Three days of Qatari-mediated talks aimed at ending the Iran war have finished without a breakthrough, Reuters reported on Monday, leaving Gulf states braced for the possibility of renewed United States military strikes against Iran. Iranian negotiators spent Sunday in Doha for a third consecutive day of talks with Qatari mediators, according to Reuters, and departed without an agreement. Tehran said contacts with Washington were continuing, and an official told Reuters that future discussions remained possible. The negotiations centred on an Iranian proposal under which the Strait of Hormuz would reopen and direct talks with the United States would resume. Iran has said the strait could reopen within two days of an agreement, down from an initially proposed seven, in exchange for Washington lifting its naval blockade, easing restrictions on Iranian oil exports and releasing frozen assets, according to Reuters. President Donald Trump has insisted any deal must also address Iran's nuclear programme. At the IISS Manama Dialogue in Bahrain on Sunday, Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the president of the United Arab Emirates, said the region was "clearly seeking a political off-ramp" but was "braced for the worst," according to The Guardian. Gulf officials fear renewed strikes could trigger broader Iranian retaliation against energy infrastructure across the region. Oil prices slipped more than 3% in Singapore on Monday on optimism that the Qatari-led talks might still yield a deal, according to market reporting. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Washington has taken no decision on fresh military strikes, while media reports suggest strikes could resume after the November 3 midterm elections.
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