Israel rejects a New York Times report that it may have planned to assassinate Iranian senior negotiators during diplomatic talks. Multiple outlets report that the New York Times, citing US officials, alleges Israel could target figures including Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, with the concern that such actions could derail peace or negotiation efforts. Israel responds by describing the allegations as “fake news” and denies any plan to carry out assassinations during the talks.
The reports also note that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump agree to meet in the future, as Israel and the United States continue coordinating on the diplomatic track. While the New York Times account relies on warnings attributed to US officials, the Israeli government’s position is that there is no basis for the claims. The dispute centers on allegations of potential targeting during negotiations and Israel’s public denial of those allegations.
