US is Israel’s closest ally, but President Donald Trump has been publicly critical of Israeli PM Netanyahu in recent weeks after Israel’s war with Hezbollah in Lebanon threatened peace talks with Iran.
Israel has strongly rejected a US media report that claimed US officials feared it could target senior Iranian negotiators during peace talks with Tehran, calling the report “fake news” and a “complete fabrication of reality.”
In a statement posted on X after the report was published, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied that Israel intended to kill Iranian negotiators involved in ceasefire and peace efforts.
“As usual, The New York Times’ latest story about Israel and the Iranian negotiators is fake news,” the Prime Minister’s Office said. “A complete fabrication of reality.”
What The Report Claimed
According to The New York Times report, current and former US officials believed Israel might have been considering plans to kill two senior Iranian officials while Washington was engaged in negotiations with Tehran.
The officials named in the report were Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, both of whom were involved in efforts to negotiate a ceasefire and a broader peace arrangement.
The report said American concerns grew during ceasefire negotiations that began in April. Some US officials reportedly feared that any attempt to assassinate the Iranian leaders could derail the talks and reignite fighting.
According to the report, the US even asked other countries in the region to warn Iran about the possibility that the two officials could be targeted.
US Concerns During Peace Talks
The report said US officials acknowledged that during the most intense phase of the conflict, Araghchi and Ghalibaf, as senior members of Iran’s leadership, could have been viewed as legitimate targets by Israel, which was seeking to topple Iran’s hard-line government.
However, once negotiations gained momentum in April, American officials reportedly believed any attack on the two men could jeopardise the diplomatic process and end hopes of a ceasefire.
The war began on February 28 with an Israeli strike that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and several other senior officials. The operation was reportedly based in part on US intelligence.
US is Israel’s closest ally, but President Donald Trump has been publicly critical of Israeli PM Netanyahu in recent weeks after Israel’s war with Hezbollah in Lebanon threatened peace talks with Iran.
