Qatar proposes seven-day timeline to halt US-Israel-Iran war
A new draft agreement requires daily confidence-building steps, with Tehran expected to respond by the end of the week.
By Petra Murphy ·
Qatari mediators delivered a new draft agreement to Iran on Sunday. The document aims to end the war between the Islamic Republic, the United States, and Israel. An official briefed on the talks said on Wednesday that Tehran is expected to provide a response by the end of the week.
The draft establishes a seven-day timeline to address concerns from both Washington and Tehran. It lists specific confidence-building steps that each side must complete on each day of the period. The official indicated the timeline could begin early next week. Several nations would serve as guarantors for the arrangement.
Qatar and Pakistan have led this mediation effort. The conflict, which began in February, has disrupted global shipping and oil supplies. It has also expanded into other parts of the Middle East. Before Sunday's meeting in Tehran, concerns arose that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might order a resumption of attacks. Netanyahu is currently campaigning for another term in a general election.
Tensions remain high. On Friday, US President Donald Trump threatened to strike Iran again. Iranian security officials told Reuters that Tehran prepared detailed plans to attack undersea cables in the Gulf if fighting resumed. This is not the first diplomatic attempt to stop the war. An interim peace agreement produced in June quickly collapsed.
Regional instability has grown in other areas. Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis have launched repeated attacks against Saudi Arabia in recent weeks. Saudi Arabia is the world's largest crude oil exporter. Iran's answer to the Qatari draft will determine if this latest effort succeeds where the June deal failed.
