Washington reportedly asked Middle Eastern countries to alert Tehran about alleged Israeli assassination plans targeting senior officials, fearing such a move could derail fragile peace talks
The United States asked countries in the Middle East to alert Iran about possible Israeli assassination attempts targeting senior Tehran officials that could derail the ceasefire talks which began in early April, according to a New York Times report .
At the centre of the alleged plot were Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. US concerns over Israel’s targeting of senior Iranian leaders sharpened during fragile ceasefire negotiations, with Washington fearing that any move against the two officials would wreck the diplomatic process .
Israel’s war strategy alarmed US
US officials acknowledged that during the most intense phase of the conflict, both men could have been considered legitimate targets by Israel as it sought to topple Iran’s hardline government . However, once talks began in earnest in April, American officials believed any such strike would derail the negotiations and reignite the fighting.
The war started on February 28 with an Israeli strike that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior officials, drawing in part on US intelligence. While American strikes were directed at Iran’s navy and missile forces, Israel in the early phase concentrated on the leadership, aiming to kill as many senior figures as possible.
Among those killed were Ali Larijani, Iran’s top national security official, and Kamal Kharazi, a former foreign minister, both of whom were viewed as potentially more pragmatic leaders with whom the Trump administration had hoped to negotiate. The two men were taking part in talks with the United States when they were killed in Israeli airstrikes .
Peace push met Israeli resistance
US suspicions that Israel could also try to kill Araghchi and Ghalibaf underscored how quickly American and Israeli objectives had split after appearing closely aligned at the start of the war.
While Washington pushed for a peace deal, Israel remained doubtful from the first halt in hostilities in April. That initial two-week ceasefire received only grudging backing from Israeli officials and was met with broad concern in Israel that the United States was moving too soon to stop the war .
Target list and escape attempts
According to The Wall Street Journal, both Araghchi and Ghalibaf had been on Israel’s target list since March but were removed at the insistence of the US after ceasefire talks began .
Ghalibaf narrowly escaped death twice since 2025—first during last year’s 12-day war and again after this year’s conflict began. On both occasions, he was pulled out from beneath the rubble, officials told The New York Times .
The threat of assassination resurfaced when Ghalibaf was returning to Tehran after talks with US Vice President JD Vance. Iranian intelligence intercepted information suggesting Israel was planning to target the aircraft carrying Ghalibaf and that two Israeli fighter jets had entered Iranian airspace. The plane made an emergency landing in Mashhad, and Ghalibaf later travelled by road to Tehran .
Despite the latest assassination scare, Iranian officials have continued to travel. In May, both Ghalibaf and Araghchi travelled to Qatar and later to Switzerland for peace talks .
