Iraq has proposed a committee of regional foreign ministers to visit Tehran and Washington in search of a peaceful settlement to the standoff between Iran and the United States.

Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein made the proposal on Friday 6 November during a telephone call with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, according to a statement from Iraq's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Hussein warned that regional tensions were mounting and that military operations could resume, and called for concrete steps to contain the escalation.

During the call, Araghchi set out Tehran's proposals for resuming negotiations with Washington, which Iran had put forward before the US midterm elections. They include a timetable for the start of talks, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, revisiting understandings reached through negotiations mediated by Pakistan in April, and further provisions on Iran's nuclear programme.

Baghdad seeks to stay out of the war

Iraq, which neighbours Iran, has been working to keep itself out of the conflict. Prime Minister Ali Falih al-Zaidi told President Donald Trump by telephone on Thursday that Iraqi territory must not be used to launch strikes against neighbouring countries, his office said.

Hussein has also warned Iraqi armed groups against joining any Iranian retaliation, saying it would be a disaster for Iraq. "Pushing Iraqi society into the war will lead to a disaster," he told Dijlah TV on Thursday. "We are not prepared for war."

The proposal comes as Washington and Tehran trade terms for ending a war that began on 28 February, when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran. A shaky ceasefire has largely held since April, but Trump has warned of renewed bombing if no deal is reached, and Iran has said the strait will reopen only if Washington meets its conditions.