Pakistan Reportedly Halts Israel's Plan to Kill Iran's Parliament Speaker-Foreign Minister

JAKARTA - The Iranian Foreign Minister (Menlu) Abbas Araghchi and the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, were removed from the list of Israeli assassination targets, based on Pakistan's request to the United States (US).

According to a source in Islamabad who knows the matter, if the two are killed, there will be no more sources from Iran that make it possible to be invited to peace negotiations.

"Israel has their coordinates and wants to eliminate them, we told the US that if they are also eliminated then there is no one to talk to, therefore the US asked Israel to withdraw," the Pakistani source was quoted as saying by Reuters, Thursday, March 26.

Araghchi has led Iran's delegation in nuclear negotiations with the US in February 2026, and is one of Iran's most experienced diplomats. While Ghalibaf is considered by some in the White House as a partner who can be worked with.

The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the claim, quoted an unnamed official as saying that the two Iranian men had been removed from the US and Israeli target lists for up to four or five days, as US President Donald Trump sought to reopen negotiations with Iran.

However, the WSJ report did not mention Pakistan's involvement.