Qatar presents new draft peace deal to Iran to end US-Israel conflict

Qatari mediators handed Iran a new draft proposal on Sunday aimed at ending the war involving the United States and Israel, an official familiar with the talks said on Wednesday. The draft outlines a seven-day schedule that addresses concerns of both Tehran and Washington, specifying daily confidence-building measures each side must undertake. The timeline could start early next week, and several nations are expected to act as guarantors of the agreement, the official added. Qatar, together with Pakistan, has been leading mediation efforts since the conflict began in February, which has disrupted global shipping, oil supplies, and spread across the wider Middle East. Ahead of the meeting in Tehran, there were worries that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is campaigning for re-election, might resume attacks on Iran. On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated the possibility of further strikes on Iran, while Iranian security officials indicated Tehran had prepared plans to target Gulf undersea cables if the United States and Israel resumed hostilities. Earlier mediation resulted in an interim peace accord in June, but that arrangement quickly fell apart. In recent weeks, Iran-aligned Houthi forces in Yemen have intensified attacks on Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest crude exporter.