DUBAI — Iran has firmly rejected entering ceasefire negotiations while Israeli attacks continue, according to a senior regional official briefed on communications between Tehran and its Gulf intermediaries. The disclosure comes as tensions between the two arch-rivals surge following Israel’s devastating air campaign on Iranian territory, raising fears of an all-out regional conflict.
“Iran informed Qatari and Omani mediators that it will only pursue serious negotiations once it has completed its military response to the Israeli pre-emptive strikes,” the official told Reuters on Sunday, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the exchanges.
The message was unequivocal: Iran “will not negotiate while under attack,” the official said, pushing back against media claims that Tehran had requested U.S.-brokered ceasefire talks via Doha and Muscat. The source clarified that such reports misrepresented the Iranian position.
On Friday, Israel launched a surprise offensive that reportedly wiped out much of Iran’s top military command and inflicted damage on its nuclear infrastructure. Israeli officials have indicated that the campaign, which they describe as a response to Iranian threats, will intensify in the coming days.
In retaliation, Tehran vowed to “open the gates of hell,” setting the stage for what many analysts say is the gravest escalation between Iran and Israel in decades. The direct confrontation threatens to engulf other regional actors and potentially derail already-fragile diplomatic initiatives.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the reports. Similarly, officials in Qatar and Oman did not respond to Reuters requests for confirmation or elaboration.
Both Qatar and Oman have served as key backchannel interlocutors in recent years, navigating the fraught relationship between Tehran and Washington, and occasionally facilitating quiet contact with Israel. Oman has hosted rounds of U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations, though the most recent talks were abruptly canceled following Israel’s latest air offensive.
Qatar has also played a central diplomatic role, having brokered prisoner swaps and backdoor communications in the past, including a high-profile agreement between Iran and the U.S. in 2023.
While neither Gulf state has confirmed their current role, their efforts appear constrained by the intensifying pace of hostilities and the Iranian leadership’s insistence on completing its military response before considering de-escalation.
The current conflict marks an inflection point in a years-long shadow war that has played out through proxy skirmishes, cyberattacks, and sabotage missions. But the scale and intensity of Israel’s latest strikes—and Iran’s promise of full retaliation—signal a move from covert operations to overt warfare.
Analysts warn that without immediate diplomatic intervention, the cycle of reprisal could spiral into a broader regional war, drawing in actors such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and potentially triggering confrontations across the Gulf.
The United States, while a long-standing Israeli ally, has expressed concern over the escalation. Though Washington has not publicly commented on the reported rejection of ceasefire talks, it is believed to be monitoring backchannel diplomacy closely.
With Iran holding its position and Israel signaling continued military pressure, prospects for an immediate truce appear grim. The region braces for further confrontation as mediators face an impasse and diplomatic avenues narrow.
