US, Iran race to revive Qatar talks as Trump weighs new strikes after midterms

The US is poised to reenter talks with Iran in Qatar as diplomatic efforts to avert another war collide with warnings that President Trump could unleash a new round of military strikes immediately after Tuesday’s midterm elections, according to reports. Qatari newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported that the sides had agreed on preliminary measures addressing Iran’s nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz , where a US fleet has been escorting oil tankers to market.

The reported framework also includes “financial incentives” for Tehran, the Times of Israel reported . 3 The US is set to take part in indirect talks with Iran in Qatar, according to a Qatari media report. Here Vice President JD Vance, left, Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan defense chief Asim Munir meet in Stansstad, Switzerland, Sunday, June 21, 2026. Getty Images The diplomatic push followed marathon talks in Tehran Friday, where Qatari mediators spent 12 hours trying to prevent another military escalation, Axios reported.

The mediators remained in “regular contact” with the White House during the discussions, the outlet said. But a breakdown in negotiations could quickly put the two sides back on a path to war. The last US strike against Iran came in September. Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned the US in a Telegram post Saturday not to strike again. Explore More US Embassy issues rare warning over ‘credible threat’ of imminent ‘mass casualty’ event at tourist hotspot in Moscow Violent protests in France draw 70K people as Molotov cocktails hurled at cops, US and Israeli flags burned Family desperately ‘tried to fight off’ masked intruders before CEO and daughters shot, wife attacked with hammer “If the enemies once again launch military or terrorist attacks, it is the armed forces of the Islamic Republic and the Iranian nation that will determine the time and conditions for ending them,” he said.

Khamenei also threatened a “geographically unrestricted response” — raising the prospect that US allies across the region could again come under fire, as they did following US and Israeli attacks in February. 3 US Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, left, and US Army Maj. Gen. Brandon Tegtmeier observe commercial traffic over the Strait of Hormuz, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. President Trump has warned military action could resume after the midterms. ZUMAPRESS.com 3 A plume of smoke rises following a strike in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, March 3, 2026.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned Iran would respond to any attacks. AFP via Getty Images A preliminary draft framework stated that Iran could transfer its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to an agreed third country, Al Arabiya reported. The proposal also calls for the Strait of Hormuz to reopen within seven days of an initial agreement, with China and Russia potentially providing guarantees of implementation, according to the report Trump, who is spending Saturday at Mar-a-Lago Saturday, warned Friday in a radio interview that the war is “going to end soon,” without saying how.

An earlier preliminary agreement reached by the US and Iran with the help of mediators in June fell apart within weeks. The Post has sought comment from the White House. US Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) issued a warning this week about US plans in Iran and posted it on his X account: “Trump is reportedly planning to restart war with Iran after the election. And while I cannot disclose any details, I can say this: the plan is insane.”