Photo: Julia Maudlin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).
"Very good talks," Trump says
President Donald Trump has said the United States has held "very good talks" with Iran and suggested a deal to end the war could be within reach, even as Tehran says it is still studying the latest American proposal and its supreme leader warns that any renewed US bombing would widen the conflict.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, said the US proposal — delivered through mediator Pakistan — remains "under review" and that Tehran will communicate its response once it has "finalised its views."
The diplomatic opening comes as the war, now in its ninth month, sits at the centre of Washington's post-election reckoning. Democrats swept both chambers of Congress in Tuesday's midterm elections, and both Trump and Vice President JD Vance have acknowledged that the war — and the higher fuel prices it helped drive — was a major factor in the Republican defeat.
Flashpoint at sea
The diplomacy has unfolded alongside continued military action. The US military said a Navy fighter jet fired on and disabled the rudder of an Iranian-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman after the vessel allegedly tried to breach Washington's blockade of Iranian ports.
Trump has threatened to resume bombing in Iran if it does not agree to a deal, telling the Financial Times on Tuesday that he still had to "take care" of one or two targets, including a suspected nuclear site Tehran denies is such a facility. But he also said a full-scale resumption of war may not be necessary. "We seem to be getting everything we want," he said. "I'm ready, we're ready. We're locked and loaded if we need to go, but there may be no reason for it."
Earlier this week, the US carried out limited strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, targeting surface-to-air missile systems that a US official said were being used against American assets. The official described that operation as defensive and said it did not signal a return to major combat operations, Reuters reported.
Khamenei: no change, wider war warning
Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, warned on Wednesday that the Middle East war would widen if the US resumes its attacks, dismissing hopes of a policy shift in Washington after the midterm elections dealt a blow to President Trump.
In a written statement reported by Iran's IRNA news agency, Khamenei said those expecting changes in US policy following the elections were mistaken, and warned that renewed US military action would provoke a broader conflict. He pointed to Iranian operations against American military bases in the region and Tehran's actions in the Strait of Hormuz as evidence of its ability to challenge US military power.
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday that his government was still trying to resolve the crisis through dialogue.
A fragile opening
The war, triggered in February when the US and Israel launched a massive wave of strikes against Iran, has been at a stalemate for months. An April ceasefire briefly halted large-scale fighting, but subsequent clashes and disagreements over Iran's nuclear programme prevented a lasting settlement.
Israel has also expanded its military campaign in the region, bombing Beirut in the first strike on the Lebanese capital since a ceasefire came into force in April, and carrying out daily air strikes deeper inside Lebanon despite the US-brokered truce. Hezbollah says its fighters have carried out 17 targeted strikes against Israeli forces inside Lebanese territory, accusing Israel of repeatedly violating the ceasefire.
Whether the current proposal breaks the deadlock remains uncertain. The two sides remain far apart on the core issues — Iran wants the naval blockade lifted, sanctions eased and frozen assets released, while Washington wants guarantees on Iran's nuclear programme and an end to attacks on shipping. For now, both sides are talking, and both are keeping their weapons ready.
Sources: Al Jazeera; Geo TV (Reuters); The Statesman; Outlook India.