US and Israel grant temporary immunity to Iran FM Araghchi and Speaker Qalibaf — direct talks pathway opens

Israeli media reported that the United States and Israel have granted temporary immunity to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf. The nature and scope of the immunity was not detailed, but diplomatic immunity grants of this kind are a standard prerequisite for officials to travel to third-country negotiations without risk of arrest or sanction enforcement. Araghchi has been Iran's lead diplomat throughout the conflict and would be the expected counterpart in any face-to-face negotiation. Qalibaf — a former IRGC Air Force commander, former Tehran mayor, and former presidential candidate — holds the speakership of the Iranian parliament and has significant IRGC-aligned political weight, potentially giving him authority to speak for Iran's hardline establishment in any talks. The immunity grants follow: Trump's formal transmission of the peace plan via Pakistan (01:00 UTC), Pakistan's confirmation of readiness to host talks, and NBC reporting that an in-person meeting in Pakistan could be held 'in the coming days.' The IRGC's public rejection of talks ('don't call your failure an agreement') remains the military command's position, but the immunity grants suggest the diplomatic track is operationally advancing regardless. The timing — simultaneous with Iran's 88th wave of strikes — underlines the dual-track strategy both sides are running: military pressure in parallel with diplomatic preparation.