Key takeaway: Reuters reports that Pakistan asked the United States to urge Israel not to target Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, and that Israel subsequently removed them from a potential hit list. The Wall Street Journal earlier said the officials were temporarily off the list for several days while possible talks were explored. Pakistan, along with Egypt and Turkey, is mediating between Tehran and Washington, as Iran reviews a 15-point U.S. proposal.
Pakistan Asked U.S. To Press Israel To Spare Iran’s Araqchi And Qalibaf, Reuters Says
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi addresses a special session of the Conference on Disarmament at the United Nations, aside of U.S.-Iran talks in Geneva, Switzerland, February 17, 2026. REUTERS/Pierre Albouy
ISLAMABAD, March 26 (Reuters) - Israel removed Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf from a list of potential targets after Pakistan asked the United States to urge Israel not to strike them, a Pakistani source familiar with the talks told Reuters on Thursday.
Pakistan’s Mediation Role
"The Israelis had their coordinates and wanted to take them out. We told the U.S. if they are also eliminated then there is no one else to talk to, hence the U.S. asked the Israelis to back off," the source said. Pakistan’s military and foreign office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Context And Other Reporting
The Wall Street Journal earlier reported that the two senior Iranian officials had been temporarily removed from Israel’s list of officials to eliminate while possible peace talks were explored. The Journal, citing U.S. officials, said the officials were off the list for up to four or five days but did not mention a Pakistani role.
Pakistan, along with Egypt and Turkey, is acting as a mediator between Tehran and Washington in efforts to end the Iran war. Islamabad has maintained direct contact with both Washington and Tehran at a time when many other diplomatic channels remain frozen and has been viewed as a potential location for talks.
Terms Under Consideration
Iran is reviewing a 15-point proposal from U.S. President Donald Trump, delivered through Pakistan, aimed at ending the conflict. According to Israeli cabinet sources familiar with the plan, the proposal would require removing Iran’s stocks of highly enriched uranium, halting enrichment, curbing its ballistic missile program and cutting funding to regional allies.
Trump has said Iran is desperate to make a deal, while Araqchi told Reuters that Tehran was reviewing the U.S. proposal but had no intention of entering talks to wind down the conflict.
Responses From Israel
Israeli officials have repeatedly warned that no senior Iranian official is immune from being targeted. Last week, Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had authorized the military to target officials without prior political authorization.
When asked whether Araqchi and Qalibaf had been removed from an Israeli hit list at 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."
Reporting by Ariba Shahid and Saad Sayeed; Writing by Hritam Mukherjee and YP Rajesh; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus and William Maclean.
Help us improve.
