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Iran official says 'the ball is now in the U.S.' court' regarding peace talks

Talks between the U.S. and Iran remain stalled despite the two countries signing a memorandum of understanding in June, aimed at ending the war that began with joint American-Israeli strikes on the country in February. The opening strikes killed a host of top Iranian officials and commanders, among them Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The two sides have continued to exchange strikes, though have not returned to the intense fighting seen in the early stages of the conflict. The U.S. says it is enforcing a naval blockade of the country's Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman ports, while Iran claims control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz and continues to claim attacks on shipping transiting the waterway. Meanwhile, intensified fighting between Saudi-backed Yemeni forces and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen has seen the latter repeatedly attack Saudi military, oil infrastructure and transport facilities. See the most recent developments below. Latest Developments Nov 2, 4:52 PM Trump says he's in 'no rush' to decide on renewed Iran strikes President Donald Trump said that he is in no rush to make a decision on whether to resume strikes against Iran in a call with Axios . During a phone call with an Axios reporter on Monday, the president said, according to the outlet: One way or the other, we will do something, but there is no rush. We crippled them financially. They have no money, no gasoline and their people are getting very tired of it. Umit Bektas/Reuters - PHOTO: President Donald Trump arrives to deliver remarks, ahead of the midterm elections at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, after being reopened following months of repairs, in Washington, November 2, 2026. Trump again stated that the U.S. was talking to Iran, Axios reported. We are talking to them. It's going fine. The problem with them is ... they try and tap tap tap [us along]. There's less urgency [on the Iranian side] than you think there would be, but they want to make deal more than they ever wanted, Trump said, according to the Axios report. -ABC News' Nicholas Kerr Nov 2, 7:13 AM Nations that help US, Israel to attack Iran will face 'consequences,' Tehran says During his press conference on Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqaei said that Tehran is prepared for any eventuality amid the ongoing conflict with the U.S. and Israel, adding that any potential resumption of attacks by the combatants would draw in other regional nations. The war is ongoing right now, as we speak. The economic siege of Iran and the threats against Iran are themselves part of the war that has existed over these eight months. We must be prepared for any eventuality, because what is at stake is the defense of the homeland, the defense of the territorial integrity and dignity of a country with a civilization thousands of years old, Baqaei said. Any party that assists the U.S. and Israel in any aggression must not assume it is safe from the harm of Iran's decisive response, Baqaei said. In the ongoing talks over a potential peace deal, Baqaei said that Iran's demands have been expressed very clearly and transparently. No final agreement can begin, and the Strait of Hormuz cannot be reopened or safe, unless the U.S. naval blockade ends, Iran's demands are respected and Iran's legitimate requests are implemented; then we can talk about continuing the process, he said. -ABC News' Victoria Beaule Nov 2, 5:16 AM Iran warns of 'powerful response' to any renewed attack Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqaei said in a press conference on Monday that any act of aggression against Iran, by any means, will be met with a powerful, immediate and comprehensive response, amid concerns of renewed U.S.-Israeli strikes on the country. Baqaei said that the ball is now in the U.S.' court, with regards to negotiations for a resolution to the war. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi was in Qatar over the weekend to facilitate an exchange of messages between Iran and the United States through the mediation of Qatar, Baqaei said. -ABC News' Victoria Beaule Nov 2, 3:38 AM Ships attacked in Strait of Hormuz, Persian Gulf, UKTMO says The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre reported two attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf that occurred on Sunday. The first incident occurred on Sunday afternoon, when a merchant vessel in the Strait of Hormuz reported that another ship in the area was struck by an unknown projectile, UKMTO said. On Sunday night, a tanker traveling southeast through the Persian Gulf was struck by two unknown projectiles while around 72 nautical miles east of the coastal Saudi city of Ras al-Khafji, UKMTO said. Nov 2, 3:07 AM Trump says he had 'very good' call with Netanyahu President Donald Trump confirmed on Sunday that he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday. The president did not offer any detail on the call, beyond describing it as good and confirming they discussed the war with Iran. We had a very good talk, Trump said. -ABC News' Nicholas Kerr Nov 1, 10:59 AM Tehran prepared for 'defense and diplomacy,' Araghchi says Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that Tehran is prepared for both defense and diplomacy, amid ongoing talks between Iranian and Qatari representatives over a possible peace deal to end the U.S.-Israeli war against the country that began in February. Our armed forces have a very specific mission, and by leveraging the lessons learned from the two previous wars, they are now significantly stronger than before, Araghchi said, as quoted by the semi-official Mehr News Agency. -ABC News Rashid Haddou Nov 1, 6:42 AM Tehran officials vow 'immediate' response to any fresh attacks Iranian Defense Minister Mehrdad Akhlaghi warned in a statement on Sunday that Tehran is committed to strengthening combat readiness and ensuring an immediate, effective and proportionate response to any threat, anywhere, without geographical limits. Akhlaghi's statement -- which was published by the semi-official Mehr News Agency -- came amid concerns that the U.S. and Israel may soon resume strikes on the country amid stalled peace negotiations. President Donald Trump has said that the U.S. will not launch any new attacks until after the midterm elections on Nov. 3. Several other top Iranian officials and commanders have issued similar warnings. In comments published by Mehr on Sunday, Mohsen Rezaei -- the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council and a key military adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei -- said any new strikes would be met with devastating retaliation. Nov 1, 3:04 AM Trump says US not in 'a hurry' to agree deal President Donald Trump said on Saturday during a Halloween event at Mar-a-Lago that the U.S. has no hard timetable regarding negotiations with Iran over a possible deal to end the ongoing war with Iran. We're not in that much of a hurry from the standpoint that we've knocked out their navy, Trump said. We've knocked out their air force, we've knocked out their anti-aircraft, we've knocked out almost every piece of military equipment they have. Trump also said the U.S. had knocked out much of Iran's manufacturing capability and nuclear sites. We still have to take care of, I would say, one or two sites, but we can do that in ten minutes. Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo - PHOTO: President Donald Trump speaks at a Halloween party at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., on Oct. 31, 2026. -ABC News' Nicholas Kerr Click here to read the rest of the blog. This article originally appeared on ABC News at https://abcnews.com/International/live-updates/iran-live-updates-trump-good-call-netanyahu/?id=137762456