US officials believed Israel was plotting to kill Iranian negotiators
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US officials acknowledged that Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi (right) and speaker of parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (left) could have been legitimate targets for Israel.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Julian E. Barnes and Farnaz Fassihi
- US officials believed Israel planned to assassinate Iranian negotiators Abbas Araghchi and Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf during peace talks to derail negotiations.
- Israel targeted Iran's leadership early in the war, aiming for regime change, while US sought a peace deal and warned Israel to avoid striking negotiators.
- Iran took security measures against Israeli attacks, including escorted travel and emergency landings, as negotiations continued towards a ceasefire and future talks.
AI generated
WASHINGTON – United States officials believed that Israel might have been plotting to kill Iran’s top negotiators while Washington was engaged with Tehran in delicate talks this spring to reach an interim peace deal, according to current and former US officials.
Killing senior Iranian leaders had been part of Israel’s strategy from the start of the war. But America’s concerns about the targeting of two particular Iranian officials – Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, and Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of parliament – spiked during delicate ceasefire negotiations that began in April.
