Qatar and Pakistan submit new peace proposal to Iran and the US, sources say

TEHRAN — Qatari and Pakistani mediators submitted a new peace proposal to Iran and the United States on Tuesday, according to sources cited by The New Arab. Neither government has publicly confirmed the details.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Pakistan's army chief, Asim Munir, delivered the plan to Iranian officials in Tehran. They described it as a "middle-ground proposal" that partly meets both sides' demands on Iran's nuclear programme and on the release of Tehran's frozen assets. They said both Washington and Tehran had responded positively.

What the proposal contains

According to the sources, the plan seeks small concessions from each side to build confidence before new talks. Iran would agree to a secret, unannounced visit by the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect its nuclear sites. In return, the US would let Iran receive the interest earned on $6 billion of its frozen assets held in Qatar.

The New Arab reported that sources familiar with the negotiations said on Monday a breakthrough could be announced later this week. They said efforts were continuing to narrow the differences between the two sides and to encourage mutual concessions so the war does not resume.

Official statements

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Tuesday that Iranian officials would discuss the peace negotiations with Munir, according to The New Arab.

Separately, Al Jazeera reported that Qatar said diplomatic efforts were under way to de-escalate regional tensions and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. It quoted a mediator, Ibrahim Bin-Sultan Al Hashmi, as saying a military solution is not possible and that negotiations are key to restoring stability and easing energy prices. Al Jazeera did not link his comments to the new proposal.

Unconfirmed

The terms of the proposal come only from anonymous sources speaking to one outlet. No US, Qatari or Pakistani official has been quoted confirming them. The sources' claim that both sides responded positively has not been independently verified.

Background

The US and Iran agreed to a temporary ceasefire in June, under a memorandum of understanding mediated by Qatar and Pakistan. The two sides were then due to start negotiating a comprehensive deal covering Iran's nuclear programme and its frozen assets.

The truce fell apart the following month, according to The New Arab, and no further negotiations have been held. The outlet describes the conflict as a seven-month regional war.

Positions remain far apart. The US still insists that Iran must dismantle its nuclear programme, while Iran demands the immediate release of all its assets frozen abroad, The New Arab reported.

Tensions have risen in recent days, the outlet said. Iran has stepped up attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, and US President Donald Trump has threatened to return to war after November's midterm elections.

Qatar and Pakistan are running joint mediation efforts to end the conflict. Munir's visit to Tehran came as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi hosted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the Iranian capital on 19 October, according to a photo caption published by The New Arab.