Qatar says it’s still passing ideas between US and Iran, while Tehran reportedly expects return to war

Iran believes that a return to war against the US is the most likely outcome of the ongoing back and forth between the sides, Al Arabiya reports, citing anonymous sources.

Despite that assessment, Iran’s civil leadership — President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi — have urged the security leadership to move forward with the latest Qatari proposal for finding a diplomatic solution with Washington, according to the Saudi outlet.

Qatari mediators are in Tehran to hear Iran’s response to the proposal, says Al Arabiya.

Both Iran and the US “remain committed to the negotiation process. As we mentioned, we are facilitating the real-time exchange of proposals between them,” says Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari. The two sides “are currently reviewing the ideas and proposals we have presented.”

According to the Abu Dhabi-based Erem News, Iran’s top security official Mohsen Rezaei rejected a Qatari proposal to open a direct channel with the US in Doha.