Iran Says It Sees No Need to Meet U.S. Officials as Doha Talks Continue and Post-Election Strike Plans Are Reported

More than eight months after the U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28, Iran's foreign minister said Saturday, Oct. 31, that Tehran has no plans to meet U.S. officials, even as Iranian negotiators held talks with Qatari mediators in Doha.

"We see no need to meet with the Americans at present. Our conditions are clear, and mediators are continuing their consultations regarding them," Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera. He called talk of a direct meeting "merely media speculation."

Doha talks run through Qatar, not Washington

An official briefed on the negotiations told Reuters that the Iranian team was in Doha on Saturday. The talks follow more than 12 hours of negotiations in Tehran on Friday, the official said.

The Qatari team has been in frequent contact with the U.S. throughout, according to that official. Washington is in the loop, just not at the table.

Saudi Arabia's vice minister of foreign affairs, Waleed ElKhereiji, spoke Saturday at the IISS Manama Dialogue in Bahrain. He said people "want to bring peace back to the region" and that efforts were under way to prevent a military escalation and reach an agreement ending the conflict.

Washington's public line is murkier

Trump's own words this week do not point toward a deal. Asked Wednesday night about negotiations with Tehran, he first said, "A little bit, but we'll see what happens." Moments later he said, "I think we're not negotiating."

On Thursday he said of Iran, "We've knocked the hell out of them. And we may do it a little bit further."

He also acknowledged the political cost of the war. "One way, they love it because I'm doing what should have been done by other presidents. And another way, maybe they don't. There's a price to pay, which I knew immediately when I did it," he said. "But we can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon."

Trump added Wednesday that "most people seem to think it's after the election" when something happens.

Reported planning for a post-election offensive

The New York Times reported Wednesday that American and Israeli military planners have developed plans for a potentially three-day offensive. The reported targets are Iran's nuclear facilities, missile and drone arsenals, and energy infrastructure.

ABC News reported Thursday, citing two Israeli sources, that Israeli officials expect the joint operation shortly after the midterms. "Hunting season is open as soon as the elections end and it's obvious that they're not going to wait long," one of the sources said.

The same report said plans for renewed strikes came up during War Secretary Pete Hegseth's unannounced visit to Israel on Monday, when the two sides exchanged new intelligence, according to one Israeli source. Proposed targets include petrochemical facilities and nuclear sites such as the fortified Pickaxe Mountain complex, which NBC News had earlier identified as a potential target. One Israeli source said the plans do not include civilian infrastructure like power plants.

The White House has drawn a narrow line. "The United States will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the midterm elections," spokesperson Anna Kelly said Thursday. That pledge ends when the polls close. Hegseth said Tuesday that U.S. forces could resume operations if Trump gives the order.

Tehran's military says it is watching

Iran's armed forces chief of staff, Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi, said Saturday that the military will not wait for an attack to begin before choosing the time and manner of its response once signs of hostile action are confirmed. "With all informational capacity, we monitor the enemy's movements and preparations and update the target bank," he wrote on X.

Army spokesman Brig. Gen. Mohammad Akraminia was blunter. "Embark on an adventure; we are expanding the geography of war," he said, adding that ending any new U.S. war "will no longer be in Washington's hands."

Those statements follow Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei's meeting with senior commanders earlier Saturday, in which he ordered a geographically unrestricted response to any resumed attack.

Israel's election adds a variable

Israel voted Oct. 27. Iran International reports that neither of the two main blocs secured a governing majority, raising the prospect of prolonged deadlock. It says Iranian analysts see little difference for Tehran between Netanyahu and his rival Gadi Eisenkot on Iran policy.

Masoud Asadollahi, a Middle East expert and university professor, told Nour News that mutual threats and strategic differences will not disappear "because a prime minister leaves office." He said the outcome could affect the timing, scope or objectives of any Israeli action, but not Israel's approach to Iran's nuclear and missile programs.

Before the vote, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz denied reports of a split between the political leadership and the IDF on Iran. He said Israel had no intention of attacking Iran before the election but would respond with great force if Iran attacked.

What comes next

The midterms are Tuesday, Nov. 3. Iran has said its conditions have not changed and that mediators are still consulting on them. The Qatari channel remains the only active route between the two governments, and neither Tehran nor Washington has said when the Doha talks conclude. Once the White House's pre-election pledge lapses, Trump's own answer to whether the U.S. is negotiating at all will be tested.