Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump spoke by phone on Saturday morning, The Wall Street Journal reported, as Washington lays plans to resume strikes on Iran. A day later, Iranian negotiators were back at the table in Doha, meeting Qatari mediators for a third consecutive day of talks aimed at an agreement to end the war, an official briefed on the discussions told Reuters.
Tehran paired the diplomacy with a direct threat. After meeting senior military commanders, Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei ordered the armed forces to respond to any renewed US or Israeli attack, posting on social media: “Every level or type of threat must be met with an immediate and effective response, without geographical restrictions.”
The current round began on Friday in Tehran, where a Qatari delegation spent more than 12 hours in discussions with Iranian officials. On Saturday the talks moved to the Qatari capital. Throughout the process, the Qataris have been in regular contact with Washington and have coordinated their work with the US.
Qatar is seeking a set of trust-building steps that both sides could carry out within days, paving the way for a return to formal negotiations on a range of issues, including Iran’s nuclear program. A week ago, the Qataris brought Tehran a seven-day plan under which the US and Iran would each take daily steps to build trust. A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Friday that Tehran did not consider the proposal satisfactory.
Earlier in the week, Axios reported that the Qataris were pressing Iran to allow United Nations inspectors to visit its bombed nuclear sites in return for some US sanctions relief.
Significant gaps remain. Washington has insisted that Iran make nuclear concessions before talks go further. Tehran wants its frozen funds released and sanctions eased first, and a source briefed on the talks said Iran would not discuss its nuclear program unless Washington accepted its demands.
The clock is ticking. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that Trump has not decided whether to launch new strikes but would prefer a diplomatic solution. Meanwhile, Washington has warned Gulf allies to prepare for a possible new round of strikes on Iran as early as November 4, the day after the US midterm elections, MSNOW reported, citing three senior Gulf Arab officials.
