Iranian negotiators in Doha to continue talks to end the US-Iran war, official says

Iranian negotiators were in Doha on Sunday for a third consecutive day of talks with Qatari mediators ​aimed at pushing for a deal to end the ‌US-Israeli war on Iran, an official briefed on the discussions told Reuters.

The talks come amid concerns that the conflict could escalate again ​after the November 3 US midterm elections. President Donald ​Trump has said the United States will not launch ⁠new attacks on Iran before the vote and that ​talks with Tehran have been productive, though he has not ​ruled out further military action thereafter.

Iran has repeatedly said it would respond to any new attacks by striking US and Israeli targets in ​neighbouring countries, as the eight-month-old war continues to disrupt global ​oil supplies and spill over across the Middle East.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah ‌Mojtaba ⁠Khamenei issued a statement on Saturday ordering the armed forces to be prepared to respond to any attacks. The Iranian military later announced it was taking steps to improve its ​readiness.

US Secretary ​of State Marco ⁠Rubio said on Saturday that Trump has not decided whether to launch new strikes against ​Iran, but would prefer to resolve the ​conflict diplomatically.

Qatari ⁠mediators were in Tehran on Friday for discussions with Iranian officials before moving the talks to Doha on Saturday, an ⁠official ​told Reuters. The talks were being ​coordinated in regular contact with Washington, the official added.