Trump Rules Out a Sunday Strike on Iran as Qatari Mediators Reach Tehran and Houthi Missiles Hit Saudi Arabia

Tehran gave no ground. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran had nothing new to say, argued that the United States had walked into a quagmire through its own miscalculations, and said threats and media pressure would not force submission. Iran remains firm on seven demands it has set as conditions for talks, the Jagran said, without listing them.

What is happening between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia?

On Sunday the Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted and destroyed two drones and a ballistic missile aimed at Riyadh and a cruise missile aimed at Khamis Mushayt, then later said it had downed 10 ballistic missiles fired toward the south, Arab News reported. Debris from two missiles injured a Saudi citizen and an Asian resident in Khamis Mushayt and Ahad Rafidah, and damaged three residential buildings and seven vehicles, Saudi authorities said.

On Saturday, debris from two other missiles fell at several western locations, including one about 20 kilometres from the Grand Mosque in Makkah, with no casualties reported. At Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, terminals one and two have reopened after the early October strikes, while terminals three and four have not, The New Arab said. The US State Department ordered non-emergency government staff and their families out of Saudi Arabia from 23 October.

What does it mean for oil and fuel prices?

Brent crude settled at $116.72 on Friday, its highest since late April, according to Analytics Insight's market roundup, and eased toward $114 in Asian trading on Monday. In the United States, AAA put the national average for regular petrol at $4.29 a gallon and diesel at $6.35.

The next few days will show whether the Qatari visit produces a channel or only a pause. With Iran repeating its terms and Washington keeping strikes on the table, the risk is that a quiet Monday is mistaken for a turn.