US-Iran tensions remain high as midterms near end, mediators seek breakthrough

• Iran has demanded full acceptance of its seven conditions for a settlement and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz

• Trump says he is in no hurry to decide on further military action, amid reports of divisions over Washington’s next move

• Qatar and Egypt are pursuing diplomatic efforts, but no breakthrough has emerged as reports of military activity continue

Washington and Tehran continued to exchange warnings as the US midterm elections approached their conclusion, with regional mediation yet to resolve differences over a settlement and reports of fresh military activity adding to tensions.

Iran said reopening the Strait of Hormuz depended on the United States fully accepting and implementing its seven conditions. US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, said he was in no hurry to decide whether to resume military action, even as he suggested an agreement could be reached soon.

Iranian armed forces chief of staff Ali Abdollahi warned on Tuesday that any threat from the United States or Israel would draw an immediate response “without geographical limitations”.

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said Washington’s response to Tehran’s demands was unconvincing. In a post on X, he insisted that the US explicitly address all seven conditions and act on them before the strait could reopen, Xinhua reported.

Tehran had passed a proposal to Washington through mediators on 22 September, offering to end hostilities and reopen the waterway within seven days if its conditions were met. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that Iran had shortened the proposed implementation period to two days as a goodwill gesture.

Trump has offered differing signals about the prospects for a settlement. Speaking to Axios on Monday, he said there was no urgency to decide on further military action and maintained that economic pressure had severely weakened Iran. He subsequently wrote on Truth Social that Tehran wanted an agreement and that one could materialise soon.

According to Axios, the administration was considering three options: a diplomatic agreement, renewed military operations or continued economic pressure without either a deal or a return to major hostilities.

The report described divisions among senior officials. Vice-president J.D. Vance and White House envoy Steve Witkoff favoured diplomacy, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US defence secretary Pete Hegseth supported renewed military action.

Treasury secretary Scott Bessent, CIA director John Ratcliffe and Secretary of State Marco Rubio preferred maintaining the existing position without war or an agreement, Axios reported.

Separately, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that Trump was leaning towards a large-scale attack after the midterms, potentially targeting Iranian infrastructure and nuclear facilities. No final decision had been taken, the newspaper said.

Regional governments have continued efforts to prevent further escalation. Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said on Tuesday that Washington and Tehran were examining proposals, although substantive differences remained.

A Qatari delegation returned from Tehran on Monday evening after more than three hours of discussions with Iranian officials, he told a weekly briefing. Qatar was coordinating its mediation with Pakistan, Gulf Cooperation Council countries and other partners, but had secured no concrete breakthrough.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi also called on both sides to demonstrate flexibility and pursue a political settlement. Speaking alongside visiting Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar in Cairo on Tuesday, he pledged continued Egyptian support for efforts to ease tensions.

Egyptian foreign minister Badr Abdelatty later spoke by telephone with Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi about regional mediation and the prospects for a comprehensive agreement addressing the concerns of all parties, Egypt’s foreign ministry said.

The diplomatic activity has been accompanied by reports of continued military operations. The Wall Street Journal, citing US officials, reported that American forces attacked Iran’s strategic Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday.

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps said its air defence systems intercepted three US drones in southern airspace late that day. It identified two as MQM-170 Outlaw drones intercepted over Qeshm Island and said an MQ-9 Reaper was shot down over waters east of the strait.

According to the Journal, Washington had conducted several limited attacks in recent weeks while Trump publicly discussed the possibility of a diplomatic agreement. A US official told the newspaper that the strikes were not announced publicly to avoid signalling a return to major combat operations.

With IANS inputs