The United States reportedly urged several Middle Eastern countries to caution Iran about possible Israeli assassination attempts against senior Iranian officials involved in ceasefire negotiations, fearing such actions could jeopardise efforts to end the conflict, according to a report by The New York Times. The report says Washington was particularly concerned about the safety of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who were leading Tehran's delegation in negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire.
According to The New York Times, US officials believed that any attack on Iran's chief negotiators could derail the fragile diplomatic process that began in April.
The report states that Israel had considered targeting senior Iranian leaders during the early stages of the conflict that erupted on February 28 as part of a broader strategy to weaken Tehran's leadership.
Among the senior figures reported to have been killed during the conflict were national security chief Ali Larijani and former foreign minister Kamal Kharazi. Once Araghchi and Ghalibaf assumed leading roles in ceasefire negotiations, however, US officials reportedly became concerned that any move against them would end diplomatic efforts and risk renewed fighting.
The report also cites a Pakistani official who told Reuters in March that Islamabad had intervened after learning of the potential threat to the Iranian negotiators. According to the official, Pakistan warned Washington that eliminating either Abbas Araghchi or Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf would leave "no one else to talk to" regarding peace negotiations.
The official added, "Hence, the US asked the Israelis to back off."
Reuters has attributed those remarks to the Pakistani official, while the claims have not been independently confirmed by the governments involved.
Despite the reported diplomatic efforts, concerns over the safety of Iranian officials allegedly continued.
According to The New York Times, intelligence received after talks between U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Pakistani officials in Islamabad on April 12 suggested there were fears of an attack on Ghalibaf's aircraft as it re-entered Iranian airspace.
The report says Iranian security officials ordered the aircraft to land in Mashhad, after which Ghalibaf and his delegation completed the journey to Tehran by road.
The reported developments underscore the differing approaches attributed to Washington and Tel Aviv during the ceasefire process. While the United States reportedly prioritised preserving negotiations, the report says Israeli officials remained sceptical about ending military operations prematurely, fearing it could strengthen Iran's leadership.
None of the claims in the report have been officially confirmed by the United States, Israel or Iran.
