DOHA (The Thursday Times) — Qatari mediators have handed Iran a new draft deal to end its war with the United States and Israel, setting out a seven-day timetable of step-by-step confidence-building measures, and Tehran is expected to respond by the end of the week, an official briefed on the talks said on Wednesday.
The draft, presented in Tehran on Sunday, lays out daily steps that each side would take to address the other’s concerns, according to the official, who was cited by Reuters. The timetable could begin early next week, with several countries acting as guarantors.
Pakistan and Qatar in the middle
Qatar has led the mediation together with Pakistan since the war began in February. Earlier efforts produced an interim agreement in June, but it quickly unravelled. The conflict has disrupted global shipping and oil supplies and spread across the region, with Yemen’s Houthis repeatedly attacking Saudi Arabia in recent weeks.
The official said there had been concern before Sunday’s meeting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, fighting for another term in an election still being counted, could resume strikes on Iran this week. US President Donald Trump repeated threats on Friday to hit Iran again, and Iranian security officials told Reuters that Tehran has drawn up plans to attack undersea cables in the Gulf if the US and Israel resume their strikes.
A costly stalemate
The Pentagon has now spent more than $47 billion on the war, according to internal figures reported by Reuters, and US officials say the military is preparing to resume heavy fighting if ordered after next week’s midterm elections.
