US President Donald Trump said in a phone interview with Axios on Sunday that he expects US negotiators to hold more talks with Iran this week.
"I expect more talks with Iran this week. They want to make a deal, but this is not the deal that I want to make. This is what we probably would have agreed to a year ago. They overplayed their game," Trump said.
When asked if he was considering resuming strikes on Iran, Trump said: "I always think about it."
Meanwhile, Trump said, the U.S. military is facilitating the movement of a lot of oil through the Strait of Hormuz.
He said that over the weekend, the largest amount of oil had passed through the strait since the war began.
"More than 20 million barrels," Trump said.
A U.S. Defense Department official confirmed Trump's claim, saying that 22 million barrels of oil had been moved through the strait on Friday night.
Trump made the statement a day after rejecting an Iranian proposal to end the war.
While Iran wants to focus all talks on the Strait of Hormuz and the US naval blockade, the Trump administration is demanding that Tehran agree to nuclear concessions.
Two regional sources confirmed Trump's comments about more talks this week. They said they expect another round of indirect talks between the US and Iran as early as Monday. But it is unclear whether the gaps can be bridged.
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held a new round of indirect talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York last Tuesday.
Qatari officials participated, exchanging messages between the two countries.
Araghchi gave Witkoff and Kushner Iran’s terms for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and resuming nuclear talks.
Iran has offered to reopen the strait and resume nuclear talks in a week if the US lifts its naval blockade, lifts sanctions on oil sales and restores a ceasefire across the region.
Trump rejected the Iranian offer on Saturday.
But a US official and two regional sources told Axios that Qatari negotiators are continuing shuttle diplomacy to try to reach a deal.
On Thursday, Qatar's prime minister met with the Iranian president in New York and discussed a potential deal with the Trump administration.
Senior Qatari officials met with Witkoff shortly after and briefed him.
A regional source familiar with the indirect talks said the Qataris had discussed the initial Iranian proposal with both sides and had provided both sides with a compromise proposal for review.
Over the weekend, Qatari officials discussed changes to the text separately with Iranian and American negotiators.
They are expected to meet separately with Araghchi and Witkoff as early as Monday.
On Sunday, Araghchi told NBC that despite Trump's rejection of the Iranian proposal, Iran still wanted a diplomatic solution.
He said that midterm elections are not part of Iran's calculations.
"We only care about our national interests. We are ready for negotiations, he said. Although President Trump rejected this deal, we are still waiting for an official response through the mediators," Araghchi added.