First meeting with commanders

Iran's supreme leader on Saturday warned the United States and Israel against launching new attacks as fears grow that the fighting in the Middle East could resume. Mojtaba Khamenei told top military commanders that any threat must be answered at once, according to a statement, saying: "Any level or type of threat must be met with an immediate, impactful and geographically unrestricted response."

He also ordered the commanders to update Iran's target lists so they cover all types of tangible and intangible assets belonging to what he called the American-Zionist enemy. The session was the first reported meeting between Khamenei and the military top brass, and it included armed forces chief of staff Ali Abdollahi, army chief Amir Hatami and Revolutionary Guards commander Ahmad Vahidi.

Khamenei has not been seen publicly since before he took the helm in March, after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in US-Israeli strikes.

Washington's undecided threats

The warning lands as US President Donald Trump has dangled fresh military action after the US midterm elections early next week, saying last weekend that he was weighing whether to "finish them off".

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that Trump had not yet decided on new strikes. "He hasn't made a decision. I have no announcement in that regard with you today, and nor do we take any of it lightly," Rubio told reporters. His remarks came at a G20 press conference held in Atlanta, Georgia.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for his part, has spoken of a "historic, one-time opportunity" to topple the Iranian government.

Mediation efforts stall

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Saturday that, for now, diplomacy is on hold.

• •Araghchi said there were currently no plans for meetings with American officials.
• •He told Al Jazeera, according to state news agency IRNA, that Iran's conditions are clear and consultations regarding them are ongoing among mediators.
• •He confirmed Iran received a letter from US Vice President JD Vance to Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei, calling the American side's effort to open a dialogue and reach a broader understanding a positive step.
• •The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Vance had sent his letter at Trump's direction, to revive negotiations and avert further US strikes.

Qatari mediators landed in Tehran on Friday. Qatar and Pakistan have been mediating between the warring parties, though the talks have yet to produce a lasting agreement.

The war so far

The war began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, to which Tehran responded with attacks on American assets in countries around the region. Since the fighting started, Iran has restricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that normally carries around one-fifth of global oil consumption, and has previously warned it could sever undersea cables there.

The blockade has caused a spike in global energy prices, making the war unpopular among the US public ahead of Tuesday's midterm congressional elections. Gains for the opposition Democrats could restrict, to an extent, Trump's ability to enact policy. In Israel, Tuesday's elections left Netanyahu's political camp with the most seats in parliament but short of a majority, leaving the next government's make-up unclear.

In Tehran, ordinary Iranians are waiting. "We do not fear another war. We have been at war for 48 years now," said Ebrahim, a salesman. Fariba, a housewife, said people had been left in limbo for the past year.

Qatari mediators arrived in Tehran on Friday, and Iran said there were currently no plans for meetings with American officials while consultations among the mediators continue.