Qatar mediates U.S.-Iran talks in Tehran to prevent new attacks

Qatari mediators held talks with Iranian officials in Tehran on Friday in an attempt to restart direct negotiations between Washington and Tehran, a source familiar with the discussions told CNBC on Saturday. The talks aim to avoid a resumption of American-led attacks on Iran. The Qatari mediators held more than 12 hours of talks in Tehran to reach a deal, with discussions set to continue in Doha on Saturday. A preliminary U.S.-Iran agreement signed on June 17 to halt fighting, which began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, broke down weeks later. Iran has promised a "geographically unrestricted response" to any new U.S. attacks, and oil prices jumped over 2% on Friday amid escalation fears. The last confirmed U.S. strikes on Iran occurred on Sept. 1, with potential attacks possible after the Nov. 3 midterm elections.