Doha negotiations continue... US president threatens 'axe'

Iranian negotiators continued their talks with Qatari mediators in Doha on Sunday for a third consecutive day, seeking an agreement to end the war with Iran, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said his country could strike the remaining Iranian nuclear sites “in 10 minutes.”

A source familiar with the talks told Reuters that Qatari mediators held discussions with Iranian officials in Tehran on Friday before moving them to Doha on Saturday. He added that the talks are being coordinated through communications with Washington.

The negotiations are taking place amid fears of renewed escalation following the U.S. midterm elections on Tuesday. Trump had said the United States would not launch new attacks on Iran before the elections and described the talks with Tehran as productive, but he did not rule out further military operations afterward. Iran has repeatedly threatened to respond to any new attacks by striking U.S. and Israeli targets in neighboring countries. The war, now in its eighth month, continues to disrupt global oil supplies and is widening across the Middle East.

On Saturday, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, ordered the armed forces to be on alert to respond to any attacks. The Iranian military later announced it was taking steps to enhance its readiness.

Tehran’s Conditions

Iran insists on implementing its seven conditions before any negotiations. On Sunday, Hassan Qashqavi, spokesperson for the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Iranian Parliament, said that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had informed the committee that Iran “insists on achieving its seven conditions,” adding, “If the other side responds positively to Iran’s seven conditions, the Strait of Hormuz will certainly be reopened the following day.”

On Saturday, Araghchi said Tehran “does not see a need at the current time to meet with the U.S. side,” adding, “If the United States accepts Iran’s conditions, Tehran will decide whether negotiations will be direct or indirect.”

The Associated Press reported that a proposal discussed with mediators could allow for the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz within two days. Tehran had previously offered to open the strait within a week in exchange for lifting the blockade, releasing frozen assets, and easing restrictions on oil exports, but Washington rejected the offer, according to the agency.

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, said Iran would continue closing the strait until its conditions are met, including the release of frozen assets. U.S. Vice President JD Vance had sent him a message via Qatari mediators, proposing the resumption of negotiations and offering to lead the U.S. delegation himself. Rezaei said he had read the message but had not yet responded, noting that the Americans’ tone had “completely changed.”

“One or Two Sites”

Hours after the Supreme Leader’s statement, Trump said the negotiations were “going well.” But he told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Saturday evening, “As you know, they are not very trustworthy. They make an agreement and then back out. I want to make an agreement. We’ll see if they make an agreement.”

He said Washington was “in no hurry” to resume strikes because it had destroyed most of Iran’s military capabilities. “We took away their freedom, eliminated their air force, and eliminated their air defenses,” he added. “We eliminated their nuclear capabilities. We still have to deal with one or two sites, but we can do that in 10 minutes.” He pointed to “Mount Axe” near the Natanz complex, saying, “You might want to look at Mount Axe, and you have to deal with it. We can do all of that very quickly.”

The Iranian government denies carrying out any nuclear activity at the site. Trump had previously threatened to strike the facility in July and October, without announcing a decision to execute an operation against it. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump made a phone call on Saturday to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, following a meeting he held at the White House earlier this week with top military leaders to review potential operations in the Middle East. Following the Israeli elections, Netanyahu spoke of a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to bring down the Iranian regime.

Readiness within 96 hours

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking on the sidelines of the G20 meetings in Atlanta, said that Trump “has not made a decision” regarding the resumption of strikes, but prefers to resolve the conflict diplomatically. He added that direct and indirect communications with Iran are ongoing, and that talks “have never truly stopped.” He said, “We can achieve military objectives if we seek them.”

Rubio launched a sharp attack on Tehran, stating, “This is a country and a regime at the heart of all instability in the Middle East.” He added, “There is instability in Lebanon because they support (Hezbollah). In Saudi Arabia, they are being attacked because Iran supports the Houthis. Iraq is a country that feels challenged because militias backed by Iran are challenging the state there.”

He described this as a “fundamental threat that we must confront,” adding that they also want nuclear weapons. He continued, “This is a regime that has committed massacres against its own people. You can imagine what it might do to others if it possessed weapons of mass destruction, which will never be allowed as long as President Trump is in the White House.”

CNN reported this week that US officials said American forces in the Middle East are ready to launch new, potentially large-scale military operations against Iran “within 96 hours of receiving” an order from Trump. One official said, “It would be a major effort.”

Officials said Trump has not yet decided what he will do after the elections, but he appears inclined to issue an order for a major operation. They warned that he had previously seemed inclined toward certain steps but backed out at the last minute.

Last week, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth dismissed Joint Chiefs of Staff Director of Strategy, Plans, and Policies General Brett Sylvia, citing “misconduct,” according to a defense official who said he is under investigation for leaking classified information. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations confirmed the investigation, without providing public evidence.

“Economic exclusion”

US Central Command said on Saturday that its forces had rerouted 144 commercial ships as part of the naval blockade on Iran, noting that the aircraft carrier George Washington is participating in its implementation.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wrote on the platform X that “transit levels in the Strait of Hormuz have returned to pre-conflict levels, except for Iranian barrels.” He added, “The world can live without Iranian oil. Iran cannot live without oil exports.”

Bessent posted a graphic titled “Operation Economic Exclusion,” showing 1.5 billion barrels exported through the strait with US assistance, compared to zero for Iran.

This narrative contradicts statements by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesperson Hossein Makki, who said the United States “has not even been able to close the Strait of Hormuz for a few hours.” Iranian state television reported on Saturday that a ship hit a mine while transiting the strait and caught fire.