Qatar mediates US-Iran talks to avert renewed war
Qatari mediators held more than 12 hours of talks in Tehran on Friday to secure an agreement that would restore direct negotiations between the United States and Iran and avert a renewed outbreak of war, diplomatic sources said, as regional tensions mount ahead of the US midterm elections.
The discussions are due to continue in Doha on Saturday, with mediators seeking reciprocal steps from Washington and Tehran to break the deadlock and bring both sides back to the negotiating table over Iran’s nuclear programme and other issues.
A diplomatic source said Qatar remained in regular contact with the White House throughout Friday’s talks, adding that there had been “positive progress” towards a possible agreement.
The mediators are pressing both sides to accept a series of measures that could be implemented over several days to pave the way for direct negotiations.
A US official said the talks remained stalled over competing demands: the Trump administration wants Iran to make nuclear concessions before negotiations resume, while Tehran insists Washington first lift its naval blockade, release frozen Iranian funds and allow the country to sell oil.
Qatar is also seeking to persuade Iran to allow United Nations inspectors to visit nuclear sites damaged in earlier strikes, as a confidence-building measure that could be met with some sanctions relief from Washington.
Differences within US President Donald Trump’s inner circle are also shaping Washington’s approach, with officials divided over whether to pursue diplomacy or further military action against Iran.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are deeply sceptical that a nuclear agreement can be reached with Iran’s current leadership and believe Trump should focus on further weakening the Iranian regime, including through additional strikes, a US official said.
Vice President JD Vance and Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, meanwhile, favour resuming negotiations, although Trump remains doubtful that Tehran will agree to a deal acceptable to him, the official added.
“There are talks. They want to talk. They keep talking,” Trump told reporters on Friday, adding that Washington had time to consider its options. “It’s a war, but it is not a typical war,” he said.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who is overseeing an economic pressure campaign known as “Operation Economic Outcast”, is among Trump’s close advisers urging him to allow the initiative to run its course rather than rush into renewed military action.
One US official suggested Trump could be more inclined to order a major military operation if Republicans suffer heavy losses in the elections, arguing that Tehran’s best opportunity to secure a deal was before the vote.
However, a White House official said the election results would not influence Trump’s decisions on Iran.
The leaders of Saudi Arabia and Türkiye have urged Trump in recent days to give diplomacy more time.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, by contrast, is lobbying for a joint US-Israeli operation against Iran immediately after the elections.