Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei met senior military commanders and gave them "important strategic directives", his office said on October 31. According to the statement, he demanded "maximum deterrence". This means readiness for "an immediate and effective response, without geographical restriction" if Iran is attacked again. Al Jazeera reported that Khamenei has not been seen or heard in public since he replaced his assassinated father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in March.
The warning comes as mediators try to prevent a new outbreak of war. Senior Qatari diplomats held long talks in Tehran on October 30, Al Jazeera reported. Reuters reported on Sunday that Iranian negotiators and Qatari mediators held a third day of talks. Iranian authorities say they are ready to respond forcefully. Reports say the US and Israel are preparing new strikes on Iran.
Days earlier, US Vice President JD Vance sent a letter to Tehran. It was reportedly addressed to Mohsen Rezaei, head of the Supreme National Security Council. Vance is believed to have asked for nuclear commitments. These include access for international inspectors and a decision on Iran's highly enriched uranium. Tehran has said the uranium will not be shipped abroad. President Donald Trump denied ordering new peace talks. He said, without giving details, that the letter was about letting medical supplies into Iran.
According to Iranian media, Tehran's offer remains the basis for the talks. Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz within several days in exchange for restoring the June memorandum of understanding. Its demands include lifting the US naval blockade on Iranian ports, waivers on oil sanctions and a truce in regional conflicts, including Lebanon.
Fighting at sea continues. Iranian state television said at least six tankers were damaged by suspected mines in recent days. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a small boat attached two explosive devices to a tanker northeast of Oman's Khasab. The blast started a fire in the engine room. Local Iranian authorities said a US drone bombed two fishing boats south of Qeshm island, wounding several fishermen. UKMTO said traffic through the strait in the week ending October 28 was 70 percent below pre-war levels.
US Central Command chief Brad Cooper said he saw dozens of cargo, oil and gas vessels crossing under US protection. He said the IRGC was absent because "Iran's navy is all at the bottom of the sea". Iranian army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia warned that any new US attack would spread the war to "a wider geography".
An editorial in the state-linked Jomhouri-e Eslami newspaper said the chances of a deal were slim. It warned that fighting could resume after the US midterm elections on November 3. Still, it urged a positive response to the talks, saying war must not be accepted as "the inescapable fate for Iran".