Fears of a wider Middle East war mount as Trump weighs further strikes ahead of the midterms
The latest round of indirect US-Iran talks has ended without a deal, raising fears that renewed American strikes could trigger a wider Middle East war.
The United States and Israel launched a military campaign against Iran in late February, triggering months of fighting that disrupted global energy supplies and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened further hostilities, with media reports suggesting Washington could resume strikes after the November 3 midterm elections.
Iranian negotiators left Doha on Sunday after three days of Qatari-mediated talks. An official told Reuters on Monday that further talks are possible, stressing that the delegation’s departure did not signal a breakdown in negotiations.
The discussions have focused on a seven-step plan submitted by Tehran in September. It calls for Washington to lift its naval blockade, ease restrictions on Iranian oil exports and release frozen assets in exchange for reopening Hormuz and continuing negotiations.
Trump rejected the initial proposal, insisting that any deal must address Iran’s nuclear program. Tehran, meanwhile, wants its conditions met before broader talks proceed.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the strait could reopen within two days of an agreement, rather than the seven initially proposed. Tehran also wants hostilities ended on other fronts, including Lebanon.
“The ball is in the US court,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Monday, insisting that Tehran had made its demands clear.
Trump said Sunday the conflict would end soon, “one way or the other.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the president had yet to decide on further strikes but preferred diplomacy.
The Pentagon has reportedly weighed attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, underground military sites and Kharg Island, a major Persian Gulf oil export hub.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose right-wing bloc failed to win a parliamentary majority in last week’s election, reportedly urged Trump to resume strikes during a Saturday phone call.
Persian Gulf countries fear renewed US strikes could trigger wider Iranian attacks on their energy infrastructure, Bloomberg reported. Earlier Iranian strikes on American military bases in the region reportedly caused up to $15 billion in damage.
“We are clearly seeking a political off-ramp,” UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash told a security conference in Bahrain on Sunday. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty warned that renewed fighting would be more destructive without resolving the crisis.
Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has reportedly ordered the military to prepare for retaliation without geographical restrictions, potentially expanding the range of US and Israeli targets.
Maritime tensions also persist. UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a vessel was struck by an unidentified projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, two days after a Qatari gas tanker was attacked without casualties.
Russia has called for a diplomatic settlement and offered to accept Iran’s highly enriched uranium under a potential deal. Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed Moscow’s readiness to help during talks with Trump envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg last month, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said.
