The Wall Street Journal reported on 25/3, citing unnamed American officials, that Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf and foreign minister Abbas Araghchi were removed by Washington and Tel Aviv from a "target list" about 4-5 days prior.

This move occurred as the administration of President Donald Trump signaled readiness for diplomatic negotiations with Iran.

Mediators from Turkey, Pakistan, and Egypt are urging American and Iranian representatives to meet in the coming days to discuss a ceasefire, aiming for peace talks. However, many officials believe the likelihood of this approach succeeding is low, as the United States and Iran have differing demands.

Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf (left) and foreign minister Abbas Araghchi. *Reuters*.

American and Iranian officials have not commented on the information.

Since the conflict erupted, the United States and Israel have killed several high-ranking Iranian officials, including the late supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Israel has stated it will continue to pursue Iranian leaders, as part of a strategy to eliminate the heads of rival forces, a tactic it has employed in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.

Meanwhile, the American military primarily targets Iran’s defense facilities and military assets.

The American president recently declared that he "is in dialogue with the right people, and they are very keen to reach an agreement" on the Iranian side, though he did not name specifics. He believes Iran has undergone "regime change" following the death of supreme leader Khamenei and other top officials, as current leaders are "very different" from their predecessors.

However, the Iranian military has rejected reports of negotiations with the United States, emphasizing that stability "is only achieved through strength." Tehran also did not accept Washington’s proposed ceasefire.

Ngoc Anh (According to WSJ, Times of Israel, CNN)