On Pakistan's request, Israel removes Iran FM Araghchi, parliament speaker Ghalibaf from hit list: Report
Israel reportedly removed the names of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf from its “hit list” amid the ongoing conflict between the US, Israel and Iran. According to a Reuters report, this removal followed a request from Pakistan as it steps up in its role as a mediator.
Citing a Pakistani source familiar with the matter, Reuters reported that Islamabad urged the US to coordinate and ask Israel not to target Araghchi and Ghalibaf. Based on this request, Washington later asked Israel to “back off.”
“The Israelis had their coordinates and wanted to take them out. We told the US if they are also eliminated then there is no one else to talk to, hence the US asked the Israelis to back off,” the source told Reuters.
This removal was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, citing US officials close to the matter. As per this report, the top two Iranian officials have been “temporarily” removed from the target list.
Shortly after this information was released, Israel announced it had targeted and killed the IRGC’s Naval Commander Alireza Tangsiri in a series of strikes on Thursday.
Pakistan takes on mediator role
As the US-Israel’s war on Iran rages on, Pakistan has taken up a key mediating role. As per a statement from Pakistan’s foreign minister Ishaq Dar, indirect talks have been taking place between Washington and Iran through messages being relayed by Islamabad.
“In reality, US-Iran indirect talks are taking place through messages being relayed by Pakistan. In this context, the United States has shared 15 points, being deliberated upon by Iran,” said Dar on X.
Dar added that, along with Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt are also aiding in the mediation efforts.
“Pakistan remains fully committed to promoting peace and continues to make every effort to ensure stability in the region and beyond,” he added further.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that Islamabad would be open and “honoured” to host talks between the US and Iran in order to bring an end to the ongoing war.
While no official statement as come from the White House regarding the same, US President Donald Trump shared Sharif’s announcement on social media platform Truth Social, signalling a nod from Washington.