The Middle East is braced for a possible return to all-out war. There are concerns that the United States, along with Israel, could strike Iran shortly after Tuesday's midterm elections in the U.S.

Two Iranian officials said their delegation had left Qatar after days of discussions but that messages with the U.S. continued to be exchanged through the mediator. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday reiterated his threat to resume strikes against Iran, telling a campaign rally that he may have to give Tehran "the hammer" at some unspecified time.

"And the only reason why I'm not finished with Iran is I want to be nice. I want to try and save all those lives if I can...But at some point we're going to have to give them the hammer," the 80-year-old president told supporters during a rally in Iowa ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.

The Israeli army has pulled back following an operation in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, launched in the wake of an attack that killed two soldiers in late October, a military official said Monday.

"This morning, following the completion of all operational activities, the soldiers withdrew from the area of operation in Hebron. Counterterrorism activities throughout Judea and Samaria continue," the official said, using the biblical name for the Palestinian territory.

Yemen's Houthis said Monday that Saudi strikes targeted a key Red Sea port and oil facility in Hodeidah province, wounding seven people.

The Iran-backed group is fighting a Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen's internationally recognised government after a civil war reignited in one of the world's poorest countries.

Iran's foreign ministry on Monday said it was considering a two-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. agrees to its conditions, having previously proposed a one-week timeline.

"The possibility of implementing this plan in two days is another indication of Iran's good-faith approach. We have stated that, if Iran's demands are met, it would be possible to restore security to the Strait of Hormuz and resume the negotiating process within a short period," said foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, adding that the "exchange of messages is still ongoing" via mediators.

The United Arab Emirates' presidential adviser said Sunday that his country hopes a diplomatic breakthrough in Qatar-led mediations is possible to avert a new round of confrontation between the U.S. and Iran.

The Iran war, which began on Feb. 28 with joint strikes by the U.S. and Israel followed by attacks by Iran on the Gulf nations, has made it "a watershed year" for the region and the world, UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said at a security forum in Bahrain.

Iran’s top diplomat said consultations with mediators are ongoing as diplomatic efforts try to avoid a return to all-out war, and the final outcome depends on answers provided by the United States to the “Iranian questions.”

In an interview shared on his Telegram channel, Abbas Araghchi said Iran hoped the U.S. would choose “diplomacy over other paths.” He said Iran was ready for both defense and diplomacy, depending on Washington’s “rationality."

The UAE is hoping for a breakthrough in negotiations between Iran and the United States while being prepared for the worst, a senior official said on Sunday, following threats of a resumption of the Middle East war.

Iran warned on Sunday that any new war with the United States could last longer than the previous conflict and that U.S. President Donald Trump would not be the one to determine its duration.

U.S. President Donald Trump said overnight that the United States has knocked out much of Iran's military but still has to "take care of" one or two targets, as Tehran warned of reprisals if attacked.

Trump maintained that negotiations with Iran to end the war, which was started by the United States and Israel in February, were "going fine but you know they're not very reliable."