Washington (Somalia Today) — US officials feared Israel might try to kill two senior Iranian negotiators during delicate peace talks with Tehran, a move they believed could have wrecked diplomacy and reignited the war, US media reported.
The concerns focused on Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, both central figures in negotiations that began after an initial cessation of hostilities in April.
US officials were worried enough to ask other countries in the region to warn Iran that Israel could target the two men, the New York Times reported.
Israel had made the killing of senior Iranian leaders a core part of its strategy from the start of the war.
In the early phase, Israeli officials viewed top Iranian political and security figures as legitimate targets as they sought to weaken and possibly topple Tehran’s hard-line government.
But once negotiations began in earnest, American officials feared any strike on Araghchi or Ghalibaf would end diplomacy and reignite the fighting.
An Israeli embassy spokeswoman in Washington declined to comment, according to the report.
Split over war aims
The suspected plot highlighted a growing divide between Washington and Israel over the purpose of the war and the shape of any settlement.
The United States has pushed for a deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, stabilise the conflict and lay the groundwork for talks on Iran’s nuclear programme.
Israel has remained far more sceptical of any diplomatic process that falls short of its broader war aims: forcing regime change, destroying Iran’s proxy network and inflicting lasting damage on Tehran’s missile and nuclear capabilities.
The war began on February 28 with Israeli strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior officials, according to regional reporting.
US strikes focused mainly on Iran’s navy and missile forces, while Israel prioritised senior leaders in the political, military and security establishment.
Among those killed were Ali Larijani, Iran’s top national security official, and Kamal Kharazi, a former foreign minister. Both men had been involved in contacts with Washington, according to the report.
The Wall Street Journal reported in March that Israel had placed Araghchi and Ghalibaf on a target list, but temporarily removed them as the United States explored negotiations with Iran.
The New York Times said a US official and a Middle Eastern official later confirmed that Washington had asked Israel not to target at least Ghalibaf.
Dangerous diplomacy
Ghalibaf had already survived two near misses.
Israel nearly killed him during the 12-day war in June 2025 and again this year, when it struck a secret meeting of senior Iranian officials in a bunker under a mountain, according to Iranian officials cited in the report.
In April, Ghalibaf planned to travel to Islamabad for talks with US Vice President JD Vance. But Iranian security officials feared Israel might use the trip to assassinate him or Araghchi and derail the diplomatic process.
Iran sought guarantees through Pakistani and Qatari intermediaries that Israel would not carry out covert operations against the delegation, the report said.
Pakistani fighter jets escorted planes carrying more than 70 Iranians from the Iranian border to Islamabad and back.
But on the return journey, Iranian security forces warned the aircraft carrying Ghalibaf that intelligence suggested two Israeli fighter jets had entered Iranian airspace from the western border near Iraq.
The plane made an emergency landing in Mashhad, near the Pakistani border, and the delegation completed the journey to Tehran by land, according to officials cited in the report.
Mahdi Mohammadi, a senior adviser to Ghalibaf who was on the trip, confirmed the account on social media.
Mohsen Zanganeh, an Iranian lawmaker, later said Araghchi, Ghalibaf and other negotiators had “put their lives on the line”, calling it “real sacrifice” rather than political manoeuvring.
Fragile talks
The disclosure comes as indirect US-Iran talks remain fragile.
The two sides held a recent round of indirect talks in Doha, but there was no clear sign of progress towards a lasting settlement.
The discussions focused on maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and the release of frozen Iranian funds, two issues central to the interim framework announced in June.
Qatar has said the next meeting is expected after the funeral processions for Khamenei, who is due to be buried in Mashhad on July 9.
US President Donald Trump has insisted the process is moving forward.
“The denuclearisation of Iran is moving along well,” Trump told reporters. “They’ve had very good meetings, and we’ll see.”
Vance said the nuclear file would come later.
“Obviously, we have concerns about the nuclear issue; we’re going to start talking about that,” he said.
Iran, however, has refused direct meetings with senior US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, saying contacts will continue through mediators.
“No meeting at any level with the American side has been scheduled for the coming days,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said.
The interim US-Iran memorandum sent to Congress last month outlined a 60-day negotiation period, a halt to military operations, safe passage for commercial vessels through Hormuz and talks over Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions and frozen assets.
Iran’s military has also warned the United States and Israel against further attacks ahead of Khamenei’s funeral.
“We warn the enemies of Iran, especially the U.S. and the Zionist regime, to avoid any miscalculation,” commander Ali Abdollahi said, promising “harsh retaliation” for any threat or aggression.
The warning, combined with US concerns over alleged Israeli targeting plans, has deepened fears that one strike could collapse the diplomatic track Washington is trying to keep alive.
