Iran receives an American proposal to end the war and fears that diplomatic efforts will falter

The Iranian government announced on Wednesday that Tehran had received an American proposal as part of ongoing contacts to end the war, and an official familiar with the talks said that the main disagreement between the two sides related to the arrangement of steps, not the elements of the seven-day plan.

Government spokeswoman Fatima Mohajerani said that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi informed the Council of Ministers, at its meeting on Wednesday, of receiving the proposal, while presenting a report on his visit to New York.

Mohajerani wrote on the “X” platform that Araqchi submitted “a report on travel to New York and the set of meetings and gatherings that were held, including presenting a proposal for Iran’s conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz through mediators in the United States.”

She added that the Iranian delegation held multiple meetings on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, noting that “the diplomatic move to find a way out in foreign policy is being seriously pursued,” before concluding that Araqchi “announced receipt of the American proposal,” without revealing its content.

Before Tehran's confirmation, Reuters reported, citing an official familiar with the talks, that Araqchi and his team met with Qatari mediators in Doha on Tuesday evening, and that the minister received the United States' response to a proposed plan to build confidence over a period of seven days, to be discussed in Tehran on Wednesday.

The official said that the document being negotiated explains a seven-day plan to build confidence and return to an enhanced version of the memorandum of understanding that the United States and Iran signed in June, and that the main disagreement relates to the sequence of steps of the plan, not its elements.

The official did not reveal the content of the American response or the steps in question, and the Iranian government did not announce its position on it.

Araqchi had said that the Qatari mediators presented “ideas on how to open the way to achieving Iran’s conditions,” stressing that they would convey them to the American side before returning with a final response.

Upon his arrival in Tehran, he added that the messages exchanged by the Qatari and Pakistani mediators “were always present,” but they “took a more serious form” after the Iranian proposal, pointing out that his country’s positions “did not change.”

Later Tuesday, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, said Tuesday that Tehran had conveyed its conditions to the United States, but Trump was "incapable of making a decision," and "is stuck in a quagmire in which he cannot negotiate or fight."

Trump: “They will surrender”

In Washington, US President Donald Trump told reporters on Tuesday: “I don’t know if they will surrender yet, but they will surrender,” adding that the Iranians “are not doing well.” He reiterated that Iran should not obtain a nuclear weapon, and that the war would end soon.

On Monday evening, Trump denied reports from unidentified American officials that he was ready to ease sanctions on Iran and release part of its frozen funds as part of a final agreement, if Tehran showed “tangible progress” in the nuclear file. He wrote on his platform, “Truth Social,”: “This is not true. “I didn’t offer them anything.”

Trump says that preventing Iran from possessing an atomic bomb is a main goal of the war, along with ending its ability to attack its neighbors and creating the conditions for the Iranians to overthrow the regime.

Talks “stuck”

Axios quoted three informed sources as saying that the efforts of the Qatari mediators this week did not achieve significant progress, with both parties adhering to their position, and that the stalemate reinforces the belief on both sides that renewed military confrontation has become more likely.

American officials believe that Trump may order a return to major combat operations after the midterm elections.

One source said: “Things are stuck. The Iranians are asking for things that the United States cannot accept, and the United States believes that it is winning, so it sees no need to make concessions.”

Two sources said that Qatari officials will continue their efforts, but their frustration with both parties is growing.

According to the website, the Qatari mediator, Ali Al-Thawadi, met Araqchi and his team in New York, on Monday, for hours, and discussed with them a two-page Qatari compromise proposal aimed at addressing Iran’s demand to lift the US naval blockade, and Washington’s demand to obtain nuclear concessions.

Al-Thawadi moved to Washington the same evening, where he held talks with Jared Kushner and other American officials, and Vice President J.D. Vance participated in a short part of the meeting. The White House declined to comment.

The website reported that American officials told the media on Monday morning that the talks were “positive and constructive,” and that Iran had shown “flexibility on nuclear issues.” They said that Trump was ready to ease sanctions in exchange for concrete steps. But Trump published his denial hours later, while Qatari officials were still in the White House.

Axios added that other regional mediators, including Pakistan and Egypt, urged Iran to make nuclear concessions, but the Iranians said they would not discuss this until after Washington agreed to return to the June memorandum.

What does the seven-day proposal include?

