Trump expects Iran negotiations to continue after rejecting ceasefire proposal

President Donald Trump said he expects U.S. negotiators to continue talks with Iran this week, one day after he rejected the country's ceasefire proposal that would have opened the critical Strait of Hormuz.

Trump shared the update with Axios in a phone interview on Sept. 27 after he previously said Iran is "dying" and "outsmarted themselves" by closing the strait because they "have no money coming in."

"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 told Axios.

When asked if he has considered resuming strikes against Iran, Trump said, "I am always thinking about it," but he didn't commit to specific attacks.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Sept. 25 that Trump denied a proposal that included opening the Strait of Hormuz, resuming nuclear talks and lifting the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports. The reporting said that Trump is privately skeptical that Iran would meet his demands.

The president's response to Axios comes just weeks from the November midterm elections that will test his popularity in…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/