Al-Jarida Exclusive: Iranian negotiators return from Doha to Tehran to discuss US proposal... possible response within hours

An Iranian source revealed that Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), along with several members of the negotiating delegation, returned from Doha to Tehran to present a new American proposal to the Iranian leadership for review, with a decision expected in the coming hours. Meanwhile, another Iranian team, led by the deputy foreign minister, remained in the Qatari capital to continue communications.

A source within Iran’s SNSC told Al-Jarida that during the Doha meetings, Kani held a direct, separate meeting with the American delegation without intermediaries, discussing files requiring approval from Tehran’s leadership.

The source added that the Americans presented a new offer during the meeting, which the Iranian official described as “worthy of consideration,” prompting Kani’s urgent return to the capital to brief relevant officials on its details.

The source disclosed that late Sunday evening, Kani held a closed-door meeting attended by the secretary of the SNSC, the Iranian president, the foreign minister, and the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), excluding other council members, to present and discuss the American proposal at the leadership level.

The offer is expected to be submitted to Iran’s Supreme Leader before a decision is made on whether to present it to SNSC members for consultation and opinion.

The source noted that limiting the meeting to this narrow leadership circle reflects the sensitivity of the proposal, emphasizing that its details remain confined to the officials who have seen it, and no final decision has been made yet.

He suggested that if the Iranian leadership approves the offer, an agreement between the two sides could be announced within hours, followed by a meeting between US Vice President JD Vance and Mohammad Bagher Khalibaf, speaker of Iran’s Parliament and head of the Iranian negotiating delegation, to sign the agreement.

The source stated that Kani then proceeded directly to Beijing, where he met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

However, the source indicated that Tehran remains wary that the American offer might be a maneuver aimed at calming tensions and containing escalation ahead of the US midterm elections, paving the way for the resumption of US-Israeli military operations immediately after the polls close.

According to the source, this possibility is one of the main reasons for Iran’s caution in handling the proposal, despite the potential for reaching an agreement in the near future.