Iran rejects Qatar's latest proposals to end the war
Iran considers the proposals presented by Qatari mediators unacceptable and does not regard them as a real draft deal, Reuters reports. A response to the seven-day plan is expected by the end of the week.
Iran regards as unacceptable the proposals that Qatari mediators presented to Tehran as a new draft agreement to end the war with the United States and Israel, according to Reuters, which cited unnamed sources.
A senior Iranian official told the agency that Doha had put forward only unacceptable ideas rather than a genuine proposal, and that Tehran's policy of no flexibility on the nuclear issue remains unchanged.
What the Qatari plan envisages
Another official familiar with the talks, who does not represent Iran, said the new draft peace deal was presented on Sunday and is now being considered by Tehran, with a reply expected by the end of the week. According to this source, the plan sets out a seven-day timetable with daily confidence-building steps for each side, addressing the concerns of both Tehran and Washington. It could take effect early next week, with several countries acting as guarantors.
Qatar and Pakistan are leading the mediation effort to end the war, which has disrupted global maritime shipping and oil supplies and has recently spread to Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
Positions of the sides
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday that Tehran remains in close contact with mediators to consider ideas that could make Iran's own "seven-day proposal" workable. He said Iran continues to give diplomacy a chance and that the plan could be implemented in under a week.
Washington wants Iran's long-running nuclear programme to be part of the talks from the outset. Iran says its conditions must be met first, including an end to the US blockade of Iranian ports and the lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil exports. Tehran rejects Western concerns about the military nature of its nuclear programme.
Background
Washington has warned several Arab Gulf states to prepare for a short, intense military campaign against Iran after the US midterm congressional elections. On Monday it was reported that US forces in the Middle East were ready to launch new, potentially large-scale operations against Iran "within 96 hours of receiving" an order from President Donald Trump. Media also reported that Iran has drawn up detailed plans to strike undersea telecommunications cables in the Persian Gulf if the US and Israel attack again. According to the Pentagon, US armed forces have spent more than $47 billion on the war in Iran, over 25% above the Defense Department estimate released in July.
