A diplomatic race is underway in Doha to prevent another US military confrontation with Iran, but behind the negotiations, Israel is pressing Washington to resume its attacks on Tehran immediately after the American midterm elections.
The increasingly tense situation has exposed a disagreement between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over how long diplomacy should be allowed to continue before military action resumes.
While Trump insists negotiations remain an option, he has simultaneously threatened to strike Iranian nuclear facilities within minutes. Tehran, meanwhile, has warned that another American attack would trigger a decisive military response and potentially a longer war than the previous confrontation.
At the centre of the crisis are three days of indirect negotiations mediated by Qatar, growing Israeli pressure for renewed military strikes and American preparations for a possible large-scale operation.
With neither Washington nor Tehran announcing a breakthrough, the coming days could determine whether the confrontation moves towards a negotiated settlement or returns to open warfare.
Netanyahu Wants Military Action, but Trump Is Keeping Diplomacy Alive
The disagreement between Washington and Tel Aviv became apparent during a telephone conversation between Trump and Netanyahu on Saturday, according to the American news website Axios, which cited American and Israeli sources familiar with the discussions.
The two leaders discussed the ongoing negotiations with Iran and the possible timing of renewed military operations.
According to the sources, Netanyahu has been pressing Trump to authorise strikes against Iran immediately after the US congressional midterm elections scheduled for Tuesday.
Trump, however, reportedly prefers to give the diplomatic process another opportunity to produce an agreement before committing to military action.
That position has unsettled the Israeli prime minister, who appears increasingly concerned about the prospect of Washington reaching a negotiated settlement with Tehran rather than resuming attacks.
The Israeli source described Saturday’s conversation as “difficult”, while the American source characterised it as “direct”.
Neither the White House nor Netanyahu’s office agreed to comment on the details of the discussion.
Trump later confirmed on Sunday that the telephone call had taken place, describing it as a “very good conversation” and acknowledging that Iran was among the subjects discussed.
The Wall Street Journal was the first to report the conversation between the two leaders, although it did not disclose details of what had been discussed.
The contrasting accounts of the call reveal a central tension in the current diplomatic efforts: Israel is pushing for a faster return to military action, while the American president is keeping the possibility of an agreement open.
Three Days of Negotiations in Doha, but No Agreement Yet
As Israel presses for renewed strikes, Qatar has emerged as a central diplomatic intermediary in efforts to prevent another round of fighting.
Iranian negotiators continued meeting Qatari mediators in Doha on Sunday for a third consecutive day, according to Reuters, which cited an official familiar with the discussions.
The negotiations are intended to establish the conditions for an agreement that could eventually allow Washington and Tehran to resume direct talks.
The latest diplomatic initiative began on Friday, when Qatari mediators held discussions with Iranian officials in Tehran.
The negotiations subsequently moved to Doha on Saturday, with the Qatari side coordinating its diplomatic efforts through contacts with Washington.
Despite the intensive discussions, there has been no announcement of an agreement.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed on Sunday that negotiations had yet to produce a settlement, stressing that further progress depended on the United States addressing questions raised by Tehran.
“We are making every effort in this regard, and we hope the other side will demonstrate sufficient rationality to choose diplomacy over other paths,” Araghchi said.
His remarks reflected Tehran’s position that progress requires substantive responses from Washington rather than continued military pressure.
The negotiations remain focused on overcoming disagreements over the conditions necessary to end the war.
For Qatar, the immediate diplomatic challenge is to establish enough common ground to prevent the current confrontation from escalating before the parties can return to direct negotiations.
Trump Threatens to Strike Iranian Nuclear Sites Within Minutes
Even as Trump publicly expressed optimism about the negotiations, he continued to threaten further American attacks on Iranian territory.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, the US president said discussions with Iran were “going well” and insisted that he was not in any great hurry to conclude an agreement.
He also claimed that Iranian officials wanted to reach a settlement, although he questioned whether Washington could trust Tehran to honour its commitments.
According to Trump, the Iranians enter agreements only to withdraw from them later.
“They make a deal and then they back out,” he said.
His remarks were accompanied by a warning that the United States still needed to address one or two nuclear-related sites inside Iran.
Trump specifically referred to a suspected facility located within a mountain, describing it as “Axe Mountain”.
