U.S. officials held concerns that Israel was plotting to assassinate Iran's lead negotiators during peace talks, prompting the United States to warn Tehran through intermediaries, according to a report citing U.S. officials. The fears escalated in April, when American intelligence believed Israel was targeting Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
Both Araghchi and Ghalibaf were reportedly on an Israeli "kill list" of top Iranian officials. However, their removal from the list coincided with the emergence of U.S.-Iran negotiations. The intervention by the U.S. aimed to ensure their safety, as their deaths could have jeopardized the peace process and potentially prolonged the conflict.
Previous Israeli actions have impacted negotiations, including a strike in March that killed Ali Larijani, Iran's former top national security official who was leading talks at the time. Despite assurances, American officials remained apprehensive about Israel's intentions.
Further concerns arose when Ghalibaf traveled to Pakistan in April to meet with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance. While Iran sought U.S. guarantees for its delegation's safety, an alleged Israeli security threat emerged during Ghalibaf's return flight. Iranian security forces reportedly alerted the plane to a potential Israeli plan to attack the aircraft, detecting two Israeli fighter jets entering Iranian airspace.
Following this incident, Ghalibaf's delegation was forced to make an emergency landing in Mashhad, Iran, and then travel eight hours by land to Tehran due to the security risks. Ghalibaf and Araghchi subsequently traveled to Qatar and then to Switzerland for further in-person meetings with U.S. negotiators.