New Qatar and Pakistan plan for the Islamic Republic: $6 billion and an IAEA inspection

Qatar and Pakistan have put forward a new mediation plan to end the war between the United States and the Islamic Republic, with two main pillars: about $6 billion of the Islamic Republic's frozen assets in Qatari banks, and a confidential visit by inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency to Iran's nuclear facilities. Field Marshal Asim Munir, commander of the Pakistani army, delivered the plan to Islamic Republic officials on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, during his trip to Tehran.

Sources familiar with the mediation process described the plan to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed as a "middle way" and said it has both Washington's approval and Tehran's earlier consent. However, neither government has officially confirmed it so far, and the final details, including how the $6 billion would be accessed, are unclear.

Frozen money, a "partial" answer to Tehran's demand

According to the same sources, the $6 billion is a "partial" answer to the Islamic Republic's demand to recover its frozen assets. In return, the confidential IAEA visit to nuclear sites is described as an answer to America's demand on the nuclear file.

The plan comes as Pakistan's earlier framework, the Islamabad memorandum of understanding of May–June, envisaged the phased release of about $24 billion over 60 days of negotiations, a deadline that expired in August without extension. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had also backed the same memorandum in Tehran.

The Islamic Republic's duplicity: negotiation or preparation for war

At the same time, three Islamic Republic officials have said Tehran is deliberately prolonging the talks to weaken Donald Trump before the US midterm elections and is preparing for renewed US and Israeli attacks, not for a deal that ends the war. Trump has also stressed that the United States will continue its "economic and military" pressure on the Islamic Republic.

The oil market reacted to news of the plan: Brent crude fell about 3 percent after an initial jump toward $112.

The record of the Islamabad memorandum shows that released funds and promises of inspections have so far not changed the Islamic Republic's behaviour; this is a government that in these very weeks has targeted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and is attacking Saudi Arabia through the Houthis.

The Qatar and Pakistan plan puts $6 billion of frozen assets alongside a confidential IAEA visit to nuclear facilities.