Qatar proposes seven-day ceasefire to Iran
Tehran has until the end of the week to respond to a draft that outlines daily steps for the US and Israel to halt fighting.
By Bianca Herrera ·
Qatari mediators handed Iran a new draft peace plan on Sunday. The document proposes a seven-day timeline to end the war between Tehran, Washington, and Jerusalem. An official briefed on the negotiations said on Wednesday that Iran is expected to submit a response by the end of this week.
The draft includes daily confidence-building measures. These steps address concerns raised by both Tehran and Washington. The official stated that the timeline could begin early next week. Several nations would serve as guarantors for the agreement.
The conflict started in February when the US and Israel launched attacks. The war has disrupted global shipping lanes and oil supplies. It has also spread tensions across other parts of the Middle East. Qatar and Pakistan have led mediation efforts to stop the fighting.
Concerns emerged before Sunday's meeting in Tehran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is running for another term in a general election. The official noted that there was worry Netanyahu might resume attacks on Iran this week.
US President Donald Trump repeated threats to strike Iran again on Friday. Iranian security officials told Reuters that Tehran prepared detailed plans to attack undersea cables in the Gulf. Those plans would trigger if the US and Israel resumed attacks.
A previous interim peace deal in June quickly fell apart. Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis have launched repeated attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent weeks. Saudi Arabia is the world's largest crude exporter.
