Qatari mediators' diplomatic efforts in Tehran continued for more than twelve hours to find a way to resume direct negotiations between Iran and the United States. These negotiations are taking place ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, aiming to prevent the onset of a new wave of military attacks on Iran.
Details of the Negotiations in Tehran
According to a diplomatic source, these discussions have made positive progress and are set to continue on Saturday in Doha. Qatari mediators have been in constant contact with the White House during the negotiations and are trying to reduce existing differences. The main obstacle in these negotiations is the disagreement over the sequence of actions by both parties. Washington believes that Iran should offer concessions regarding its nuclear program to resume negotiations, while Tehran demands the lifting of the maritime blockade and the release of its frozen assets.
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Differences in the Trump Administration
Reports indicate serious disagreements among senior advisors to Donald Trump regarding how to deal with Iran. While Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are pessimistic about reaching an agreement, Vice President J.D. Vance and some other advisors are calling for the continuation of negotiations. Treasury Secretary Scott Basset also believes that the administration should give more time for economic pressure to take effect before returning to war.
These developments come as Egypt, Turkey, Iraq, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia have urged Iran to agree to resume negotiations before the U.S. elections. Some U.S. officials believe that if Republicans suffer a heavy defeat in the elections, Trump may be more inclined to conduct extensive operations against Iran, although one White House official emphasized that the election results would not affect the President's decision regarding Iran.
Widespread Damage from Iranian Attacks on U.S. Bases
Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal has published an investigative report examining the billions of dollars in damage caused by Iranian attacks on U.S. military bases in the Middle East. This report indicates that the Pentagon estimates the damage to the bases at least five billion dollars. This damage could reach fifteen billion dollars, and the cost of rebuilding the damaged facilities may exceed four billion dollars.
The report also highlights concerns among U.S. officials about the remaining advanced missile capabilities of Iran and the reduction of U.S. interceptor missile stocks. At the same time, Iran has increased its attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, and according to information from a British maritime monitoring agency, at least 25 vessels have been targeted in this area in October.
Despite these challenges, the U.S. has managed to increase oil exports from this waterway through complex operations in the Strait of Hormuz. However, maintaining these gains in the event of a resumption of extensive attacks against Iran faces serious doubts. Especially as the traffic of oil tankers increases, many private companies still fear the risks of passing through the Strait of Hormuz and are reluctant to continue operations.
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