A senior Iranian official has denied reports that Qatar had conveyed a new peace proposal to Tehran. This contradicts information previously published by Reuters from a source familiar with the negotiations to end the war with the US and Israel.
On 28 October, an Iranian spokesperson told Reuters that Qatar had put forward ideas that were unacceptable to Tehran. He also emphasised that Iran would not make concessions on the nuclear issue.
Earlier, Reuters, citing a source familiar with the progress of the negotiations, reported that Qatari mediators had presented Iran with a new draft agreement to end the war with the US and Israel. Tehran is expected to respond by the end of the week. According to the source, the proposal provides for a seven-day implementation period, which could begin early next week. During this time, both sides must take daily steps to build trust. An Iranian official stated that several countries would act as guarantors of the agreement, but did not name them.
Qatar and Pakistan are leading mediation efforts to end the war launched by the US and Israel in February. The conflict has disrupted international shipping and oil supplies, and has spread throughout the Middle East. A temporary peace agreement concluded in June soon ceased to be in force.
New diplomatic efforts are being made against a backdrop of fears that hostilities may resume. On 23 October, US President Donald Trump threatened to launch further strikes against Iran. For their part, Iranian security officials told Reuters that Tehran had drawn up plans to attack undersea cables in the Persian Gulf in the event of further strikes by the US and Israel.