Iran: 'Carrot-and-stick' approach unworkable

Tensions remain high across the Middle East, with Iran dismissing Washington's "carrot-and-stick" approach as unworkable, amid reports that the United States and Israel are preparing a potential weeklong bombing campaign against Iran after the upcoming midterm elections on Tuesday.

Iran confirmed on Thursday it had received a letter from US Vice-President JD Vance but has yet to issue a response, Tasnim News Agency reported. The Wall Street Journal earlier said Vance sent the letter to Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, in a bid to restart peace talks and avert another conflict.

The paper quoted a source as saying that the letter was sent at the direction of US President Donald Trump, adding that "Vance is testing whether Tehran and Washington could find enough common ground to persuade Trump not to give a final order for a short, intense attack on Iran in the coming weeks".

Iranian sources told Al Jazeera on Friday that the tone of Vance's letter is "much more respectful than previous ones" Tehran has received, which some see as "a positive sign".

According to officials familiar with the matter, negotiations could kick off as early as next week in Qatar or Turkiye, potentially with no preconditions. US envoy Tom Barrack said late on Thursday that Washington and Tehran were "very close" to agreeing to a timeout to "bring temperatures down".

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, however, insisted Tehran's seven preconditions must first be met. "Iran's terms have been relayed clearly and repeatedly to mediators. The carrot-and-stick approach does not affect Iran," he posted on X.

Trump said on Friday that he believed the conflict with Iran will end soon, but did not say how that would happen.

"It's going to get wrapped up soon," Trump said in an interview with Kansas City radio station KCMO. "We need a guarantee there'll never be a nuclear weapon."

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Friday that three oil tankers exploded and caught fire after striking naval mines while attempting to leave the Strait of Hormuz through an "unauthorized" southern route.

It later said that it destroyed a US unmanned vessel in the eastern Strait of Hormuz. There was no immediate confirmation from the US military.

Supply disruption fears

Driven by supply disruption fears, oil prices climbed above $116 a barrel on Friday and are on track for a fourth consecutive monthly gain.

According to Axios, US and Israeli officials are preparing for a potential seven-day military operation, although Trump has not made a final decision.

Separately, The Associated Press reported that Washington has warned several Middle East countries to prepare for renewed military action and possible Iranian retaliation against energy facilities and other critical infrastructure. The Pentagon's latest estimate says the Iran conflict has cost US taxpayers $47.1 billion.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has reportedly urged Washington not to rush into another military campaign and to allow regional mediators more time to secure an agreement. According to Axios, Saudi officials conveyed Tehran's concerns about a possible postelection bombing operation to the White House following recent diplomatic contacts.

In a parallel development, final results from Israel's general election released on Friday showed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc finished ahead of the opposition but fell short of an absolute majority in parliament.

Netanyahu's coalition of right-wing and far-right parties secured 53 out of the Knesset's 120 seats. The opposition bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot won 48 seats. The results from the Central Elections Committee also pointed to Arab-led parties as potential kingmakers, with the two winning a combined 19 seats.

Netanyahu's party amplified unsubstantiated claims on Thursday that the Arab-led parties had "stolen" the election, possibly with foreign backing, as final tallies pointed to his bloc failing to secure a majority.

Israeli media reported Likud members singled out Qatar, which quickly dismissed the allegations as "ridiculous and dangerous".

Agencies and Xinhua contributed to this story.