Iran calls Qatar's latest peace proposals 'unacceptable' as US strike fears grow
A senior Iranian official has dismissed new ideas presented by Qatari mediators to end the war with the United States and Israel, even as another source says Tehran is still considering a draft agreement, Reuters reported on October 28.
An official briefed on the negotiations said Qatar had presented Iran with a new peace proposal on October 25, with a response expected by the end of the week.
The plan reportedly sets out a seven-day timetable of confidence-building measures for Washington and Tehran, with several countries potentially serving as guarantors.
However, a senior Iranian official involved in the talks described the proposals as "unacceptable ideas and not an offer," adding that Tehran would not change its position on the nuclear issue.
The two sides remain divided over the order of steps needed to end the conflict.
Washington wants Iran's nuclear program included in negotiations from the outset. Tehran insists that the United States must first lift its blockade of Iranian ports and sanctions on Iranian oil exports.
Qatar and Pakistan have been leading mediation efforts to end the war, which began on February 28 and has disrupted global shipping and energy supplies.
The diplomatic impasse comes amid concerns about renewed military action. The Wall Street Journal reported that the United States had warned several Gulf Arab countries to prepare for a possible short, intense campaign against Iran after the November 3 US midterm elections.
Trump has threatened further strikes, but no decision to launch a new operation has been publicly confirmed.
The conflict has also spread to other parts of the region. Oil prices rose above $115 per barrel on October 28 following a Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia's Ras Tanura refinery, Reuters reported.