US officials warned Iran Israel could target Araghchi and Ghalibaf during talks

US Believed Israel Tried To Assassinate Iran's Top Negotiators As Ghalibaf's Plane Made Emergency Landing The New York Times has issued a new report citing unnamed US officials who believe that Israel came close to assassinating Iran's top negotiators Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. According to the report, a concrete Israeli threat against Ghalibaf and the FM emerged while they were traveling back to Iran from Islamabad following talks with US Vice President JD Vance on April 12. Source: Mehr news Prior to that point, during active fighting, Israel had worked its way through killing much of Iran's senior leadership starting with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but questions lingered over whether the country's top negotiators - who have come to represent Tehran on the global stage - could be deemed legitimate targets. Even as Washington and regional brokers stepped in to try and halt the prospect of runaway conflict, wherein the US would find itself in yet another 'forever war' and quagmire, Israel still floated the potential for more assassinations targeting top Islamic Republic leadership.  The NYT, citing officials, sets up the mid-April near-miss incident as follows: In April, Mr. Ghalibaf was set to travel to Islamabad to meet with Vice President JD Vance. But Iranian security officials were concerned that Israel would use the opportunity to assassinate Mr. Ghalibaf or Mr. Araghchi to derail the talks, the officials said. Iranians sought guarantees from the United States, through Pakistani and Qatari intermediaries, that Israel would not carry out any covert operations targeting the Iranian delegation, the officials said. Pakistani fighter jets escorted the Iranian airplanes carrying a delegation of more than 70 Iranians from the border of Iran to Islamabad and back again when the session was over. But on the way back to Tehran, an Israeli security threat emerged. From there, Iranian security forces reportedly notified Ghalibaf's plane of intelligence indicating that Israel planned to attack the aircraft - and the delegation took the warning seriously enough to divert from the original flight path and make an emergency landing in Mashhad, northeastern Iran. Ghalibaf and his entourage then opted to return to Tehran by land, the report says. The following sounds straight out of a Hollywood script: Iran’s security forces notified the plane carrying Mr. Ghalibaf back to Tehran that they had picked up intelligence that Israel planned to attack the plane and that two Israeli fighter jets had entered Iran’s airspace from its western border near Iraq, the two officials said. "Mahdi Mohammadi, a senior adviser for Mr. Ghalibaf, who accompanied him to Islamabad, confirmed this account on his social media page," the NYT notes. "The plane made an emergency landing in the city of Mashhad, Iran’s closest airport to the Pakistani border, and the Iranian delegation traveled some eight hours by land back to Tehran, Mr. Mohammadi and the two officials said." Some commenters have expressed deep skepticism at the Thursday NYT story... Well this sounds fake AF — Emily Schrader - אמילי שריידר امیلی شریدر (@emilykschrader) July 2, 2026 Behind the scenes the Trump administration had reportedly been asking the Israelis to "back off" in order to allow space for negotiations. Certainly, had Ghalibaf or Araghchi been attacked and killed, the situation would have spiraled into all-out war, which still remains a prospect.  Lately the Iranians have urged Washington to continue to 'muzzle' and restrain its more hawkish Israeli ally. FM Araghchi said Wednesday in reference to Trump that "POTUS has committed the U.S. to muzzling its pets in Tel Aviv. If they ignore their master, Iran will school them. Any threat against our People and Leadership will receive Immediate Powerful Response." Tyler Durden Fri, 07/03/2026 - 16:00

Israeli jets entered Iranian airspace to attack negotiators' plane after talks in Islamabad Israeli fighter jets entered Iranian airspace as Tehran's top negotiators were engaged in diplomatic efforts with the United States, according to a New York Times report that says American officials feared Israel was plotting to kill two senior Iranian officials involved in peace negotiations. US officials became increasingly concerned that Israel could target Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, on their return to Iran after peace negotiations between Washington and Tehran in Pakistan, the report published on Wednesday said.  According to the New York Times, Washington was concerned that an Israeli assassination attempt could derail the talks and it asked regional countries to warn Iran about the potential threat. "Any attempt to kill the Iranian leaders would end the talks and reignite the fighting," American officials told the newspaper. While Washington increasingly focused on securing a ceasefire and a diplomatic framework, Israel remained sceptical of negotiations that fell short of its broader war aims.  Read more: Israeli jets entered Iranian airspace to attack negotiators' plane after talks in Islamabad, NYT reports Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi aboard a flight to Zurich ahead of negotiations on 21 June 2026 (AFP)

