Iran has repeatedly said it would respond to any new attacks by striking US and Israeli targets in neighbouring countries, as the eight-month-old war continues to disrupt global oil supplies and spill over across the Middle East.
“We are doing our best in this process, and we hope that there is rationality on the other side so that they prioritise diplomacy over other paths,” Araqchi said of the talks with Qatari officials.
Iran‘s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on Saturday ordered the armed forces to be prepared for any attack, while the military later announced steps to strengthen its readiness.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that Trump has not decided whether to launch new strikes against Iranbut would prefer to resolve the conflict diplomatically.
Qatari mediators were in Tehran on Friday for discussions with Iranian officials before moving the talks to Doha on Saturday, an official had told Reuters. The talks were being coordinated in regular contacts with Washington, the official added.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com
