White House probes Iranian leadership options for possible diplomacy-anchored exit

The Trump administration is quietly weighing Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf as a potential partner or future leader to broker a negotiated end to the conflict, testing multiple candidates rather than committing to one. The aim appears to shift from military pressure toward diplomacy, with officials hoping for an off-ramp that stabilizes markets and oil negotiations, though Tehran’s security establishment may resist concessions and no decisions are final.