Iran warns of wider retaliation as Doha talks with US mediators continue
Iran's foreign minister said a delegation was in Qatar on Saturday for talks with mediators, while Iranian state media reported an order for retaliation without geographic limits if the country is attacked.
- 01An Iranian delegation was in Qatar on Saturday for talks with mediators, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said.
- 02Iranian state media said Mojtaba Khamenei met military chiefs and ordered retaliation without geographic limits.
- 03Arab states at a Bahrain security summit warned of renewed war and threats to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb.
- 04A US media report cited regional officials saying strikes could resume as soon as Nov. 4.
Iran warned on Saturday, October 31, that it would retaliate more widely if attacked, even as its negotiators held talks in Doha. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said an Iranian delegation was in Qatar to meet mediators.
What happened
Diplomatic shuttling continued on Saturday. Araghchi said the Iranian delegation was in Qatar for talks with mediators there.
Iranian state media said Mojtaba Khamenei met the heads of the army, the Revolutionary Guards and the armed forces. According to that report, he ordered retaliation without geographic limits.
An official briefed on the discussions said the Qatari mediators remain in frequent contact with US negotiators.
Why it matters
Arab states called for reciprocal engagement from Iran at Saturday's security summit in Bahrain. They cautioned that war could return, that the Houthis could resume attacks, and that vessels passing the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb could be at risk.
Those two waterways are the shipping routes named in the warnings. Any disruption to them would be a documented channel through which the dispute could reach energy and trade markets. The research material for this report contains no price data for oil or other instruments, so no market move can be reported.
For investors, the main point is that diplomacy and military warnings are running at the same time, which keeps the outlook for regional shipping uncertain.
What to watch next
MS NOW reported on Friday, citing three senior regional officials, that President Donald Trump is planning to resume strikes on Iran after the midterm elections. According to the report, his administration is telling Gulf allies to get ready for a brief but heavy wave of strikes starting as early as Nov. 4. That account comes from the outlet and its cited officials, and it is not confirmed in the material available here.
The next steps are the outcome of the Doha talks and any response from Washington. A US delegation was also mentioned in the reporting, but no further details were given.
What to expect at the open
Asia reopens on Monday morning, followed by Europe and the United States. No scheduled data releases or instrument levels are listed for the session in the available material. Attention is likely to stay on statements from Tehran, Doha and Washington, and on the date of Nov. 4 cited in the US media report.
Sources:business-standard.comIran International (iranintl.com)
UCapital24 S.p.A. or group companies may have commercial relationships with the companies mentioned. This content is not financial advice.
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