Iranian envoys meet Qatari mediators as US strike threat looms after midterms

Iranian negotiators met Qatari mediators in Doha on Saturday to discuss paths out of war in the Gulf, as diplomats try to avert new fighting after the US midterm elections this week. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Donald Trump has not decided whether to launch new strikes against Iran but prefers a diplomatic resolution. Trump has held off on strikes in recent weeks ahead of the elections, which will determine whether his Republican Party retains its thin congressional majorities. The talks followed over 12 hours of discussions on Friday in Tehran, and Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei ordered armed forces to prepare for any attacks, threatening an "immediate, impactful, and geographically unrestricted response." Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei said Tehran was debating whether to lift its ban on nuclear weapons if hostilities resume. The Qatari mediators proposed a seven-day trust-building plan rejected by Tehran, which has its own plan requiring Washington to lift a blockade of Iranian ports and unfreeze assets.