U.S. Officials Feared Israel Planned to Assassinate Iranian Negotiators

According to a bombshell report published by The New York Times, U.S. officials believed that Israel was plotting to assassinate Iran’s top negotiators during delicate ceasefire and peace talks with Washington earlier this year.

Current and former American officials told the Times that Israeli concerns centered on two senior Iranian figures: Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

Any strike against them, officials feared, would have immediately derailed ongoing negotiations aimed at securing an interim peace deal following earlier conflict in the region.

Killing senior Iranian leaders had reportedly formed part of Israel’s broader strategy during the height of hostilities. However, U.S. concerns intensified specifically during ceasefire negotiations that began in April, after an initial truce took hold on April 8.

Washington viewed the two Iranian officials as central to the diplomatic process and worried that an assassination attempt would collapse talks and reignite fighting.

In response to these fears, the United States took the unusual step of using regional intermediaries to indirectly warn Iran about the potential threats.

U.S. officials asked counterparts in other Middle Eastern countries to alert Tehran that Israel might target Araghchi and Ghalibaf, according to the report.

The New York Times noted that while Araghchi and Ghalibaf could have been considered legitimate targets by Israel during active combat as senior figures in Iran’s government, their roles shifted once high-level diplomacy commenced.

American officials believed any attack at that stage would sabotage efforts toward de-escalation and a broader arrangement between the U.S. and Iran.

The revelations come amid heightened tensions and ongoing questions about the dynamics between the U.S., Israel, and Iran following the spring conflict. Neither Israeli nor Iranian officials have publicly commented on the specific allegations in the Times report as of this writing.

This development underscores the fragile nature of the ceasefire and the complex web of alliances and suspicions that continue to shape Middle East diplomacy.