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Israel grants brief temporary immunity to Abbas Araghchi and Mohammad Ghalibaf after Pakistan mediation as Iran and US pursue tense ceasefire and nuclear talks.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf. (Image: News18)
In what appears to be a slight relief for Iran, Israel has provided a ‘temporary immunity‘ to some of Tehran’s top leaders amid the ongoing ‘peace talks’.
According to media reports, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf have been removed from Israel’s hit list after Pakistan requested that Washington not target them.
‘IF ELIMINATED…NO ONE ELSE TO TALK TO’
A Pakistani source privy to the matter told Reuters that Israel wanted to kill them, and Pakistan requested that the United States ensure that no one else would be left from the Iranian side to talk if Israel eliminated them.
“The Israelis had their coordinates and wanted to take them out. We told the US that if they are also eliminated, then there is no one else to talk to; hence, the US asked the Israelis to back off,” news agency Reuters reported.
The relief, however, is short-lived and comes with a deadline. Ghalibaf and Araghchi have been removed from the target list for up to four or five days, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
Reports, meanwhile, suggest that Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey are acting as mediators between Tehran and Washington in an effort to bring the Iran war to an end.
WHAT DOES THIS ‘TEMPORARY IMMUNITY’ MEAN?
“Temporary immunity” means that both Araghchi and Ghalibaf can travel to the venue of the talks without a threat to their lives.
Sources said the arrangement signals a rare, tactical de-escalation window at a time of high-intensity hostilities. It also indicates backchannel coordination and minimum guarantees needed to sustain diplomatic engagement.
DIPLOMATIC SOLUTION? WHAT IRAN, US ARE DEMANDING
Amid the ongoing reports that Iran and the United States are proceeding towards ceasefire negotiations, Tehran has demanded the closure of all United States military bases in the Gulf, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing people familiar with the discussions.
The report said Iran’s negotiating position is being shaped by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which has consolidated influence within the country’s leadership following weeks of conflict.
Among the key demands conveyed by Iranian representatives:
- Closure of all American military bases in the Gulf
- Financial reparations for attacks on Iran
- A new framework governing the Strait of Hormuz that would allow Iran to collect fees from ships passing through the waterway, similar to Egypt’s Suez Canal
- Guarantees that hostilities would not resume
- An end to Israeli strikes on Iran-aligned Lebanese militia Hezbollah
- Removal of all sanctions imposed on Iran
- Permission to retain its missile programme without negotiations to limit it.
The US, meanwhile, laid out a 15-point peace plan and outlined extensive conditions aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear capabilities and regional influence.
America’s key demands include:
- Iran must dismantle its nuclear programme
- Iran must commit never to pursue nuclear weapons
- Uranium enrichment would not be permitted on Iranian territory\
- Tehran must transfer roughly 450 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 per cent to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
- Nuclear facilities at Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow must be dismantled
- The IAEA must be granted full inspection authority
- Iran must abandon its regional proxy network
- Tehran must stop funding and arming proxy groups
- The Strait of Hormuz must remain open as a free maritime corridor
- Limits would be imposed on Iran’s missile programme in terms of range and quantity.
March 27, 2026, 5:20 PM IST
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