“We can do that in 10 minutes. We have a plan for that. You can look at Axe Mountain. We have to deal with that site, and we can do it very quickly,” he said.
The warning demonstrated that the White House was continuing to present military action as an available option, even while pursuing a diplomatic settlement.
For Tehran, such threats have been accompanied by explicit warnings that another American attack would not go unanswered.
An Iranian military spokesperson cautioned that renewed hostilities could last longer than the previous war.
Iranian Defence Minister Mehrdad Akhlaqi also warned that any attack would provoke a military response, describing Iran’s intended reaction as “proportionate, decisive and effective”.
The competing warnings have intensified concerns that the failure of negotiations could lead to another escalation, with both sides publicly signalling their willingness to use military force.
Washington Is Pursuing Negotiations While Preparing for War
According to Axios, Trump’s administration is pursuing two parallel approaches to Iran.
The first involves continuing negotiations in the hope of securing an agreement that would allow direct peace talks to resume.
The second involves maintaining preparations for potentially large-scale military operations following the American midterm elections.
The strategy resembles Washington’s approach before the military operations known as “Midnight Hammer” in June 2025 and “Epic Fury” in February 2026, according to the report.
In both cases, the administration maintained a diplomatic track while preparing for military action.
The current negotiations are therefore taking place against the backdrop of continuing American military preparations, creating uncertainty over whether diplomacy will ultimately take precedence over another round of strikes.
Washington has also pursued direct diplomatic contacts with senior Iranian figures.
Last week, US Vice President JD Vance reportedly sent a message to Iranian national security official Mohsen Rezaei addressing the possibility of resuming negotiations.
The communication represented the highest-level American contact with Iran in several months.
Its significance lies in the fact that Washington has continued seeking diplomatic engagement even as Trump publicly threatens military action and Netanyahu presses for a more confrontational approach.
The administration’s ability to maintain both options, however, depends on whether the negotiations produce an outcome acceptable to the parties involved.
Without such an agreement, the military preparations could become increasingly consequential.
Israel’s Pressure Adds Another Obstacle to a Diplomatic Settlement
The Israeli government’s position has emerged as an important factor in the negotiations.
According to the accounts cited by Axios, Netanyahu wants American military action to resume once the midterm elections are over, rather than allowing the diplomatic process to continue indefinitely.
Trump’s reluctance to commit immediately to another attack has reportedly become a source of concern for the Israeli prime minister.
The disagreement places the American administration between two competing approaches.
One seeks to use negotiations to establish a framework for ending the confrontation with Iran.
The other favours renewed military pressure, with Israel advocating strikes shortly after the American elections.
Trump has not ruled out either approach.
His statements suggest that Washington remains willing to negotiate while retaining the option of attacking Iranian nuclear facilities if the diplomatic process fails.
Iran, meanwhile, continues to insist that any renewed American aggression will be met with a military response.
The resulting situation leaves Qatar’s mediation efforts facing the prospect of military escalation even while negotiations remain active.
A War That Began in February Still Has No Diplomatic Resolution
The current crisis follows months of military confrontation and unsuccessful attempts to establish a lasting settlement.
The war began on 28 February 2026, when the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran.
A ceasefire was reached in April, temporarily halting the fighting.
However, hostilities between Washington and Tehran resumed in July, despite the two sides having signed a memorandum of understanding in mid-June.
The renewed confrontation exposed the fragility of the earlier diplomatic arrangements and the continuing disagreements preventing a permanent settlement.
Since then, successive diplomatic initiatives have failed to resolve the underlying disputes.
Qatar’s latest mediation efforts represent another attempt to prevent the confrontation from returning to open warfare.
Yet the situation remains complicated by the competing positions of the parties involved.
Iran has made clear that progress depends on Washington responding to its outstanding questions, while warning that new attacks will provoke retaliation.
Trump maintains that negotiations are progressing but continues to threaten Iranian nuclear facilities.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, is reportedly urging Washington to resume military operations immediately after the American elections.
The immediate question is whether the negotiations in Doha can produce an agreement before the competing military calculations overtake the diplomatic process.
For now, Washington and Tehran remain engaged through Qatari mediation, but neither side has announced a settlement, and the possibility of renewed warfare remains firmly on the table.
