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U.S. Officials Believed Israel Was Plotting to Kill Iranian Negotiators
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- U.S. officials suspected that Israel planned to assassinate Iran’s top negotiators, Abbas Araghchi and Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, during sensitive peace talks in the spring.
- Targeting senior Iranian leaders was part of Israel’s broader strategy since the start of the war, but concerns heightened amid cease-fire negotiations beginning in April.
- To protect the delicate talks, the U.S. reportedly asked regional countries to warn Iran about possible Israeli assassination attempts.
- While Araghchi and Ghalibaf were considered legitimate targets during intense conflict, U.S. officials feared that killing them during negotiations would collapse the peace process and escalate violence.
