ISLAMABAD: In a high-stakes diplomatic intervention that has temporarily lowered the temperature of the four-week-old US-Israel war on Iran, Islamabad and Washington have compelled Israel to remove two senior Iranian officials from its assassination target list.
A senior Pakistani official familiar with the backchannel talks told Reuters that Israeli forces had obtained precise coordinates for Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf but were ordered to stand down after urgent Pakistani pressure on the Trump administration.
The development came as Pakistan relayed a detailed 15-point American ceasefire proposal to Tehran and offered to host face-to-face negotiations in Islamabad possibly as early as this week.
Pakistani Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir held direct talks with President Donald J Trump on March 23 while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian the following day underscoring Islamabad’s emergence as a trusted intermediary.
The aborted strike plan targeted figures central to any future negotiations Araghchi who oversees Iran’s foreign policy and Qalibaf a powerful political operator with deep ties to the Revolutionary Guards.
Eliminating them would have left no credible interlocutors according to the Pakistani official who warned Washington that such action would collapse the last remaining diplomatic off-ramp.
Strait of Hormuz shipping lane which carries one-fifth of the world’s oil supply remains the focal point of the crisis.
Iran’s counter-proposal delivered via Pakistani channels demands full reparations for damage caused by Israeli and American strikes an end to the assassination campaign and explicit recognition of Tehran’s sovereignty over the waterway.
Iranian state television quoted officials saying the country would continue fighting until its conditions were met.
United States officials under President Trump have prioritised keeping negotiation channels open despite maintaining a hard line on Iran’s nuclear programme and regional proxies.
The 15-point plan transmitted through Pakistan includes sanctions relief limited rollback of uranium enrichment missile programme curbs and guarantees for free navigation through the strait.
American sources told the Wall Street Journal the pause on targeting Araghchi and Qalibaf is temporary lasting four to five days to test Iranian willingness to engage.
Pakistan’s role has drawn both praise and scepticism in regional capitals. As a nuclear-armed neighbour sharing a long border with Iran and enjoying close security ties with Saudi Arabia Islamabad is uniquely positioned yet exposed.
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor investments estimated at over 60 billion dollars further incentivise Islamabad to prevent any wider conflagration that could threaten energy routes or infrastructure.
Israeli officials have not publicly confirmed the existence of the assassination plan but multiple international reports including those citing American and Egyptian sources corroborate the Pakistani account.
The Jewish state has meanwhile continued precision strikes on Iranian infrastructure including a recent operation in Isfahan and the confirmed killing of IRGC Navy commander Alireza Tangsiri in an overnight raid.
Analysts monitoring oil markets note that any sustained disruption to Hormuz traffic could spike global crude prices by 30 to 50 per cent within days.
Already the conflict has triggered volatility with benchmark Brent crude rising sharply since late February. Pakistan itself imports nearly 80 per cent of its oil through the gulf and has quietly secured safe passage assurances from Tehran for its tankers.
The intervention highlights a rare convergence of interests between Washington and Islamabad. Pakistan has long maintained diplomatic relations with Iran while serving as a major non-NATO ally to the United States.
Its mediation efforts now include relaying messages alongside Turkey and Egypt positioning Islamabad as the most active channel in the current crisis.
Iranian officials have publicly rejected direct talks but acknowledged reviewing the American proposal. Foreign Minister Araghchi stated that Tehran had no immediate intention of negotiating yet would not close the door entirely.
Parliament Speaker Qalibaf meanwhile warned that continued Israeli actions would trigger an “eye for an eye” response escalating the conflict to a new level.
Regional security experts caution that while the assassination plot has been shelved underlying tensions remain explosive.
Iran continues missile and drone operations against Israeli targets and Gulf shipping while Israel has vowed to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
The United States has deployed an additional 1 000 troops to the Middle East joining roughly 50 000 already stationed there.
Pakistan’s diplomatic success if sustained could reshape its international standing. By facilitating indirect talks and hosting potential summits involving US Vice President JD Vance and senior Iranian figures Islamabad is demonstrating influence far beyond its traditional South Asian theatre.
Yet officials in Islamabad remain acutely aware that one misstep could draw the country into the vortex of a broader Middle East war.
For now the fragile pause secured through Pakistani and American pressure has bought precious time.
Whether it leads to substantive de-escalation or merely delays the next round of violence will depend on how quickly Tehran responds to the American proposals relayed through Islamabad.
The coming days promise to test the limits of backchannel diplomacy in one of the region’s most dangerous flashpoints.