Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are highly skeptical that any nuclear agreement can be reached with the current Iranian regime. They think Trump's legacy should be to weaken the regime even more, including with further strikes, a U.S. official said. The person said that while Vice President Vance and Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner want to resume negotiations, Trump is skeptical Iran will ever agree to a deal he finds acceptable. "There are talks. They want to talk. They keep talking. ... We have time, frankly. It's a war, but it is not a typical war," Trump told reporters on Friday. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who is leading an economic pressure campaign dubbed "Operation Economic Outcast," is one of Trump's closest aides urging him to let the initiative play out rather than rush back into combat. Quoted @staunovo: A U.S. official said two competing demands have stymied the talks so far: the Trump administration's insistence that Iran make nuclear concessions as part of resuming talks, and Iran's stipulation that the U.S. first lift its naval blockade, release frozen funds and allow it to sell oil. The Qataris are trying to convince Iran to allow U.N. inspectors to visit its bombed nuclear sites as a confidence-building measure that the U.S. would respond to with some sanctions relief. https://www.axios.com/2026/10/31/qatari-mediators-iran-war-deal-before-midterms