Iran and Qatar hold third day of talks to end US-Iran war

Iranian negotiators and Qatari mediators worked for a third straight day in Doha on Sunday to clinch a deal to settle an eight-month US-Israeli war on Iran, according to sources, after fears of a new military flare-up following the US mid-term elections.

A senior official with knowledge of the discussions said they were being coordinated with Washington through regular dialogue. “We have not reached a final deal,” the senior official said.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said negotiations over a proposal were still taking place and called the talks “ongoing and progressing”. “Our position is that we are still prepared for both defence and diplomacy,” he added.

“We are trying our best in this process and hope that there is rationality on the other side to have diplomacy placed at the top of their agenda rather than other options,” Araghchi said.

The proposal being considered could see the strait reopen within two days of any deal reached with Washington, said Araghchi. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the busiest shipping routes for global oil exports.

US President Donald Trump has said Washington would not carry out new strikes on Iran ahead of the Nov. 3 mid-term elections but has not ruled out resorting to military force afterward.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Trump wanted to take the diplomatic route but would consider other options.