Uncertainty over whether the war involving Iran, the United States and Israel will resume has deepened anxiety across the Gulf, where residents are watching developments closely, weighing travel plans and wondering if daily routines could again be disrupted.
Even as diplomatic efforts gather pace, the prospect of renewed military action after the November 3 US midterm elections has left the region facing an uneasy wait.
With little clarity from Washington over its longer-term intentions and increasingly forceful warnings from Tehran, the possibility of a fresh escalation remains a concern for governments, businesses and ordinary families.
Across Gulf Arab countries, the uncertainty is being felt well beyond diplomatic circles. Conversations at homes and workplaces increasingly revolve around whether the relative calm will hold, whether flights could be affected.
For many residents, the immediate difficulty is the absence of reliable signals about what comes next. US President Donald Trump has alternated between warning of further military action and expressing optimism about negotiations, while Iranian officials have insisted that their country is better prepared to respond to any renewed attacks.
Against this backdrop, Iranian negotiators held a third consecutive day of talks with Qatari mediators in Doha on Sunday, seeking a formula to end the eight-month-old conflict and prevent another round of fighting.
The discussions followed a visit by Qatari officials to Tehran on Friday and were being coordinated through regular contacts with Washington, according to an official briefed on the negotiations who spoke to Reuters.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi described the consultations as ongoing and progressing, but said no final agreement had been reached. He said Tehran remained prepared for both defence and diplomacy.
"We are doing our best in this process, and we hope that there is rationality on the other side so that they prioritise diplomacy over other paths," Araqchi said.
A central element of the discussions is a proposal to restore navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway through which a substantial share of the world's oil and gas shipments normally passes.
Araqchi told Al Jazeera that Iranian and Qatari negotiators had developed a proposal under which the strait could be reopened within two days of a potential agreement with Washington.
The proposal is understood to involve a series of steps by the US, including measures addressing Iranian sanctions and the regional military presence, in exchange for Tehran restoring normal shipping through the waterway. Iran has also raised the question of new shipping routes in the strait.
Speaking at the IISS Manama Dialogue in Bahrain, Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed, said the UAE does not want a new round of military confrontation in the region but is prepared for the worst as it seeks a peaceful solution.
Gargash said the UAE and other Gulf countries were hoping that mediation efforts would lead to a breakthrough, saying another escalation between Washington and Tehran would serve neither regional interests nor those of Iran.
Yemen adds another layer of regional insecurity
The situation in Yemen has also become a growing concern, with Saudi Arabia facing renewed Houthi missile and drone threats. The escalation has been accompanied by Saudi-led coalition air strikes against Houthi positions in several Yemeni governorates.
