Israel had coordinates to kill Iran FM Araghchi and Speaker Ghalibaf but ‘this country’ warned US against it: Report
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi Photograph: (AFP)
Pakistan’s mediation through the US reportedly led Israel to stop targeting two senior Iranian leaders as diplomatic efforts to ease tensions continue
Israel reportedly paused plans to target Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and parliamentary speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf after Pakistan intervened through Washington, according to a Pakistani official who spoke to news agency Reuters on Thursday (March 26). "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 official was quoted as saying.
There has been no immediate response from Pakistan’s military or foreign office regarding the claim. Israel’s military declined to comment, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has also not issued a statement. Earlier, The Wall Street Journal reported that both Iranian leaders had been temporarily removed from Israel’s list of targets as diplomatic options are being explored. The report, citing US officials, suggested this pause could last four to five days, though it did not reference any involvement by Pakistan.
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Pakistan, along with Egypt and Turkey, is currently acting as an intermediary between Tehran and Washington in efforts to de-escalate the conflict. With communication channels largely frozen for most nations, Islamabad has maintained contact with both sides and is being considered a potential location for peace negotiations.
Iran is reviewing a 15-point proposal from Donald Trump that was sent through Pakistan. The plan reportedly includes conditions such as eliminating Iran’s highly enriched uranium reserves, stopping uranium enrichment, limiting its ballistic missile capabilities, and ending financial support to regional allies.
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While Trump has indicated that Iran is eager to reach an agreement, Araghchi said that Tehran is still examining the proposal and has no plans to engage in talks aimed at ending the conflict at this stage. Israeli leadership has consistently maintained that senior Iranian figures remain potential targets.
Recently, Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that both he and Netanyahu had granted the military authority to strike officials without requiring prior approval. When questioned about whether Araghchi and Ghalibaf had been removed from a target list following Pakistan’s request, Israeli military spokesman Nadav Shoshani said the military "has a rigorous process before every operation and every strike," but added: "I'm not going to go into specific potential targets."
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, the US, Gulf nations, and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos, and videos.
