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Qatari mediators are trying to arrange a resumption of direct talks between the United States and Iran to prevent a new military escalation after the US midterm elections, Axios reports.
According to diplomatic sources cited by the outlet, Qatari mediators held talks in Tehran on Friday that lasted more than 12 hours. Their aim was to secure arrangements that would allow Washington and Tehran to resume direct dialogue and avert another military operation.
Discussions are expected to continue in Doha, Qatar’s capital, on Saturday.
What the US and Iran are demanding
During the talks, Qatari mediators remained in constant contact with the White House. A diplomatic source said the sides had made positive progress, but negotiations were still ongoing.
“Positive progress has been made. Talks are continuing to reach an agreement between the US and Iran,” the source said.
Qatar is proposing that Washington and Tehran agree on a series of reciprocal steps that could be implemented within days. The measures are intended to create conditions for a return to direct negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program and other issues.
However, the sides have yet to agree on the sequence of concessions. US President Donald Trump’s administration insists that Iran make concessions on its nuclear program before negotiations can resume.
Tehran, meanwhile, wants Washington to lift its naval blockade, unfreeze its blocked assets and allow the country to sell oil first.
One possible compromise being promoted by Qatari mediators would allow UN inspectors access to Iran’s damaged nuclear facilities. The move would serve as a confidence-building measure, with the US potentially responding by easing some sanctions.
Why Trump’s advisers are divided
According to Axios, the US president’s closest advisers have differing views on how to proceed.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are skeptical that a nuclear deal can be reached with Iran’s current regime. They believe Trump’s legacy should be further weakening Tehran, including through new strikes, a US official told the outlet.
Vice President JD Vance and Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, by contrast, are interested in resuming negotiations, according to the source.
Trump himself doubts that Iran will agree to a deal he considers acceptable.
“Negotiations are taking place. They want to negotiate. They continue to negotiate... Frankly, we have time. This is a war, but not a typical war,” the US president told reporters on Friday.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who is leading the economic pressure campaign known as “Operation Economic Outcast,” is also urging the administration to give the initiative time rather than rush back into military action.
How the midterm elections could affect the situation
Regional countries, including Egypt, Turkey, Iraq, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, are urging Iran to agree to resume negotiations before the US midterm elections, a source cited by Axios said.
A US official suggested that Trump could be more inclined to order a large-scale military operation if Republicans suffer a crushing defeat at the polls. The president might want to demonstrate strength if he feels he is losing political influence, the official said.
“If he feels humiliated or disempowered, he will do something bold. That is what everyone is telling the Iranians. Their best chance to make a deal is right now,” the official said.
A White House representative, however, said the election results would not affect Trump’s decisions on Iran.
On October 29, Axios reported that the US and Israel had prepared a plan for large-scale strikes on Iran. According to American and Israeli officials, the operation could begin shortly after the US midterm elections, scheduled for November 3, and last about a week.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that the US had warned several Gulf countries about the possibility of a renewed, short-term war with Iran.
