Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, and Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf were reportedly on Israel's hit list. However, the two senior
Iranian leaders were removed 'for the time being' amid the ongoing peace talks. Iran has formally notified the United Nations regarding reports alleging US and Israeli plans to "assassinate" senior leaders of the country. The threat is "real and deliberate," Tehran told the UN. Araghchi and Ghalibaf were removed from the list by Israel after Pakistan urged Washington to press Tel Aviv not to target them, reported Reuters, citing a Pakistani source with knowledge of the discussions. Pakistan is leading an indirect exchange of positions between Tehran and Washington, supported by Egypt and Turkey. Check Iran War Live Updates Here "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 said, as quoted by Reuters. Ghalibaf has been considered as a possible negotiating partner to the US, while Araghchi has continued diplomatic outreach amid the escalating war. The Wall Street Journal first reported that the two top Iranian officials had been temporarily removed from Israel's list of officials to eliminate as they explore possible peace talks. The two officials have been removed from the list for up to four or five days, the Journal reported, citing US officials, but did not mention any Pakistani role in it. Notably, there have been no official remarks on the same from any side. Iran sent a letter to the United Nations over claims that the country’s foreign minister and parliament speaker had been "targets for assassination." The letter, dated Thursday and signed by Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani, focused on media reports. "The reports indicate the existence of an operational framework contemplating the assassination of the highest-ranking political officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran," the letter reads. It added "The conditional nature of the purported ‘suspension’ further underscores that the threat remains real, deliberate and ongoing." The letter called any such program "state-sponsored terrorism."
Tehran is said to be reviewing a 15-point action list that forms the framework for a peace deal between the US, Israel and Iran. The war began on February 28 as the US and Israel carried out joint strikes on Iran, killing the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran retaliated with attacks on US and non-US assets across West Asia.
