Will the United States and Iran hold a new round of direct talks before 31 October 2026?

Washington and Tehran negotiated face to face earlier in 2026, in Oman in February and in Islamabad in April, but Iran has refused direct negotiations since the strikes in July. Contact now runs through mediators in Qatar and Oman, and the memorandum agreed on 18 June set a 60-day window for a broader deal that expired in mid-August with nothing agreed. The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively shut. Resolves: 31 October 2026 • Source: Reuters reporting of official statements by both governments Rule: Resolves YES if officials of the United States and Iranian governments meet in person in the same room in an announced round of bilateral negotiations at any point from 21 August to 31 October 2026 inclusive, confirmed by both governments and reported by Reuters. Direct rounds already held earlier in 2026, including in Oman in February and Islamabad in April, fall before the window and do not count. Indirect talks through Qatari, Omani or other mediators, written messages passed between the two sides, telephone or video contact, brief encounters on the margins of multilateral meetings such as the United Nations General Assembly, and technical discussions held only with the IAEA also do not count.