US President Donald Trump said he would soon decide whether to resume the war with Iran or pursue an agreement after meeting his national security advisers.
Concerns in the region had been high that US military operations against Iran would be renewed before Tuesday's midterm elections. The subsequent Republican losses and acknowledgement that the effects of the conflict had been the reason for the Democratic surge provided an opening for de-escalation and mediation.
But it seems that for now, Mr Trump has a few options. He could continue a policy of economic pressure on Iran, resume attacks or reach a deal with a Tehran regime that may be emboldened by the midterm results.
"Now we will make a decision," he told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday. "Do we want to go further? I would rather not destroy the rest of the country if possible, but maybe I will have to. You’ll know soon enough."
Mr Trump is reported to have met his national security team to discuss his options. Axios quoted two US officials as saying it was the first time he had held talks with advisers since the election, the meeting was part of his weekly intelligence briefing. Fox News reported that the meetings took place at the White House on Wednesday and Thursday, as the US Central Command finalises preparations for a potential operation.
No order to resume military operations was issued, but officials were considering the next steps, Fox added.
Iran has seized on Mr Trump's midterms setback as evidence that his war policy is backfiring, portraying the Republicans' losses as a public rejection of the conflict. In a lengthy post on X, Vice President JD Vance said that Republican voters cast their ballots for the Democrats owing to frustration over the conflict, the cost of living and US support of Israel.
The rhetoric of victory has been accompanied by increasingly explicit warnings of escalation. Iran has signalled that it is preparing for further attacks rather than assuming the US elections would lead to a diplomatic breakthrough.
But mediation and diplomacy have continued, with a flurry of regional diplomatic calls held on Thursday. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held separate phone calls with the foreign ministers of the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan.
Qatari mediators also held discussions with the White House and Tehran over a draft proposal. Iran sent a nuclear proposal to the US through Qatar, a senior Iranian official told Reuters. It would be discussed once Washington met Tehran's seven demands, the official added.
The official said the US was reviewing the proposal but declined to provide further details.
Iran's senior security official, Mohsen Rezaei, said during a visit to Russia on Thursday that "on the issue of diplomacy, we have announced seven conditions to the Americans. As long as they do not execute our seven conditions, we will neither open the Strait of Hormuz nor have negotiations".
Iran has demanded the lifting of US sanctions, the release of frozen Iranian assets and war reparations, among other conditions, while Washington has said nuclear issues must be part of any initial negotiations.
Mr Rezaei, who has emerged as a key figure in negotiations, met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Thursday. Mr Rezaei said he delivered a message to Mr Putin from Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, and said the Russian leader was ready to help end the war.
