Doha/Tehran, Oct. 31 -- Qatari mediators held more than 12 hours of talks in Tehran in an effort to secure an agreement to restart direct negotiations between the US and Iran and avert a possible military escalation after the US midterm elections, diplomatic sources said.

The discussions are to continue in Doha on Saturday, with Qatar maintaining regular contact with the White House during Friday's negotiations.

"There was positive progress. Talks are still ongoing in an effort to unlock a deal between the US and Iran," a diplomatic source told Axios.

The mediators are seeking to persuade both sides to agree on a series of reciprocal steps that could be implemented over several days and pave the way for renewed direct talks on Iran's nuc...