DOHA: Iran and Qatar held fresh talks Saturday to prevent another outbreak of war in the Gulf, as concerns grow that the United States could resume strikes against Tehran after its midterm elections.
The meeting in Doha followed more than 12 hours of discussions between Iranian and Qatari envoys in Tehran on Friday, according to a source briefed on the negotiations who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. The talks are being coordinated through regular contacts with Washington, the source said.
Regional governments fear U.S. President Donald Trump could restart military action once voting ends Tuesday. Trump has held off on further strikes in the weeks leading up to the elections but has repeatedly hinted at renewed attacks.
Iran has warned that any new strikes would trigger retaliation against U.S. and Israeli targets in neighboring countries.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei reinforced that warning Saturday, ordering the armed forces to prepare for possible attacks. The military later announced steps to strengthen its readiness.
“Any level or type of threat must be met with an immediate, impactful, and geographically unrestricted response,” Khamenei said in a statement posted on his official Telegram account.
He said senior commanders had reported a high state of readiness along the Gulf coast, around the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman, and near Iran’s northwestern and southeastern borders.
Despite the military warnings, diplomatic contacts between Washington and Tehran have continued. Trump, who launched the war alongside Israel in February, has repeatedly suggested that further strikes against Iran remain an option.
Last week, he urged Israeli voters to keep Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in power, saying the two leaders could “finish the job.”
Washington has also shown some interest in reopening diplomatic channels. Earlier this week, Vice President JD Vance sent a letter to a senior Iranian security official, according to reports by The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Vance previously led the U.S. delegation in negotiations with Iran.
The reports described the letter as an attempt to explore the possibility of restarting talks. Trump later downplayed its significance, saying he had approved it mainly to discuss allowing more medical supplies into Iran.
Qatar has also proposed a seven-day plan under which Washington and Tehran would take daily steps to build trust before entering broader peace negotiations, the source briefed on the discussions told Reuters.
However, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Friday that Tehran was not satisfied with the proposal.
Iran has been promoting its own seven-day plan since September, but Trump has rejected it. The proposal calls for Washington to lift its blockade of Iranian ports, unfreeze Iranian assets and approve an Iranian-backed route through the Strait of Hormuz, followed by the reopening of the strategic waterway.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Saturday, in remarks reported by Al Jazeera, that Tehran was reviewing Vance’s letter. He maintained that Iran’s proposal was the only plan currently on the table to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
