US Asked Allies to Warn Iran of Possible Israeli Assassination Plans: Report

(Photo by Andrew Leyden/NurPhoto via AP)

The United States quietly urged intermediaries in the Middle East to warn Iran that Israel was planning to target senior Iranian negotiators during fragile ceasefire talks this spring, according to new reports.

According to The New York Times and The Washington Post, U.S. officials became increasingly concerned that Israel could attempt to assassinate Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf while diplomatic negotiations were underway.

Trump officials feared such an attack would collapse the negotiations and reignite fighting, prompting Washington to ask regional intermediaries to pass warnings to Tehran about the potential threat, the reports said.

The Times, citing current and former U.S. officials, reported that Washington learned at least Ghalibaf had been placed on an Israeli target list and urged Israel not to move forward while negotiations were progressing.

The Wall Street Journal previously reported in March that both Araghchi and Ghalibaf had appeared on an Israeli targeting list before being temporarily removed as talks advanced.

U.S. officials reportedly acknowledged that the two Iranian leaders could have been considered legitimate military targets during the height of the conflict. But once negotiations intensified in April, officials concluded that killing either man would likely end the diplomatic effort.

Iranian officials reportedly had already sought assurances through Pakistani and Qatari intermediaries that Israel would not target members of its delegation during diplomatic meetings.

One reported incident involved Ghalibaf’s return from talks in Islamabad, when Iranian intelligence warned of a possible Israeli threat against his aircraft.

According to Iranian officials cited by The Times, the plane made an emergency landing before the delegation completed the journey back to Tehran by road.

Despite those concerns, Araghchi and Ghalibaf pressed on with the negotiations, including meetings in Qatar and later in Switzerland, with Vice President JD Vance and the U.S. delegation.

When asked about the reported Israeli targeting concerns, a U.S. official told The Times that negotiations between Washington and Tehran remain ongoing and said President Donald Trump wants the peace process “to play out.”

A spokesperson for the Israeli Embassy in Washington declined to comment, according to the newspaper.

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