Iran Calls Qatar’s Peace Ideas Unacceptable as Seven-Day Plan Emerges

A seven-day plan to stop the Iran war is already facing sharp rejection from Tehran. On Wednesday, an Iranian official told Reuters that Qatar had brought “unacceptable” ideas, disputing an earlier report that mediators had delivered a new peace proposal. The official said Iran would not be flexible on the nuclear issue, creating a major obstacle to a deal. ^1,3

The disputed proposal was reportedly handed to Tehran by Qatari mediators on Sunday. An official briefed on the talks told Reuters that it lays out seven days of daily steps to build trust, with several countries acting as guarantors. Iran is expected to respond by the end of the week, and the plan could begin early next week if accepted. Qatar and Pakistan have led efforts to end the war, which began with US and Israeli attacks in February. ^2,8

The nuclear issue is not the only divide. Iran has said nuclear talks will stay off the agenda until its conditions are met, including lifting the US blockade of Iranian ports and ending sanctions on Iranian oil exports. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has kept the threat of new strikes alive. Iranian officials have warned of possible attacks on undersea cables in the Gulf if the US and Israel resume operations. The last temporary peace deal, reached in June, quickly fell apart. ^7,8

That fragile history leaves little room for error in the seven-day plan. Regional governments are also pressing Iran to stop threatening Gulf states and open the Strait of Hormuz, while building up defenses in case talks fail. A separate Iranian foreign ministry official urged Qatar to respect its role as mediator and not allow its territory to be used for attacks on Iran. Tehran now has until the end of the week to answer the reported draft. ^4,12