Qatari mediators return to Iran for talks on deal with U.S.

Qatari mediators returned to Tehran late Monday night to talk with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on a potential deal with U.S., according to an official familiar with the matter.

The official said the current discussion concerns a version of the draft deal that has been under negotiation for the past eight days.

Lebanese broadcaster Al-Jadeed TV reported the same day, citing diplomatic sources, that a breakthrough had been reached in the U.S.-Iran talks under Qatari mediation and that the relevant procedural obstacles had been resolved.

Iran, however, said the same day that the two sides were still exchanging information through mediators and that the issues involved in the negotiations were relatively complex.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran wants to reach a deal to end the war and that such a deal "could happen." He also said that he was "in no rush" to decide whether to resume military action against Iran.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said the same day that he and Trump "both feel pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement." Vance also said the U.S. side had not set deadlines for Iran to reach a deal.

China's private manufacturing maintained expansion for the 11th consecutive month, marking the longest expansion streak since mid-2021, according to survey data released by RatingDog, a Shenzhen-based financial technology and credit research firm.

The RatingDog Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) came in at 52.0 in October, edging down from September's 52.1. A reading above 50 indicates expansion.

Output growth accelerated to a six-month high, and new orders expanded for a 17th straight month. Both were driven by client demand and better production capacity, said Yao Yu, founder of RatingDog.

The data also indicated that price competition intensified and cost pressures persisted, with business confidence edging down slightly, though the sector still began the fourth quarter on a steady expansionary footing.