• Pezeshkian says Tehran willing to end ‘no war, no peace’ situation
• Erdogan conveys Turkiye’s concerns over potential Iran attacks to Trump
• China seeks stronger ties with Iran as envoy tours region

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump and mediator Qatar’s prime minister will discuss Iran war in a meeting, a day after the president cast doubt on the prospect of renewed fighting, calling it “highly unlikely”, as Tehran stressed that it also sought dialogue with Washington based on mutual respect and not under pressure.

Trump had earlier threatened to resume strikes, with US media reports suggesting that hostilities could restart following the recent midterm elections.

The US president is scheduled to meet Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who is also the country’s foreign minister, at the White House.

The meeting will be Trump’s first with a foreign leader since a massive midterm loss that saw his Republican Party lose control of Congress, though the president did discuss Iran situation with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call.

In an interview aired on Sunday, Trump told CNN renewed fighting was “highly unlikely”, but warned that his decision “depends on whether or not they sign a very strong agreement”. “I would if necessary, but we hit them really hard. I hit them so hard. You don’t know how hard I hit them,” he said.

Trump once again suggested that the economic pressure on Iran would force its leaders into accepting the United States’ terms. “They’re a failing nation. It just came out, you saw this year, 301 per cent inflation,” Trump claimed. “They’re withering away financially. We’ve hit them militarily. We could finish them off.”

Iran’s official figures put inflation at nearly 90pc year-on-year in September.

‘No war, no peace’ situation

However, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday that Tehran remains open to negotiations to end the country’s “no war, no peace” situation, stressing that Iran seeks dialogue with the US based on mutual respect but will not surrender to pressure.

Pezeshkian said Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had instructed officials to end the state of “neither war nor peace,” according to a statement published on the Iranian presidency’s website.

“We can negotiate with dignity and resolve the issue with dignity. We favour dialogue and negotiations,” he said.

Pezeshkian stressed that logic dictates resolving disputes through negotiations rather than war whenever a country’s rights can be secured through dialogue. “However, we will not surrender to force and bullying,” he added.

Recalling his address to the UN General Assembly, the president reiterated that Iran seeks negotiations based on justice and equal conditions.

Turkish concerns

Meanwhile, President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkiye does not want to see a new wave of attacks against Iran, adding that he conveyed his concerns to US President Trump in a recent phone call.

“We emphasise at every opportunity that it is possible to resolve these issues through dialogue and diplomacy. Unfortunately, we see a negative shift once again. We are doing our utmost to prevent this,” Erdogan told reporters on a return flight from Azerbaijan, according to a transcript shared by his office on Monday.

Separately, Chinese special envoy to the Middle East Zhai Jun said his country was willing to strengthen ties with Iran during talks with Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

Zhai met Kani in Iran, according to a readout issued by China’s foreign ministry on Monday. He is visiting Iran, Oman and Saudi Arabia this month as Beijing steps up efforts to ease tensions in the Middle East.

There needs to be a “focus on political solutions with a rational and pragmatic spirit, and promote the early restoration of stability and development in the region,” Zhai said. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in separate meetings with Iranian and Saudi national security officials, has said all parties in the Middle East conflict should focus on political solutions rather than resorting to arms again.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2026