The United States and Israel have temporarily removed two senior Iranian officials from their target list as Washington explores possible negotiations to end the war, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, citing U.S. officials.
According to the report, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were taken off the list for several days to allow space for potential diplomacy.
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Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi
Mediators from Turkey, Pakistan and Egypt are working to arrange talks between U.S. and Iranian officials as soon as the coming days, though officials told the Journal the chances of a breakthrough remain low due to significant gaps between the sides.
The White House has warned Iran that time is limited. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the U.S. would escalate its strikes if Tehran does not agree to end the conflict.
Since the start of the war, Israel has targeted senior Iranian figures as part of a broader effort to decapitate the regime, while U.S. strikes have focused on military infrastructure and missile capabilities.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said the strikes eliminated multiple potential successors within Iran’s leadership, complicating future negotiations but leaving open the possibility of talks depending on how new figures emerge.