Qatar held more than 12 hours of talks in Tehran.
Washington and Tehran remain divided over negotiation terms.
Trump advisers disagree on military action and diplomacy.
Qatari mediators spent more than 12 hours in talks with Iranian officials in Tehran on Friday, seeking to revive direct negotiations between Washington and Tehran and prevent a military conflict after the US midterm elections.
Mediators from Qatar stayed in close contact with the White House during more than 12 hours of talks in Tehran on Friday, Axios reported, citing a diplomatic source.
US and diplomatic officials told the news outlet that Qatar is urging Washington and Tehran to take confidence-building steps over several days.
However, both sides remain divided over the conditions for restarting negotiations. A US official said the Trump administration wants Iran to make concessions on its nuclear programme before talks resume.
Tehran, on the other hand, wants Washington to lift its naval blockade, release frozen Iranian funds and allow it to resume oil exports.
Despite these differences, a source told Axios that “there has been positive progress.”
Earlier, Iran's state news agency IRNA reported that a Qatari delegation arrived in Tehran on Friday morning for discussions with Iranian officials. The team was led by a senior adviser to Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani was coordinating with US officials.
Trump Team Split Amid Regional Pressure
Washington has yet to agree on how to deal with Tehran, with senior members of the Trump administration holding different views on the way forward.
US officials said that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio doubt that Iran's current leadership would agree to a meaningful deal. They believe stronger military action could put further pressure on the Iranian government.
A different approach is being pushed by Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and adviser Jared Kushner, who support returning to negotiations, according to Axios.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, meanwhile, wants Trump to maintain economic pressure on Iran through a campaign called Operation Economic Outcast.
Tehran has also warned that any strike on its energy infrastructure would trigger retaliation against oil and gas facilities across Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain.
The US wants Iran’s nuclear programme to be part of negotiations from the outset. Tehran, however, insists that Washington must first lift its blockade on Iranian ports and remove restrictions on oil exports.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Wednesday that Tehran was in regular contact with mediators to discuss proposals for implementing its seven-day plan to end the Middle East war.
