WASHINGTON/JERUSALEM/TEHRAN – US President Donald Trump said Sunday that he expects the United States and Iran to hold more talks this week, a day after confirming that he had rejected Iran's latest truce proposal.

"I expect more talks with Iran [this week]," Trump said in a phone interview with US online news outlet Axios.

Citing two regional sources, Axios reported that another round of indirect dialogue between the United States and Iran could take place as early as Monday, although it remained unclear whether the two sides could bridge their differences.

Asked whether he was considering resuming strikes against Iran, Trump said: "I am always thinking about it."

ALSO READ: Trump says rejected Iran's proposal on reopening Hormuz Strait

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held a new round of indirect negotiations with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York last Tuesday.

According to Axios, Iran proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz and resuming nuclear talks within a week, on the condition that the United States lifts its naval blockade, removes sanctions on Iranian oil sales and restores a regional ceasefire.

Trump rejected the Iranian proposal on Saturday.

Araghchi told NBC on Sunday that Iran still wanted a diplomatic solution despite Trump's rejection.

"Although we heard from President Trump that he's rejecting this deal ... we are still waiting for an official response through the mediators," Araghchi said.

Report: Netanyahu visits UAE, meets president on Iran  

Also on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and met President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with Iran the main focus of their talks, Israel's state-owned Kan TV News reported.

Netanyahu traveled to the UAE on a private plane and spent the day in the country, Kan said.

There was no immediate official announcement of the visit from either government.

Israel and the UAE established diplomatic relations in 2020 under the US-brokered Abraham Accords.

Iranian army chief says war not over yet

In Tehran, Chief Commander of Iran's Army Amir Hatami said Sunday the war imposed by the United States and Israel against the country has not ended yet, and the "enemy" must still be ready to receive "severe blows" from the Iranian armed forces.

"The war is not over ... Although the aggressive enemy has suffered heavy blows, it must remain prepared to receive further crushing blows from Iran's armed forces," Hatami said at a national festival in Tehran, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

He urged regional countries to recognize that cooperation with the United States fails to guarantee their security, emphasizing that regional security must be safeguarded from within by the nations of the region.

Meanwhile, Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), the body responsible for maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, has warned ship-owners against being forced by "some charterers" to use "illegal" routes for passage through the waterway.

In a post on its account on social media platform X early Sunday, the authority said, "Reports to PGSA indicate that some charterers are forcing vessels to use illegal routes. This risks financial and life losses for the vessel, owner, master, and crew, and seriously restricts its future Strait of Hormuz passage."

"Ship-owners must be vigilant against such illegal actions by some charterers," it said. "If proven, the charterers will be added to the Non-Compliance List, and all their vessels' passage through Strait of Hormuz will be restricted."

ALSO READ: Iran: Hormuz can be reopened in 7 days if conditions are met

On Feb 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and US bases and assets in the region, and tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz.

On June 18, the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on ending the war in the region. Under the MoU, they were scheduled to hold negotiations within a period of 60 days, which ended on Aug 17, to reach a final agreement, but the talks' fate remains unclear following a series of recent escalations between the two countries.

IRGC says captured 2nd US unmanned submersible

The navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Sunday that its forces have captured another "advanced smart" unmanned submarine belonging to the US Army in the Strait of Hormuz.

Making the announcement in a statement on the IRGC's official news outlet Sepah News, the navy said the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), which was carrying out "espionage" activities in the Strait of Hormuz, was captured in a "coordinated and complex operation with intelligence dominance and electronic warfare."

READ MORE: Iran: Conditions for 'reviving diplomacy' conveyed to US through Qatar's mediation

It identified the AUV as the "REMUS 600," adding that it has been handed over to its specialists for data recovery.

The navy emphasized that the Strait of Hormuz is closed, "and we are taking decisive and incessant actions against dangerous movements and passage through unauthorized routes in the waterway."

Earlier this month, the IRGC announced having captured one of the US Army's "most modern, smart" unmanned submarines at the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz, identifying it as a "Dive-LD," according to Sepah News.