Israel's Alleged Plot to Assassinate Iranian Officials During Peace Talks Revealed
The conflict involving Israel and Iran has yet to find a clear path to resolution. The United States has reportedly uncovered an Israeli plan to assassinate Iranian officials while the two nations were negotiating an end to the war. The US and Iran attacked Iran on 28 February, leading to the outbreak of a war involving the three countries. A glimmer of peace appeared when the US and Iran agreed to a truce and engaged in a series of negotiations. The peace between the US and Iran was opposed by Israel, which had targeted two key Iranian figures in the peace talks for assassination.
Israel reportedly targeted Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. The information was disclosed by the prominent US media outlet The New York Times in a report on Thursday (2/7), citing several current and former American officials familiar with the situation. According to the NYT report, the warning was conveyed indirectly by the US to countries in the Middle East region. The US asked its allies to warn Iran about the assassination plot by Israel.
Several US officials, according to the NYT report, believed that Israel may have planned the assassinations of Araghchi and Ghalibaf, who were Iran’s chief negotiators. The plan was reportedly made in the first weeks after a ceasefire was implemented in early April. At that time, negotiations between Washington and Tehran, mediated by Pakistan, were intensifying. The NYT report stated that officials in President Donald Trump’s administration were deeply concerned. The US asked its allies in the Middle East to directly warn Iran about the possible Israeli attempt to target Araghchi and Ghalibaf. US officials believed that any assassination attempt after negotiations began in earnest in April would halt the talks and reignite the US-Israeli war against Iran.
The NYT reported that Washington knew at least Ghalibaf had been placed on an Israeli target list and urged Israel not to proceed with its plan. The NYT report also quoted statements from Iranian officials, who revealed that Tehran sought assurances from the US, through Pakistani and Qatari mediators, that Israel would not attack their negotiating team during diplomatic meetings. The real threat from Israel against Ghalibaf, the NYT report stated, emerged when the Iranian Parliament Speaker was on a flight back to Tehran from Islamabad after holding talks with US Vice President JD Vance on 12 April. Iranian security forces, according to two Tehran officials who spoke to the NYT, informed the crew of the aircraft carrying Ghalibaf about intelligence indicating an Israeli plan to attack the plane. At that moment, two Israeli fighter jets were detected illegally entering Iranian airspace from Iraqi territory. The plane carrying Ghalibaf was eventually diverted and made an emergency landing in Mashhad, in northeastern Iran. Ghalibaf and the other members of the Iranian delegation then continued their journey to Tehran by land. The US and Iran remain engaged in negotiations to discuss a final agreement to end the war. There are as yet no signs that Israel is softening its stance or agreeing to end the war in the Middle East.