Iran is threatening military escalation as President Donald Trump prepares to hold talks with the Qatari Prime Minister.
“Our 2-day proposal stands: meet the requirements, including an end to war on all fronts, and you will see results,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday, after Republicans lost their majority in Congress in the November 3 midterms.
F-15 Fighter Taken on July 19, 2025. Image Credit: National Security Journal.
F-15 Fighter at the U.S. Air Force Museum. Image Taken on July 19, 2025 by National Security Journal.
Iran says it could execute a range of actions within 48 hours, warning that if the U.S. “chose war,” they would see Iran’s “alert and battle-hardened Warriors rain down hell.”
Tehran Urges U.S. to Lift Blockade
“American voters have made their choice.
Time for the White House to make its own,” Araghchi wrote on X on November 8.
Tehran demands the U.S. stop launching military strikes, lift the naval blockade of Iranian ports, and ease some sanctions in exchange for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Talks would then take place on nuclear issues and other sanctions.
“The basis of dialogue and talks between Iran and the US via mediators is still Iran’s seven-step proposal,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei detailed during a press briefing last week.
On Monday, Baghaei challenged Washington’s objections, asking: “Is it unreasonable that Iran demands that US illegal sanctions and its naval blockade must be lifted before negotiations start.”
Iran has also called for an unfreezing of assets and war reparations, while the U.S. is demanding Tehran make concessions on its nuclear program, including limiting its ability to enrich uranium.
However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday that some of Iran’s demands were “outrageous and ridiculous and really not realistic.”
While Trump favors diplomacy, Rubio said the negotiations had not yet been “very productive.” Tehran wants to address the sanctions and blockade first, but Washington is reluctant to compromise on the nuclear issue.
“There used to be bipartisan acknowledgment that a nuclear Iran would be completely unacceptable and dangerous for the United States,” Rubio told a press conference in Florida on Sunday.
Trump expressed reluctance to conduct large-scale attacks when addressing the matter in a telephone interview with CNN on Sunday.
“It depends on whether or not they sign a very strong agreement… The answer is highly unlikely it’s going to be necessary,” he said when asked if he was planning further strikes.
But he has stressed the military option is “locked and loaded if we need to go,” telling the Financial Times on November 3 that there may be “no reason” to approve further military action.
Trump Meeting With Qatari PM in Washington
Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheik Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani are meeting Trump and Vice President JD Vance in Washington on Monday afternoon.
This follows his visit to Tehran last week. Doha says it is trying to bridge the gap between the two sides.
Qatar’s International Media Office said on November 7 that “both sides” were continuing to work toward an agreement.
However, Anwar Gargash, a presidential diplomatic adviser to the United Arab Emirates, said on Monday that there was a need to “prepare for a long period of uncertainty,” and that a full resolution seemed unlikely.
Tensions Still High
Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts, tensions have continued to flare in the Gulf region.
U.S. Central Command said American forces disabled a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Oman on November 7 after it repeatedly attempted to breach the naval blockade of Iran.
The vessel was identified as the St. Kitts-flagged Huda.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, which Washington lists as a terror outfit, claimed two tankers hit mines while they traveled along an “unauthorized route.” The claim has not been independently verified.
Additionally, explosions were reported around Qeshm Island on Saturday and Sunday evening. Iranian state media claimed on Saturday that the noises could have been connected to domestic military activity rather than renewed American strikes.
It blamed Sunday’s noise on U.S. action. Washington is yet to comment on the matter.
Midterm Loss Blamed on Iran War
Vice President JD Vance has argued that the GOP’s loss of both chambers was heavily related to the conflict with Iran.
“The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night,” he wrote to X in the wake of the Republican Party’s poor midterm results.
Over the weekend, Trump admitted that the conflict had adversely impacted the Republican election results, but justified the war.
“A lot of people didn’t like his comments, but not me,” he said on Sunday, referring to Vance’s post-election analysis.
Yet, when asked if he would start the military campaign again, he said: “My answer is an emphatic yes because you can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon.”
About the Author: Georgia Gilholy
Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education.
