According to New York Times journalists Vivian Nereim, Farnaz Fassihi, Adam Ragson, and Tyler Pager, a lot has been happening in Iran—stressed-out diplomats have met throughout the months to discuss trading and negotiations between Iran and the United States.
In June, both countries agreed to a cease-fire, intending to reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has successfully closed off. The agreement unfortunately collapsed, sparking months of intermittent clashes before the conflict settled into a tense stalemate between the two powers. A proposed phased deal had a real possibility of reopening the strait in September: Iran would focus on ensuring safe passage through the strait, while the US would lift a naval blockade on Iran’s ports. Iranian nuclear stockpiles, which President Trump disdainfully calls “nuclear dust,” are a key negotiation point, and the Trump administration has taken a rather aggressive approach to mediation talks. Iran retaliated in a televised interview on 11/1 through Iran’s National Security Advisor, Mohsen Rezaei, as he declared nuclear negotiations could begin “only after [Washington] had met Iranian conditions.” However, Iranian willingness to re-engage in nuclear talks at all suggests Qatari mediation to prevent a return to all-out war. During the 11/2 Manama Dialogue security conference, Anwar Gargash, a UAE diplomatic advisor, claims officials “want to see a diplomatic and political resolution of this protracted crisis.”
President Trump’s current stance is undefined, as he vaguely stated he’d had a “good talk” with Prime Minister Netanyahu and wants to “try to save all those lives if [he] can,” referring to the Iranian war. However, US military pushback against Iran demonstrates the hostility the Trump administration feels, as “at some point we have to give them the hammer.” Officials hope to resolve this undetermined outcome through diplomacy, but a more logical outcome would point to full-blown war.