Qatari mediators returned to Tehran on Friday morning to push for an agreement between the United States and Iran. An official briefed on the talks told Reuters the visit and the broader mediation effort were coordinated with Washington. Qatar presented Iran with a draft peace plan on Sunday, but a senior Iranian official called the proposals unacceptable. The sides remain divided over sequencing: Washington wants the nuclear issue addressed from the outset, while Tehran demands that the US first lift its port blockade and oil sanctions.
The diplomacy is running alongside visible military preparations. The commander of US Central Command, Adm. Brad Cooper, briefed President Trump at the White House on Thursday on military options against Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported, a rare in-person session attended by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine. The Journal reported earlier this week that the US military is moving a Patriot air-defense system from Texas to Israel and that officials have told several Gulf governments to prepare for a “short, intense” campaign after the November 3 midterm elections.
According to the Journal, Trump has not made a final decision but is leaning toward a large post-election strike that could target Iranian infrastructure and nuclear sites. An additional carrier strike group is expected in the region next month.
