U.S. officials believed that Israel may have planned to assassinate top Iranian negotiators amid delicate cease-fire discussions between Washington and Tehran this spring, according to current and former American sources. The concerns focused particularly on Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, and Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s Parliament, both central figures in ongoing peace negotiations.
The conflict, which began on February 28 with an Israeli strike that killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and other senior officials, has seen differing military priorities between the United States and Israel. While U.S. forces targeted Iran’s naval and missile capabilities, Israel prioritized killing high-ranking government leaders, including more moderate figures such as Ali Larijani, the top national security official, and Kamal Kharazi, a former foreign minister—both of whom were involved in U.S.-Iran talks before being killed in Israeli airstrikes.
American officials indicated that during the intense phases of the war, Araghchi and Ghalibaf might have been considered legitimate targets by Israel, which aimed to destabilize Iran’s hard-line government. However, once negotiations for a cease-fire began in April, Washington feared that any Israeli assassination attempt would disrupt the fragile talks and reignite hostilities. As a result, U.S. officials reportedly requested that regional countries warn Iran about the potential risk to its negotiators.
Iranian officials have acknowledged the risks faced by their delegation, with Mohsen Zanganeh, a member of Iran’s parliament, describing their continued involvement in negotiations as a “real sacrifice.” Iranian security measures have reportedly intensified, including Pakistan’s provision of fighter jet escorts for Iranian flights traveling to Islamabad to meet with U.S. Vice President JD Vance. Despite these precautions, intelligence shared within Iran indicated an Israeli threat during a return flight from Islamabad, prompting an emergency landing in Mashhad and a lengthy overland return to Tehran for Mr. Ghalibaf and the delegation.
In June, the United States and Iran reached a preliminary framework agreement aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and establishing parameters for future negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear program. However, Israeli officials and commentators have criticized this agreement, viewing it as falling short of their objectives, which include regime change in Iran, the dismantling of proxy forces, and significant damage to Iran’s missile capabilities. Israeli concerns also focus on the possibility that the deal could channel funds to Iran without adequately restricting its nuclear ambitions.
The shift in U.S. and Israeli objectives has become evident in recent months. While Washington seeks to advance the peace process, Israeli officials have expressed skepticism about the cessation of hostilities and the long-term impact of negotiations. A spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied claims that Israel intended to target Iranian negotiators, describing such reports as “fake news.”
Despite the tensions, American and Iranian delegations have continued talks, with high-level meetings held in Qatar and Switzerland through May and June, involving U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, a senior adviser to President Trump. A U.S. official emphasized that the president remains committed to allowing the peace process to unfold.