US temporarily removes top Iranian diplomat, parliament speaker from target list — media

The senior officials have been removed from the target list for up to four or five days as President of the US Donald Trump opens the door to high-level negotiations for ending the war, the newspaper said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf have been temporarily removed from the US list of Iranian officials to be targeted during Israeli and US strikes, The Wall Street Journal said.

According to the newspaper, the senior officials “have been removed from the target list for up to four or five days as President [of the US Donald] Trump opens the door to high-level negotiations for ending the war.”

The New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing sources, that the United States had sent the Iranian authorities a 15-point plan to end the Middle East conflict. According to the newspaper, the plan addresses issues related to the Iranian missile and nuclear programs. In addition, the document addresses the issue of freedom of navigation. In recent days, according to the US side, contacts have taken place between the US and Iran through intermediaries, including Pakistan. However, Tehran denies Washington’s statements that productive negotiations are underway between the parties.