Speaking to RT, an Iranian security official dismissed Trump’s remarks as “media rhetoric” which does not change the “realities on the ground.”
“The operational reality is that over the past 48 hours, a total of 20 vessels – including seven last night and 13 the night before – were halted while transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” the official said, suggesting that Trump’s claims are an attempt to manipulate the oil market.
“There is no operational and sustainable mechanism for safe navigation through this strategic waterway outside the framework established and approved by the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
“Donald Trump cannot calm energy markets or conceal the costs of his blockade and hostile policies through show-off and social media posts,” he added.
Earlier in the day, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated the terms of the country’s peace plan, signaling openness to further negotiations and readiness to continue the conflict “even if it comes to a doomsday war.”
“We want our assets, which are illegally frozen, to be released. We want to be able to sell our oil. We want certain things that the US has already committed itself [to] in the previous deals,” Araghchi said in an interview with NBC, referring to the June memorandum of understanding.
Earlier reporting by the Wall Street Journal suggested that Trump not only rejected the Iranian proposal but also told aides that he expects a renewed bombing campaign after the US midterm election in November.