During the United Nations General Assembly meetings, Iran put forward a proposal that would, if accepted, trigger a seven-day countdown to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and stop the fighting.

Trump rejected it on Saturday, but later said he expected the talks to resume, adding that the Iranians “want to conclude an agreement, but it is not the agreement I want to conclude.” Araqchi said the next day that the mediators had not officially informed Tehran of the rejection.

The proposal includes stopping hostilities on the fronts, including Lebanon, releasing frozen Iranian assets worth billions of dollars, and lifting the American blockade on Iranian ports, with Iran reopening the strait within seven days of the agreement.

The conditions do not differ from what was stated in the June understanding, which fell after the return of military operations and the failure to fully open the Strait, and media reports stated that what is new in the proposal is Iran’s willingness to begin negotiating its nuclear file within seven days, instead of the 60 days mentioned in the understanding, according to Agence France-Presse.

Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid Al-Ansari said on Tuesday that the past days have witnessed meetings and the exchange of messages, including contacts in New York, and that work is continuing to hold meetings and transfer messages between the parties.

He added: “We are working to find common ground between the parties in order to reach an agreement that will save us all from the repercussions of the conflict,” noting that Doha’s role is “to overcome the difficulties and try to bridge the gap between the parties.”

Before the war, about a fifth of global oil and gas trade passed through the Strait of Hormuz. The war began on February 28 with American and Israeli attacks on Iran, to which Tehran responded with strikes on Israel and the Gulf states that host American bases, and by imposing restrictions on the movement of oil tankers through the strait, while the United States imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said on Tuesday: “In the region where we do not sell our oil, no one will sell oil, and if our security is not achieved, no infrastructure will be safe.”

Washington escalated its economic pressure, imposing sanctions on 13 individuals and entities, some of them in Russia, China, Hong Kong, and Pakistan, that it said helped Iran purchase weapons and components. It recently included the entire Iranian aviation sector under sanctions, which prompted several countries, including Iraq, to ​​suspend flights by Iranian companies, according to Agence France-Presse.

A violent clash between pilots caused the diversion of a flight between the Emirates and Israel on Wednesday, while its subsidiary, Flydubai, reported that an “accident” had occurred on board the plane, without giving details about the details of this incident.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously denied that the plane had been hijacked, according to Reuters.

Netanyahu's office said in a statement that "the situation is under control" and that "all measures are being taken to return the Israeli passengers safely."

Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that the Israeli authorities consider the incident a “terrorist attack” and believe that the co-pilot was the attacker who tried to crash the plane, while the authorities are investigating separately whether he attempted suicide.

Violent clash and “attempted kidnapping”

Flydubai stated that Flight 1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv today was involved in an accident while in flight, and added: “The plane landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, and all passengers are fine.”

CNN quoted sources as saying that a violent clash between the pilots caused the distress signal to be issued.

An Israeli official, who requested to remain anonymous, also told Reuters that the two pilots sent emergency signals after they got into a physical altercation with each other. It is not yet clear whether any of the pilots sent the signal intentionally.

The Jerusalem Best newspaper quoted an Israeli official as saying that “a major disaster was narrowly averted,” after one of the pilots stabbed the other and attempted to hijack the plane, but it is not clear whether he intended to crash it to the ground or fly it to Israel.

The official added that additional members of the plane's crew, with the help of passengers on board, were able to control and subdue the pilot.

During the clash, the plane dropped by about 4,000 meters in altitude, according to the official.

Israeli media reported that a Flydubai plane, heading from Dubai to Tel Aviv with about 150 people on board, briefly sent a distress signal, which raised fears that it might be hijacked, prompting Israel to mobilize two fighter jets to accompany it.

The Ynet website stated that the signal was issued while the plane was lowering its altitude by manual control and turning to return in the opposite direction, and fell to a lower altitude.

Subsequently, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz held urgent security consultations following the incident.

The Flydubai plane took off from Dubai at 7:05 am, and was scheduled to land at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv at around 9:30 am.

About 90 minutes after the start of the flight, as the plane was entering Jordanian airspace, it sent code 7700 via the transponder, which is the international code that indicates a public emergency. It then sent the code 7500 used to indicate unlawful interference with the operation of the aircraft, including possible hijacking.

Two Israeli Air Force fighters were mobilized to escort the plane, while the authorities were working to determine the reason for the emergency signals.