Israeli jets entered Iranian airspace to attack negotiators' plane after talks in Islamabad, NYT reports Submitted by MEE staff on Fri, 07/03/2026 - 04:37 Washington warned Tehran that Israel could target Araghchi as Ghalibaf's plane made emergency landing Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi aboard a flight to Zurich ahead of negotiations on 21 June 2026 (AFP) Off Israeli fighter jets entered Iranian airspace as Tehran's top negotiators were engaged in diplomatic efforts with the United States, according to a New York Times report that says American officials feared Israel was plotting to kill two senior Iranian officials involved in peace negotiations. US officials became increasingly concerned that Israel could target Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, on their return to Iran after peace negotiations between Washington and Tehran in Pakistan, the report published on Wednesday said.  According to the New York Times, Washington was concerned that an Israeli assassination attempt could derail the talks and it asked regional countries to warn Iran about the potential threat. "Any attempt to kill the Iranian leaders would end the talks and reignite the fighting," American officials told the newspaper. While Washington increasingly focused on securing a ceasefire and a diplomatic framework, Israel remained sceptical of negotiations that fell short of its broader war aims.  The New York Times reported that concerns peaked during negotiations that began in earnest in April, when Araghchi and Ghalibaf emerged as key interlocutors in talks aimed at securing a ceasefire and laying the groundwork for a longer-term agreement. A US official and a Middle East official told the newspaper that the Trump administration learned that Ghalibaf was on an Israeli targeting list and asked Israel to refrain from any action against him. Iranian officials quoted by the newspaper said Tehran also sought assurances from Washington, through Pakistani and Qatari intermediaries, that Israel would not target members of the Iranian negotiating team. The concerns were deepened during an April trip to Islamabad, where Ghalibaf was scheduled to meet US Vice President JD Vance. According to the report, Pakistani fighter jets escorted the Iranian delegation's aircraft to and from Islamabad because of fears that Israel could attempt to assassinate senior Iranian officials.  On the return journey, Iranian security services informed the aircraft carrying Ghalibaf that intelligence indicated Israel was preparing an attack and that two Israeli fighter jets had entered Iranian airspace from the western border near Iraq, the newspaper reported, citing Iranian officials. Mahdi Mohammadi, a senior adviser to Ghalibaf who accompanied the delegation, confirmed the account on social media.   Iran turns to Pakistan land corridor as US naval pressure disrupts Gulf trade Read More » The aircraft subsequently made an emergency landing in Mashhad, and members of the delegation completed the journey to Tehran by land, travelling for approximately eight hours, the newspaper said. "Today Mr. Ghalibaf and Mr. Araghchi, and other members of the negotiating team, have put their lives on the line knowing the grave security risks and this is called a real sacrifice, not political manoeuvring," Iranian lawmaker Mohsen Zanganeh told local media in April.  The newspaper reported that while the United States pursued negotiations that ultimately led to a framework agreement in June, Israeli officials viewed the emerging deal as insufficient because it did not achieve objectives such as regime change in Iran, dismantling Tehran's regional allies and significantly degrading its missile capabilities. A spokeswoman for the Israeli Embassy in Washington declined to comment to the newspaper on the allegations. Asked about the reported warnings to Iran, a US official told the New York Times that President Donald Trump wanted the peace process "to play out" and noted that talks between American and Iranian delegations were continuing. Despite the reported threats, Araghchi and Ghalibaf continued travelling for negotiations, including meetings in Qatar and a subsequent round of talks in Switzerland in June with Vance and other members of the US delegation, according to the report. War on Iran News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

NYT: Washington warned Tehran Israel was plotting to kill Araghchi, Ghalibaf The Trump administration feared Israel could assassinate Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who were involved in ceasefire negotiations in April, The New York Times has reported. The newspaper said that Washington warned Tehran through governments in the region about the possible assassination attempt and urged Israel not to proceed when it learnt that at least Ghalibaf had been placed on the target list. The report described one incident in April in which Ghalibaf's flight back from Islamabad was diverted after Iranian security officials detected what they believed were Israeli fighter jets entering Iranian airspace. US officials believed such an attack would have derailed the diplomacy and risked reigniting the conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States. The newspaper reported that Iranian officials sought assurances from Washington, through Pakistani and Qatari intermediaries, that Israel would not attack negotiators during diplomatic engagements.