New Delhi: Iran has requested Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Oman to prod US President Donald Trump to press Israel to agree to an immediate ceasefire with it, in exchange for Tehran showing flexibility in nuclear talks, Reuters reported citing two Iranian and three regional sources.
Gulf leaders and their top diplomats spent the weekend making urgent phone calls — to each other, to Iran, to Washington, and others — trying to bring an end to the biggest-ever conflict between longtime enemies Israel and Iran from getting worse, the report added.
Iran is ready to be flexible in the nuclear negotiations if a ceasefire is reached, one of the Iranian sources said.
The Gulf states are extremely worried that the confrontation will spin out of control, a Gulf source close to government officials said the news agency.
Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia have urged US to ask Israel to agree to a ceasefire and resume talks with Iran towards a nuclear deal, the Gulf source pointed out.
A regional source and an official familiar with Iran’s communications with the Gulf was quoted as saying by Reuters that Iran had got in touch with Qatar and Oman to help mediate a return to nuclear talks, but made it clear that a ceasefire with Israel must come first.
Another regional source reportedly said that Oman is making a draft of a ceasefire proposal meant to resume talks between the US and Iran on Iran’s nuclear programme. As per regional sources, the Omani proposal requests the US to accept Iran’s suspension of all nuclear enrichment for at least one to three years, while allowing strict inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
