Israel drops Iranian officials from target list after Pakistan appeal

Israel removed two senior Iranian officials from its list of intended targets following diplomatic intervention by Pakistan, which urged the United States to prevent strikes that could undermine prospects for negotiations.

According to Reuters, citing a Pakistani official, the individuals involved were Abbas Araghchi and Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

The official said Israel had obtained their coordinates and was prepared to carry out strikes against them, but Islamabad intervened through Washington, arguing that targeting key political figures would complicate or even eliminate the possibility of diplomatic engagement.

“The Israelis had their coordinates and wanted to eliminate them, but we told the US that if they were also eliminated, there would be no one to negotiate with, so the US asked the Israelis to stand down,” the official said.

By Tamilla Hasanova