Iranian delegation departs Qatar talks as US-Israel tensions rise

An Iranian delegation exited Qatar on Sunday following a weekend of talks aimed at a cease-fire agreement, a regional official said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the discussions. A draft proposal has been circulated for feedback and a follow-up meeting is being considered.

President Donald Trump told reporters that his Saturday conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was "very good" and included discussion of Iran, though no details were provided. The call was the first public indication of direct contact between the two leaders since Israel's recent election.

Andreas Krieg, a professor at King's College London, commented on X that the Gulf standoff involves Qatar’s diplomatic efforts and Israel’s pursuit of military options.

Iran’s leadership has signaled readiness for both diplomacy and potential military response. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei met with military chiefs, stating that any U.S. or Israeli threat would be met immediately and without geographic limits, and called for an expanded list of potential targets.

Security chief Mohsen Rezaei warned on X that any attack on Iran would result in "devastating blows" using new weapons. In a state-television interview he described a shift in the United States' tone as a "very good sign" but gave no details about a letter from U.S. Vice President JD Vance that Iran had acknowledged.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, returning from Turkmenistan, said the final outcome of the talks depends on U.S. responses to Iran’s questions.

At the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain, United Arab Emirates presidential adviser Anwar Gargash warned that without bridging the U.S. and Iranian positions, the region faces serious risk. Egypt’s foreign minister Badr Abdelatty cautioned that any further escalation would be more dangerous and destructive.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova described reports of possible new strikes against Iran as "alarming," while China announced plans to send a special envoy to Iran, Oman and Saudi Arabia in early to mid-November and urged that the Gulf not become a stage for great-power rivalry.