Iran says no progress on US negotiations since midterm results

U.S. President Donald Trump indicated on Sunday that he was unlikely to authorize fresh strikes against Iran as long as negotiations aimed at resolving the conflict continue, according to a CNN interview. Trump stated that a robust agreement would determine the necessity, emphasizing that the possibility of such attacks would be minimal.

If strikes were to resume, the United States reportedly has identified potential infrastructure targets, including 38 bridges that could be destroyed within an hour. However, no large-scale U.S. military operation has taken place since the initial hints of renewed attacks following the recent U.S. midterm elections.

Iran has vowed to retaliate against U.S. and Israeli targets if provoked. Iranian media suggested that explosions in southern Iran on Saturday were connected to Iranian military actions rather than U.S. strikes. Iran's state television confirmed that officials had not confirmed any missile strikes on Iranian territory following the reported blasts, which were heard in multiple locations, including Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz.

Both the U.S. and Iran have continued to target vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting the flow of energy and other commodities critical to the global economy. Iranian state television claimed that the evening explosions might be linked to Iranian military activities in the waterway, noting that two vessels hit mines, and a third caught fire. The U.S. claimed that its air force had disabled a vessel in the Gulf of Oman, located beyond the Strait of Hormuz.

Saudi Arabia's state oil company reported that an administrative building in Riyadh had been damaged by debris from an attempted attack, but there were no injuries or fatalities. Qatar, which has been mediating talks to end the conflict, denied reports that the U.S. and Iran had failed to reach a deal. Both sides continue to engage in negotiations, with Iran proposing a nuclear proposal to Washington through Qatar.

The U.S. military is also launching a task force to tackle the movement of sanctioned materials to Iran via land borders and the Caspian Sea as part of economic pressure measures. Iran's Revolutionary Guards dismissed the plan as mere rhetoric, stating that Tehran had already made preparations and communicated closely with neighboring countries.