U.S. warned Iran of possible Israeli plot against negotiators

U.S. officials quietly warned Iran that Israel might try to kill two of Tehran’s top negotiators during ceasefire talks, fearing the move could collapse diplomacy. The concern centered on Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, two figures Washington believed were central to keeping the channel open.

The warning was delivered indirectly, with U.S. officials asking intermediaries and other countries in the region to alert Tehran rather than making a public accusation. That approach reflected the sensitivity of the talks and the risk that a direct confrontation could have pushed the negotiations off course.

The discussions began in earnest in April 2026, after a ceasefire halted earlier fighting in the U.S.-Israel war with Iran. American officials believed that if Israel killed either Araghchi or Ghalibaf, the peace effort could unravel and the talks could break down entirely. One account said Israeli fighter jets entered Iranian airspace while the negotiations were underway, adding to fears in Washington that the process was being tested by military pressure.

The episode underscored how fragile the ceasefire diplomacy remained even as the talks continued. A later U.S. official said negotiations between Washington and Tehran were still ongoing and that President Donald Trump wanted the peace process to play out, a signal that the White House was trying to keep the channel alive despite the risk of escalation.

Israeli officials did not publicly respond to the allegation when the concern first surfaced. The lack of an immediate public denial left the warning hanging over a negotiation that already rested on narrow trust, with Tehran and Washington trying to manage both the diplomacy and the possibility of a wider confrontation in the Middle East.