A mediation proposal surfaced from an unannounced Iraqi visit to Tehran, suggesting that Washington would grant concessions on several key Iranian requirements to secure a ceasefire. The Iraqi newspaper Al-Mada reported that the plan would see the U.S. accept 4 of 7 demands from Tehran, including the lifting of the U.S. naval blockade and the cessation of regional hostilities in Lebanon. Under the reported framework, the U.S. would also allow Iran to retain its nuclear materials while contesting the remaining three demands.
The proposal follows a Nov 6 visit by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to Tehran, where he met with Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and President Masoud Pezeshkian. The trip took place one day after a phone call between al-Zaidi and Donald Trump regarding peace terms. While Iraq continues to mediate, Pezeshkian recently accused the U.S. of using military intimidation, such as the deployment of PrSM missiles, to conduct “diplomacy through threats,” and the Tasnim news agency reported that the visit failed to yield results acceptable to the U.S.