Qatari mediators in Tehran pressed a US-coordinated effort to lower regional tensions on Sunday, as United States President Donald Trump ruled out a strike on Iran for the day while keeping the threat of renewed attacks open.
The Qatari delegation arrived in Iran as US and Israeli threats of renewed attacks mounted, months after an April ceasefire halted the most intense phase of the war. The visit came as Trump weighed two very different paths in public: a deal with Tehran, or a new round of strikes.
What Trump said on Sunday
Trump ruled out any strikes against Iran on Sunday, but he kept the prospect of renewed military action open. Asked whether US strikes could resume as soon as Sunday, he first replied, “Would I tell you that?” before adding: “The answer is no, there will not be a strike today.”
In an interview on Fox News, he struck a harder note. “Now, my question is, do I make a deal with them, or do I finish them off?” he said. His remarks followed a suggestion on Friday that Washington “may do another little Epic Fury”, a reference to the US-Israeli campaign against Iran that began on February 28.
What Iran said in response
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned on Sunday that a resumption of war with Israel and the United States would not change his country’s position. “Recently, there has been talk of a new war, but I am already thinking about the post-war period. Whether there is war or not, our policies remain the same,” he said during a televised event in Tehran.
“They have already done so twice and have seen the results. If they want to try again, they know they will achieve no different outcome from those of the past,” he added.
Araghchi said engagement with Washington continues through mediators. Speaking to Iraqi media, he said negotiations with the United States, conducted via mediators such as Pakistan and Qatar, remain ongoing without interruption, according to the IRNA news agency. He added that the war had permanently changed the region, including shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, and that the region must move towards the complete absence of foreign forces.
The wider picture behind Qatari mediators in Tehran
The April 8 ceasefire ended the most intense fighting, though sporadic exchanges continued in and around the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy supplies. Iran has claimed control over the strait, while the United States has maintained a naval counter-blockade on Iranian ports.
In June, Iran and the United States agreed to a Pakistan-brokered memorandum of understanding on a pathway to a permanent settlement, but the deal later unravelled as each side accused the other of violating it. Tehran has since called for a return to the accord.
Feature Pakistan has followed this arc closely, including Iran’s Hormuz offer conveyed through Pakistan and Trump’s warnings of another operation over alleged plots. One early market signal pointed toward easing tensions: Brent crude slipped 1.6 per cent to $114.88 a barrel after reports of the Qatari visit, following a 6.2 per cent jump last week to its highest weekly close since mid-2022.
What happens next
Two dates now shape the week. Israel holds parliamentary elections on Tuesday, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Sunday that Iran and its allies might try to disrupt the vote. “We have intelligence signs that our enemies, Iran and its proxies, could challenge us with attacks in order to disrupt the elections,” he said in a video. “Don’t test us. You will suffer disproportionate blows,” he added.
Inside Iran, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf called for a nationwide campaign to cut gas consumption by at least 10 per cent ahead of winter. Separately, Iranian media reported a drone attack by the Revolutionary Guards’ ground forces on Komala group bases in Iraq’s Kurdistan region.
For now, the mediation track is alive but fragile. Qatar’s visit shows that channels remain open, while Trump’s words show that the choice between a deal and a new campaign has not yet been made.
Source reporting: Dawn, with market figures from Business Recorder.
Did the US strike Iran on Sunday?
No. President Trump said: “The answer is no, there will not be a strike today”, while leaving future action open.
