The United States has sent Iran at least one message since the Palestinian Hamas movement’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel, Amwaj.media has learned. Arab and Iranian diplomatic sources and political insiders confirmed that the substance of the message revolves around two key points: that there is no US desire for the Gaza war to expand, and that Iran must exercise restraint while urging Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement to follow suit. The American message was relayed to Iran during US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to Doha on Oct. 13, informed sources have told Amwaj.media. The US State Department did not provide comment at the time of publishing.

Qatar has in recent years emerged as a leading regional interlocutor, brokering a prisoner swap deal between Iran and the US that was implemented as recently as last month. The wealthy Gulf Arab state has also surfaced as a key intermediary in the Hamas-Israel war, facilitating the release of...