US Warned Iran of Israeli Assassination Threats Against Negotiators

US officials attempted to warn Iran that Israel might assassinate the country's top negotiators during peace talks this spring, according to senior US officials. The warnings, conveyed through intermediaries, targeted Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who were leading negotiations with the US Source: CNN. The fear was that such an attack could derail a nascent ceasefire after years of conflict.

Iran's Foreign Minister Araghchi confirmed the reports, saying in an interview, "We are Iranians, we don't fear death for our nation" Source: Euronews. He emphasized that they traveled to Pakistan for peace despite the threats.

To protect the negotiators, Islamabad provided extraordinary security. When Ghalibaf traveled to meet US Vice President JD Vance, Pakistani fighter jets escorted his aircraft from the Iranian border to Islamabad and back Source: Euronews. On the return leg, the plane made an emergency landing in Mashhad amid an Israeli military threat, and the delegation continued by car Source: Euronews.

The US warning came amid Israeli officials' public statements about targeting Iranian leaders. President Donald Trump acknowledged the risk in March, declining to name negotiators because "I don't want them to be killed. They've wiped out everybody" Source: CNN. The tension between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the Iran strategy has been intense, with Trump reportedly using expletives to oppose a planned Israeli operation in Lebanon Source: CNN.

Despite the threats, the US and Iran signed a 60-day ceasefire in June, leaving the most difficult issues for later talks.