In comparison to iron(II) halides, iron(II) triflate exhibits a greater resistance towards reduction by p-tolylmagnesium bromide. This knowledge has led to the development of an iron(II) triflate/N-heterocyclic carbene-catalysed cross-coupling system of aryl Grignard reagents with aryl chlorides and tosylates with high efficiency, even surpassing that of previously reported catalyst systems employing strongly coordinating counterions in some cases.