Iran rejects 'unacceptable' proposal by Qatar to end war with US

Iran has rejected a proposal from Qatar to end the US-led war on the country, calling it "unacceptable".

Qatar presented the draft deal, which would look to end the eight-month conflict, to Iranian negotiators on Sunday.

However, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday that his country could not work with what had been presented, adding that Tehran would show no flexibility regarding the nuclear issue.

US Vice President JD Vance said earlier this month that Iran must reduce nuclear enrichment to end the war. The Islamic Republic has repeatedly stated that its nuclear programme is entirely for non-military domestic use.

The negotiations come amid mounting fears that the US and Israel could imminently resume their attacks on Iran.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in particular, has been touting the prospect of new attacks as he seeks re-election in Israel's parliamentary elections.

With 77 percent of votes counted, Netanyahu's bloc is the largest in the Israeli parliament.

On Wednesday, as negotiations were set to begin on forming a new government, Netanyahu announced he would work with US President Donald Trump to eliminate the "existential threat" posed by Iran.

His main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, has also supported strikes on Iran in tandem with economic pressure.

'Devastating impact'

The Israel-US war on Iran has, since it began in February, caused massive disruption to the global economy, sending energy prices soaring.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned on Wednesday that any Israeli-instigated attack in the Gulf region would have a "devastating impact" on global markets.

"Devastating impact on int'l markets of any Israel-instigated military misadventure in Persian Gulf region remains major concern for both gas suppliers and consumers," Araghchi said in a post on X.

The fallout of any renewed conflict in the Gulf would also be compounded by the ongoing fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen.

The Houthis, officially named Ansar Allah, on Wednesday called for the evacuation of the airport in Aden, the city in southern Yemen that serves as the seat of the Saudi-backed government.

"Our armed forces call on those present at Aden Airport to evacuate the premises immediately, due to the presence of a Saudi military cargo plane carrying weapons intended to kill the Yemeni people," Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree wrote on X.

Fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed forces in Yemen has seen nearly 100 fighters killed since Monday, military sources from both sides told AFP.

At least 63 Houthi fighters and 34 combatants associated with the internationally recognised government died, mostly near the Bab al-Mandab Strait.