TEHRAN, October 29, 2026 — Iran said on Wednesday it remains in close contact with mediators over a seven-day plan to end the Middle East war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, even as Tehran rejected a separate Qatari draft deal as a collection of “unacceptable ideas” rather than a genuine offer.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X that Iran was in “close and ongoing contact with intermediaries to review ideas that can ensure implementation of our 7-Day Plan in even less than a week.” While Iran’s armed forces were “fully prepared to defend the homeland,” he wrote, “Iran continues to give diplomacy a chance to succeed.”
Two competing plans
Iran’s own plan was conveyed to Washington through Qatari mediators in September. Under the published sequence, the United States would take agreed steps during the first five days — ending hostilities, lifting its naval blockade on Iranian ports, easing restrictions on Iranian oil exports and releasing frozen Iranian assets. Iran would reopen the strait to normal commercial shipping on the sixth day, and negotiations toward a wider agreement would resume on the seventh.
Qatar, which along with Pakistan has led mediation in the eight-month-old conflict, has now presented a different draft. An official briefed on the negotiations, who is not from Iran, told Reuters that a Qatari delegation presented the draft in Tehran on Sunday and that it was being considered, with a response expected by the end of the week. The Qatari draft also runs on a seven-day timeline, laying out daily confidence-building steps for each side, with several countries acting as guarantors. If agreed, its timeline could begin as early as next week.
Reports say Qatar is also pressing Washington to ease some sanctions in exchange for Iran allowing UN inspectors access to its bombed nuclear sites.
Tehran draws a line
A senior Iranian official pushed back, saying Doha had presented only “unacceptable ideas and not an offer” and that Tehran’s policy of showing no flexibility on the nuclear issue remained unchanged.
Washington denies a talks order
United States President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday, denied reports that he had ordered Vice President JD Vance to start peace talks with Iran. “No,” he said, adding that recent contact with Tehran concerned medical supplies. “Iran needs help with medical supplies,” he said.
US news website Axios reported on Wednesday that regional mediators led by Qatar were pushing for a diplomatic deal to restart US-Iran talks and prevent the resumption of war after the US midterm elections on November 3.
Why Hormuz matters
The stakes extend far beyond Tehran and Washington. The war, launched by the United States and Israel in February, has disrupted global shipping and oil supplies and recently spread to Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Brent crude jumped above $115 a barrel this week, and Gulf governments have watched the Hormuz talks closely: the strait is the world’s most important oil transit chokepoint.
For now, the diplomacy remains a contest of sequences — who moves first, and what each side gets in return. Whether the two timelines converge before the American midterms will decide whether the strait reopens by negotiation — or whether the region braces for another round of war.
