U.S. Concern Over Potential Threat to Iranian Negotiators

U.S. officials expressed concern that Israel might attempt to assassinate Iran’s negotiators during recent ceasefire discussions. This concern led to Tehran being warned about a potential threat, according to both U.S. and Iranian sources.

During critical discussions in April and May, intended to resolve the U.S-Israeli conflict with Iran, the Trump administration feared Israeli plans to target Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. These individuals are prominent figures in negotiations with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.

The discussions began in April, resulting in a ceasefire agreement and a memorandum of understanding, signed by the U.S. and Iran last month. While negotiations continue toward a lasting peace, several challenging issues remain. The U.S. communicated the potential threat to Iran through intermediaries.

The New York Times initially reported the Trump administration’s concern. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office labeled the report as ‘fake news’ in an X post. Further comments referred to this post, while the White House did not immediately address the issue.

Historically, Israel has targeted senior Iranian military and government figures, penetrating the regime’s security. Early in the war, U.S. air raids focused on military targets, including Iran’s missile stockpile. Concurrently, Israeli actions targeted senior Iranian figures, according to U.S. and Israeli officials.

In March, Trump stated some Iranian officials regarded as potentially pragmatic were killed in airstrikes. ‘Most of the people we had in mind are dead,’ Trump noted about possible negotiators.

The Trump administration and Netanyahu’s government clashed over war aims and negotiation approaches. Trump criticized Israel for continued attacks on Lebanon against the Iran-backed Hezbollah, despite ceasefire agreements. These actions risked disrupting peace talks, with Trump publicly disavowing Israel’s actions at times.

The negotiations have faced challenges; recent U.S. intelligence suggested Israel might continue attacks on Hezbollah, threatening the peace deal’s stability. On Trump’s team, Vice President JD Vance criticized Israeli hard-liners for personal attacks on Trump. In a New York Times interview, he directly addressed Netanyahu’s Cabinet, stating, ‘You can’t just kill your way out of solving every single national security problem that you have.’