Trump expects new Iran talks after rejecting truce proposal

US President Donald Trump has rejected a proposal from Iranian officials for a seven-day ceasefire, while at the same time expecting talks between Washington and Tehran to resume as early as next week. The rejection of the offer, combined with the simultaneous expectation of renewed negotiations, illustrates how contradictory the current state of the confrontation between the United States and Iran appears. Beyond the two countries directly involved, international trade interests are also affected, since the Iranian proposal concerned the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway of central importance to global oil supplies.

The proposal was presented by Iranian officials on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. It envisioned an initial seven-day truce, after which the Strait of Hormuz — one of the world's most important shipping routes for oil transport — would be reopened. The offer came after a period of indirect contacts between US and Iranian representatives. Specifically, US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of the General Assembly for talks that were not made public in detail.

The US administration responded to the Iranian proposal with clear rejection. The US ambassador to the United Nations described the offer as "cynical," accusing Tehran of deliberately presenting conditions it knew would be unacceptable to Washington. A State Department spokesman took a similar line, stating that President Trump "holds all the cards" in the negotiations with Iran. Trump himself, in remarks to the news platform Axios, used a pointed phrase, reportedly saying that Iran had "overplayed its hand."

Alongside his rejection of the proposal, Trump reaffirmed that he continues to consider resuming air strikes on Iranian targets. Asked whether he was contemplating renewed military action, he reportedly replied that he was "always thinking about it." This statement underscores that, despite ongoing diplomatic contacts, a military option remains part of the American approach. At the same time, Trump expressed confidence that new talks would take place in the near future, arguing that Iran is under considerable economic pressure, partly as a result of sanctions and economic isolation.

Iran, for its part, has adopted a dual stance in recent days. On one hand, Iranian officials have emphasized their fundamental willingness to continue pursuing a diplomatic path. On the other hand, Tehran has made clear that it is also prepared for the possibility of renewed US military strikes. This combination of openness to negotiation and readiness for potential escalation reflects the uncertainty currently present on both sides.

Observers and Middle East analysts see Trump's approach as an attempt to use continued economic and military pressure to extract further concessions from Iran. Some analyses suggest Trump is aiming for what he considers a "better deal" than the one implied by Iran's current proposal. At the same time, analysts warn of the risk that an overly tough negotiating stance could cause the United States to lose diplomatic leverage and undermine Iran's willingness to continue talks.

Several questions remain open. It is not yet clear what specific conditions the United States would consider acceptable for a broader agreement, nor what additional concessions Iran might be willing to offer beyond the proposed reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The exact timing and location of the expected talks next week have also not been specified. It also remains unclear whether the indirect contacts between Witkoff, Kushner, and Araghchi will continue in their current form or whether a more direct format of negotiations might emerge.

For now, the situation remains ambivalent: on one hand, there are concrete diplomatic efforts and expectations of new rounds of talks; on the other, a persistent military threat remains in place through Trump's repeated references to the possibility of renewed air strikes. How these two tracks — willingness to negotiate and the potential for escalation — will develop in the coming days remains uncertain.