Doha: Diplomatic efforts to prevent another major confrontation in the Middle East face growing uncertainty as the United States and Iran exchange fresh military warnings, raising fears that renewed fighting could undermine ongoing peace negotiations.
US President Donald Trump has suggested that American forces may carry out additional operations against Iran, claiming that earlier strikes had significantly damaged the country’s nuclear and military infrastructure. Addressing reporters in Florida on Saturday, Trump identified the suspected underground nuclear complex at Pickaxe Mountain as a possible target and said the remaining sites could be dealt with quickly. However, he avoided confirming whether another attack was imminent.
In response, Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei reportedly directed senior military commanders to prepare for a decisive response to any fresh American or Israeli offensive. He warned that Iran’s retaliation could extend beyond regional boundaries and instructed military officials to expand their list of potential targets linked to Washington and Israel.
The exchange comes ahead of the November 3 US midterm elections, amid speculation that Washington could consider further military action once voting concludes. Nevertheless, Secretary of State Marco Rubio maintained that Trump had not authorised additional strikes and that diplomatic efforts remained underway. Iranian representatives have also held discussions with Qatari mediators to explore ways of preventing another escalation.
The conflict, which erupted following joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February, has disrupted regional security and international energy supplies. Despite previous attempts to reach a lasting settlement, significant differences remain unresolved, leaving the future of negotiations uncertain as both sides maintain their military positions.
